Eva M. Clayton: “the month of May is Teen Pregnancy Prevention Month. Teen pregnancy is a condition that can be prevented. But prevention…”

“the month of May is Teen Pregnancy Prevention Month. Teen pregnancy is a condition that can be prevented. But prevention is difficult for most Americans. Parents must stop thinking that we cannot talk about sexual topics until children are older because kids are too young or will be too embarrassed. Conversations need to start early because teens start early, TV starts early, and society starts early. It is easier to find televised debates on abortion, gun control or affirmative action than it is to find a discussion about teen pregnancy prevention. Our society likes issues that can be squeezed into ideological formats between commercial breaks. For many years the teen pregnancy prevention debate fit nicely into that televised ideological format. There is no easy answer. Abstinence only was held by some. Abstinence is indeed the first and the best position for teens. Others thought contraceptive education was the major answer. While this debate went on, in the late 1980s and early 1990s, the pregnancy rates continued to rise and people on both sides of this debate grew weary. Many thoughtful leaders engaged and developed new programs that combine strong emphasis on abstinence, especially for teen 16 and younger, with counseling on contraception. Teens need the knowledge and skills to avoid sex if they are not ready . . . they need to know that it is okay to say no.”