teenage pregnancy

Seventeen swelling bellies aside, the Mayor of Gloucester, Carolyn Kirk, said that there is no evidence of a pact between the pregnant students of Gloucester High School as reported by Time. And, believes that the spike in pregnancies, which is more than four times the normal number, is similar to what's happening in other cities. Despite her claim, an Associated Press report said that some students and residents aren't buying into that belief. It said:

Gloucester resident Annette Dion, a 45-year-old private music teacher, said school and city officials should have done more to find out whether the girls truly made a pact to become pregnant. She said denying such a pact existed is "pretty naive."

Do you believe there was a pregnancy pact?

Seventeen students at Gloucester High School in Massachusetts are pregnant and it appears that many made the decision to have babies based on a pact. No doubt, the girls aged 16 and under, many of who took their confirming pregnancy tests at the school nurse's office, are sure to get a lesson in life. Time reported that the expectant young women plan to raise their babies together.

If you believe shows like Gossip Girl, you'd think that city-dwelling teens were the randiest and most rebellious. But a recent story on Slate reminds us that teenagers in rural areas are often more sexually active.

According to the article:

Several studies have shown that rural teens are more likely to have sex than their urban counterparts, that they lose their virginity earlier, and that they have more sexual partners.

The story cites various statistics indicating that country-dwelling teens have higher rates of high-risk sexual behaviors, including sex with multiple partners and infrequent use of condoms.

I'm certainly no researcher, so I can't speak to the accuracy of the statistics. But anecdotally, I can say that I know plenty of people from both urban and rural backgrounds who were promiscuous in their teens. Teen sex certainly isn't limited to cities; in fact, it often seems like nonurban teens have more sex. What do you guys think? Did you grow up in the city or the country, and what was the attitude toward teen sex where you grew up?

Photos courtesy of The CW

Ahh, Trojan, the makers of the condoms we know and love, are beginning a campaign called Trojan Evolve. They're touring the US to raise awareness about the poor state of sexual health in America to urge Americans to petition for change. This program came about from the recent statistics that discovered one in four teenage girls has an STI — syphilis, gonorrhea, herpes, HPV, and chlamydia are all on the rise, and so are teenage pregnancies. Trojan wants to attack these issues head on — to inspire a positive movement towards healthy sexual behaviors. Check out this video to see what it's all about.

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Most women can't imagine returning to work the day after they are released from the hospital with their new bundle of joy, though some do. A recent article in The Denver Post questioned the current practice of their local East High School that penalizes teen moms who don't make it back to class after birthing. It said:

"Two counselors from East High School approached the school board last month, saying the policy at their school is unfair and inconsiderate because it forces new moms to return to school the day after being discharged from the hospital or face being charged with unexcused absences."

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