According to PRNewsWire, "Nearly all unmarried young adults ages 18-29 believe pregnancy is something that should be planned (94% of men and 86% of women) and say that it is important to avoid pregnancy in their lives right now (86% of men and 88% of women), according to new research released by The National Campaign to Prevent Teen and Unplanned Pregnancy."

Wow!

So the question is...Are teens and young adults really educated about the Sexual Health? Are they aware of the things they need to prevent unwanted pregnancy? Are they informed about the resources and organizations that work to make sure these things are available to them?



 

• Only about half of sexually active unmarried young adults use

contraception regularly -- many say they used it inconsistently (24%)
or not at all (19%) over the past three months.

• About four in ten (38% of men and 44% of women) agree with the

statement: "It doesn't matter whether you use birth control or not;
when it is your time to get pregnant it will happen."

• Many (29% of women and 42% of men) say it is at least slightly likelythey will have unprotected sex in the next three months -- 17% of women and 19% of men describe it as either extremely or quite likely.

So, what does that say about our educational system? Does it say that we need to focus on a comprehensive sex education route or stay in the Abstinence only routine? From the information and the statistics it is quite obvious that people are aware of sexual resources, but are not sure on how to use them or they are not aware at all and don't really care about finding out the importance of those contraceptives and information about sexual health?

The key words are bolded "inconsistently", "not at all", " unprotected sex", and "least slightly likely"

These words frustrate me because it should be "are likely to use contraception", "protected sex", "consistently are safe", "likely to use".

What I've seen from the word choices is that students/young adults are not informed, educated, or taught of the consequences that come with having unprotected sex. Unplanned Pregnancy is not the only thing that can happen, you can get sexually transmitted diseases, and AIDS/HIV. But, we are a society that is so stigmatized and ashamed of sex that we prevent people from learning about it and the great parts of sex and the harsh realities.

The funny part is that we hit young adults with constant sexual advertisements in the media, they get it through peer pressure and the school environment, but as a parent/friend/mentor/teacher, we are nervous about teaching it as a subject? Are we not suppose to educate people when they are aware of something? What's the problem?

If you think i'm wrong, school me!

Okay, now check this:

The nationally representative survey of 1,800 unmarried young adults ages 18-29 is the first of its kind to focus in depth on the attitudes and behavior of both single men and women regarding pregnancy planning, contraception, and related issues. Other survey findings contained in the report, The Fog Zone: How Misperceptions, Magical Thinking, and Ambivalence Put Young Adults at Risk for Unplanned Pregnancy include:

Many unmarried young adults say they know little about contraception. Even though 82% have used some form of contraception in the past and 90% believe they have all the knowledge they need to avoid an unplanned pregnancy:

• -- About six in ten (63%) say they know "little" or "nothing" about birthcontrol pills.


• -- Three in ten (30%) say they know little or nothing about condoms.

OMGOSH! OMGOSH! OMGOSH!

Let me repeat this again one more time.....

Many unmarried young adults say they know little about contraception.

America, Now I'm going to get angry. We are the wealthiest country in the world. We are suppose to offer opportunities and endless possibilities, take it we are in a recession, but why is it that young adults are unaware of contraception and resources regarding sexual health. Why are we not teaching young people about PLAN B, Contraception, Sex, not even about what to do, but how to have a healthy relationship. To recognize signs that the relationship is not working, to talk about the things that you are comfortable doing in a relationship, why are we not telling people that they don't have to participate in sexual activity, unless it's something they want to do. Why is it that some students don't know what condoms, birth control, and some resources are? Why is it that in a country this size, people are still uneducated about their sexual health, tell me that?

Myths and misinformation about pregnancy and contraception are prevalent as are inflated fears about the possible side effects of contraception. For example:

 

• -- Nearly half (44%) of those who have used birth control pills

incorrectly believe that women need to take a break from the pill
every few years.

• -- 18% of men think having sex standing up reduces the chances of

pregnancy.

• -- 42% of men and 40% of women believe that the chance of getting

pregnant within a year while using the pill is 50% or greater, despite
research showing that the birth control pill is typically 92%
effective.

• -- 28% of men incorrectly think wearing two condoms provides extra

protection; in fact two condoms are more likely to break due to
friction.

• -- 27% of women and 34%

of men believe it is extremely or quite likely
that using the pill or other hormonal methods of contraception will
lead to a serious health problem like cancer, despite clinical
evidence to the contrary.

• Many unmarried young adults are suspicious of birth control. For example:

• 32% agree with the statement:

"The government is trying to limit Blacks and other minority populations by encouraging the use of birth
control."

• 43% agree with the statement: "Drug companies don't care if birth

control is safe; they just want people to use it so they can make
money."

Right now, I'm just in "AH" of these facts and figures and I'm really disappointed.

According to data from the CDC's National Center for Health Statistics and the Guttmacher Institute, half of all pregnancies in the United States are reported by women themselves to be unplanned. Among unmarried women in their 20s, fully 7 in 10 pregnancies are unplanned.

"Reducing the nation's stubbornly high rate of unplanned pregnancy will require a combination of responsible individual behavior and responsible public polices," said Sarah Brown, CEO of The National Campaign to Prevent Teen and Unplanned Pregnancy. "These startling survey results also suggest that this country is in desperate need of a new social norm: Unless both partners are seeking pregnancy and are committed to each other and to the years it takes to raise children, they must take active, careful, and consistent steps to avoid it."

MY thoughts...

None...What are your thoughts?