1. Chapter 6: Sexuality Part 2

2.  Adolescent pregnancy  Sexually transmitted infections  Forcible sexual behavior  Sexual harassment

3.  Once virtually invisible & unmentionable  Shuttled off to homes for unwed mothers where relinquishment of the baby for adoption was their only option  Subjected to unsafe & illegal abortions  Yesterday’s secret has become today’s dilemma.  US: Over 200,000 females have a child before 18

4. U.S. continues to have one of the highest rates of adolescent pregnancy & childbearing in the developed world, despite a considerable decline in the 1990s U.S. rates are similar to those of Russia & several E. European countries: Bulgaria 2X those of Canada & Great Britain 4X the rates in France, Sweden, Germany, & Japan.

5.  In Europe & Canada, childbearing is regarded as an adult activity.  Unclear messages about sexuality in the U.S.  Access to family planning services?

6. In 2004, births to adolescent girls fell to a record low (Child Trends, 2006). The greatest drop in the U.S. adolescent pregnancy rate in recent years has been for 15- to 17-year-old African American girls. Fear of STDs School/community health classes Greater hope for future

7. Issue of great debate… Easier to obtain in some countries (Scandinavian countries), than in U.S. In U.S. abortion & adolescent sexual activity are more stigmatized In U.S., 19% of abortions are performed on 15- to 19-year-old girls <1 % are carried out with those less than 15 years of age (2003)

8. Legislation mandating parental consent is justified by several assumptions: High risk of harm from abortion Adolescents’ inability to make an adequately informed decision Benefits of parental involvement Regardless of research outcomes, pro-life & pro-choice advocates are convinced of the rightness of their positions. This debate is founded in religious beliefs, political convictions, & morality, not science or research findings. This conflict has no easy solutions

9. Health risks for both baby & the mother Infants more likely to have low birth weights A prominent factor in infant mortality—as well as neurological problems & childhood illness Adolescent mothers often drop out of school Can you think of other consequences?

10.  Often see self as omnipotent & indestructible; believe that bad things can’t or won’t happen to them (adolescent egocentrism)  Informing adolescents isn’t enough ◦ Self-acceptance regarding their sexuality seems to predict contraceptive use…so how do we promote sexual self-acceptance?  Prevention is most often based on the belief that adolescents have the cognitive ability to approach problem solving in a planned, organized, & analytical manner  Do adolescents have this ability?

11.  Some adolescents 16+ have these capacities, but this doesn’t mean they use them, especially in emotionally charged situations, such as when they are sexually aroused or are being pressured by a partner Young Adolescents (10 - 15) experience sex in a depersonalized way; filled with anxiety & denial. Middle adolescents (15 - 17) often romanticize sexuality. Late adolescents (18 - 19) more realistic & future-oriented about sexual experiences, as they are about careers & marriage.

12. Children of adolescent parents may face problems even before they are born. Adolescent mothers are less competent at child rearing. Adolescent mothers have less realistic expectations for their infants’ development than do older mothers Children born to adolescent mothers may not perform as well on intelligence tests & may have more behavioral problems than children born to mothers in their twenties (Silver, 1988).

13. The majority of adolescent fathers are not involved Adolescent fathers have lower incomes, less education, & more children than do men who delay having children until their 20s. Many young fathers have little idea of what a father is supposed to do.

14. Sex education & family planning Access to contraceptive methods The life options approach – motivates to reduce pregnancy risk Broad community involvement & support (Duckett, 1997) Baby Think it Over Doll Teen Outreach Program (TOP) (Dryfoos & Barkin, 2006). Girls, Inc. (Roth & others, 1998). Growing Together Will Power/Won’t Power Taking Care of Business Health Bridge Abstinence

15. Contracted primarily through sexual contact Not limited to vaginal intercourse; includes oral-genital & anal-genital contact Increasing health problem 3 STIs caused by viruses: AIDS, genital herpes, & genital warts 3 STIs caused by bacterial infections: gonorrhea, syphilis, & Chlamydia.

17. Forcible Sexual Behavior & Sexual Harassment ◦ Rape ◦ Date, or Acquaintance Rape  Sexual Harassment ◦ Sexual comments, jokes, gestures, & looks ◦ Sexist remarks & covert physical contact ◦ Sexual rumors ◦ Blatant propositions & sexual assaults ◦ Quid Pro Quo… ◦ Hostile Environment

18. Sexual Literacy Sexual information is abundant Information or misinformation? Example: Most adolescents do NOT know at what stage of the menstrual cycle females are most likely to get pregnant Sources of Sex Information Adolescents can get information about sex from many sources parents, siblings, schools, peers magazines, television, & the Internet.

19. A special concern is the ACCURACY of sexual information (adolescents, parents, teachers…) Many parents feel uncomfortable talking about sex Many adolescents feel uncomfortable talking about sex Adolescents are far more likely to talk about sex with mothers than with fathers (Kirkman, Rosenthal, & Feldman, 2002). Female adolescents use protection more when they can communicate about sex with their parents.

20. 93% of Americans support teaching of sex ed in H.S. 84% support its teaching in middle/junior high schools (SIECUS, 1999). Sex education in U.S. schools today Increasingly focused on abstinence less likely to present students with comprehensive teaching birth control, abortion, & sexual orientation (Alan Guttmacher Institute, 2003a; Santelli & others, 2006).

21.  Sex Information & Education Council of the United States (SIECUS) www.siecus.org www.siecus.org ◦ This organization serves as an information clearinghouse about sex education. The group’s objective is to promote the concept of human sexuality as an integration of physical, intellectual, emotional, & social dimensions  The New Gay Teenager (2006) Richard Savin-Williams Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press. ◦ Leading researcher on adolescent gay males & lesbians, Savin-Williams examines many aspects of their development & relationships  National Sexually Transmitted Diseases Hotline (800–227–8922) ◦ This hotline provides information about a wide variety of sexually transmitted infections  Alan Guttmacher Institutewww.guttmacher.orgwww.guttmacher.org ◦ The Alan Guttmacher Institute is a resource for information about adolescent sexuality. The Institute publishes a well-respected journal, Perspectives on Sexual and Reproductive Health (renamed in 2003, formerly Family Planning Perspectives), which includes articles on many dimensions of sexuality, such as adolescent pregnancy, statistics on sexual behavior and attitudes, and sexually transmitted infections  AIDS Hotline (National AIDS Information Clearinghouse) ◦ 800–342–AIDS800–344–SIDA (Spanish)800–AIDS–TTY (Deaf) ◦ The people answering the hotline will respond to any questions children, youth, or adults have about HIV infection or AIDS. Pamphlets and other materials on AIDS are available.

22. The rates among adolescents of premarital pregnancy and of sexually transmitted diseases are unacceptably high. Use the knowledge you gained from the text and from class lectures and/or discussions to develop a sex education program for adolescents. Consider the following questions before putting your thoughts down on paper. 1. What should be the goals of your program (e.g., accurate factual understanding, instilling of values)? 2. Should students and/or parents be surveyed concerning the desired content of the program? 3. At what grade should the program start? What ages will it span? At what grade will it end? 4. How will you respond to parental concerns about sex education leading to promiscuity? 5. What criterion will be used to measure the success of the program? 6. What methods should be used to present the program content? 7. What is the program content?

23. 1. Developed countries with liberal sexual attitudes, accessible contraceptive services for teens, and formal sex education programs have lower teenage pregnancy rates. 2. Teens are usually sexually active for a number of months before seeking information about contraceptive methods. 3. Three-fourths of sexually transmitted diseases occur in people 19 years old and younger. 4. Babies born to adolescent mothers have twice the mortality rate of babies born to mothers in any other age group. 5. About 55 percent of births among teenagers are out of wedlock. 6. One-tenth of all teenage females become pregnant each year. 7. About 15 percent of all live births in this country are to teenage mothers. 8. One-third of all pregnancies among adolescents are aborted. 9. Only half of sexually active teens use contraception regularly. 10. Eighty-five percent of pregnancies among 15- to 19-year-old girls were unintentional. 11. Sexually active girls who use drugs are more likely to get pregnant. 12. One-half of all first-time premarital pregnancies occur in the first six months of sexual activity. 13. A large percentage of adolescents do not realize that venereal diseases come from sexual activity. 14. Many adolescents feel that if you do not want to get pregnant, you will not.