For a school project

1. Teenage Sex and Pregnancy It is more than a choice or a right, it is a responsibility. Cierra Bennett Kaplan University CM220-27 College Composition II Professor Hanson July 24th 2011

2. Table of Contents Thesis Media’s Influences/ Parental Control Media’s Influences/Parental Control Continued Reinforcing Sexual Education Focus Groups: Addressing Teen Pregnancy within the community Cited Sources

3. Thesis Statement Young boys and girls are bringing babies into this world when they are not fully ready nor prepared to take care of another life.

5. Media Influences/Parental Control Continued Nearly 75% of all primetime television shows contain some sexual content. For the top 20 teen shows, this figure increases to 83%. (Strasburger, 2005) An example of this is “The Secret Life of the American Teenager.” This show is constantly presenting teenage boys and girls having sex, finding fun in it and doing it with several partners. If you go too www.abcfamily.com and search up the show and watch a few episodes, you’ll see how much it is showing our teenagers. Are they really being helpful or saying it’s okay to have sex? Parental Control Parental control has become a great start in cable companies such as Time Warner Cable. This allows parents to go through their televisions and block off what they don’t want their children to see. For example; Violence. (The Sopranos) Pornography. (Shows on MAX or Showtime) These shows can be off the television with a click of a button. The shows I have presented should be in this same category because what are they teaching our children, really? The question is: If the rates are at it’s lowest in teenage pregnancy, why are there continuing seasons of “16 and Pregnant?”

7. 47% were learning of abstinence as well and would stress the importance of it, but would also mention birth control.

8. 20% were comprehensive. (Strasburger, 2005)Each school should study all aspects of sex, because not all kids are going to be abstinent. It is a necessity to focus on every part that way they can make informed decisions. With those informed decisions they can feel confident and well aware of the choices they will make. Sexual education may not prevent pregnancy but can allow teenagers to learn the knowledge they need to, to become more careful and prevent unwanted and unprepared pregnancies. Sex education does influence contraceptive knowledge and behavior, however. Sexually active teenagers who have had formal instruction report knowing how to use more methods than do adolescents who have had no instruction. The former group is also significantly more likely to have practiced contraception at some time. And among ever-users, those who have received pregnancy and contraceptive education before first coitus are significantly more likely to have used a method at first intercourse. (Family Planning Perspectives © 1986 Guttmacher Institute)

10. Talking with parents of these children on how we can better prevent pregnancies within the community and in our own homes.

11. Allowing anyone to come forth to this group and ask questions and speak their concerns and working together to help them.