Ever wonder how births among teen girls have changed over the past 15 years? Or if parents ever disagree about whether their pregnancy was planned or not? Or even wonder how an unplanned pregnancy might affect the relationship stability of the parents? Or their happiness in their relationship? Don't look any further for answers, simply check out the 5 new sections of our DCR (Data, Charts, Research) Report and find out!

Section E - The Changing Portrait of Teen Childbearing Over Time
This section provides a portrait of teen births among girls age 15-19 in the United States, from 1991 to 2006. More specifically, the section explores the distribution of teens giving birth by age, race/ethnicity, nativity, marital status, and education, as well as the proportion of teen births that are low birth weight and are premature.
Highlights: Non-Hispanic white teens account for the largest share of teen births. However, since 1991, the proportion of teen births that are to non-Hispanic white and non-Hispanic black teens has decreased while the proportion of teen births to Hispanic teens has increased.  

It was the weirdest "talk" we had ever had.

My mother had always been very open and honest with me when I had questions about sex and relationships, but this just took the cake. So what was this strange piece of unsolicited advice I received as we drove through my high school boyfriend's neighborhood?

"I know you really love him, but don't marry him. It's okay to have sex with him if you think that's the right thing to do."

Maybe she saw the gleam in my angst-y, seventeen-year-old eyes as we drove past his house on the way home from school that day. Maybe she remembered what it was like to be a teenager in love. Maybe she and her sisters had visited a spirit guide on their annual girls' night out earlier that year who told her that her youngest daughter would marry before the age of 20 (true story). Whatever it was - and I'm assuming it's probably a combination of all three of these factors - this was a message she delivered with the same urgency and conviction as the information she had been giving me about my body and birth control, the realities of raising kids, and all the other important stuff for my entire life.

Well, you can't say the Brits aren't trying. Between a pilot program for low-income youth and a new pamphlet providing guidance to educators and adults on how to emphasize the potential positive aspects of sex, Britain has been making headlines for trying new approaches to reduce their high rates of teen pregnancy. Since our brilliant Senior Director of Research, Kelleen Kaye, already wrote a thoughtful post on the former strategy, I will stick to the latter.

The already-infamous "Pleasure" pamphlet apparently encourages discussion of the health benefits of masturbation and orgasms, among other things. And indeed many public health experts agree that masturbation is healthy and natural, though that perspective is not always presented in adolescent sex ed programs. In December 1994, then Surgeon General Jocelyn Elders commented that masturbation "is a part of human sexuality and it's a part of something that perhaps should be taught" in comprehensive sex education programs. This philosophy didn't serve Dr. Elders well in her career (she was eventually fired for the comment), but it has been espoused by advocacy organizations and many online sex education resources.

Over the weekend I was able to catch the national tour of the eight-time Tony Award winning production, Spring Awakening, based on a German play written over 100 years ago by Frank Wedekind.

Before I got tickets, the only thing I really knew about this musical was that Duncan Sheik, arguably most famous for his '90s hit, Barely Breathing, composed the music. Given where I work, I'm surprised I didn't realize earlier that among the show's primary themes--which are depicted with graphic scenes and explicit language--are teen sexuality, sex, and pregnancy.

Sheik brought a modern twist to the production through its pop music, but the "mature" themes were there from the beginning. That's right. In the 1890's, adolescents were curious about, and exploring, their sexuality. These days (some) teens express that side of themselves using cell phones. Back then, apparently, they were passing handwritten and hand drawn notes to explain sex to one another and to plan forbidden rendezvous.

Another central theme of Spring Awakening is parent-child communication (or lack thereof). Realizing that this is still something we still struggle with today--especially when it comes to sex--the producers of the musical created a parent's portal so that adults could decide whether it's appropriate for them to bring their children to the show. The site has letters from parents and video testimonials from both parents and teens who have watched the show together. They state repeatedly what a great opportunity this show provided for them to talk about sex. I wish they had provided discussion guides to help out even more with those conversations, as we do for a number of TV shows about teens and sex, but at least they're trying to encourage dialogue. 

So if this show is passing through your town soon, grab a ticket and take your teen. It's understandable if some of the scenes make you uncomfortable, especially if you're there with your child. So sit across the theater from each other if you must. Just be sure to talk about what you saw after it's over.

Last week, The Washington Post examined Hollywood's recent fascination with 20- and 30-somethings who are still fumbling their way towards something resembling adulthood. Appparently, being a grownup is so scary that being immobilized is way better. Until: something big happens that grows you up fast. In Hollywood, that turning point seems to be an unplanned pregnancy. "Knocked Up," "The Last Kiss" and "Away We Go" are just a few of the movies Post writer Monica Hesse points to as examples of babies turning aging adolescents into grownups.

Is that really a baby's job?

I don't know how I've not seen these books before now, but I was just introduced to Robie H. Harris'  children's books on all things sex and sexuality and I'm in love.  It's Not the Stork is intended for those ages four and up, It's So Amazing is for ages seven and up, and It's Perfectly Normal is for those ten and up.  Supported by the fact that one of my colleagues admitted she just learned from the Stork book that a sperm's tail falls off when it enters an egg, I think it's safe to say there really is no age cap on that "...and up" part.

Harris and illustrator Michael Emberley (whose father just so happened to write the thumbprint drawing book I obsessed over as a child, but I digress) have produced age-appropriate books that cover all those things that kids are curious about and that adults often have a hard time finding the words to discuss. The littlest kids can learn the basics about body parts and what makes a family and the difference between good and bad touches and how babies grow in the womb, just to name a few of the topics.  The book for the oldest age group talks about those topics more in depth as well as puberty, masterbation, contraception, STIs, and planning pregnancy.  And when the 15th annivesray edition of It's Perfectly Normal comes out this fall (don't worry, we'll remind you when that happens), apparently there will also be new information about topics such as Internet usage and safety and the HPV vaccine.

In addition to how refreshingly straight forward and honest these books are, one of other things that strikes me the most is that the they show all kinds of people.  And I don't just mean racial diversity.  There are also different body types and sizes and ages.  Some have saggy boobs.  Some are hairier than others.  In other words, they show real people and that's really refreshing.

I'll be buying these books ASAP for my nieces and suggest you pick up copies, too, if you want to help the young people -- or not so young people -- in your life learn more about the birds and the bees.

There's a new show premiering this week on MTV that is a must-watch for anyone who cares about teen pregnancy or teens in general. "16 and Pregnant" is a 6-part series done in documentary style with one story per episode. It features 6 teen girls, all from different places, backgrounds and circumstances. MTV followed them through their pregnancies and in the time after they gave birth and captured the angst, drama, gossip, worry, heartache, excitement, confusion, pain, love, hope and helplessness that comes with being pregnant as teenager. It is riveting to watch and impossible to forget.

The first episode, which airs Thursday at 10p ET/PT, tells the story of Maci - an over-achiever from Chattanooga, Tennessee who is in the glorious throes of her first love when she finds out she's pregnant. I don't want to give anything away, but suffice it to say there's a big reality check in store for her. And her boyfriend. And anyone else who thinks having a baby at 16 is going to be like a fairy tale.

Not only are we big fans of the show, but we're also involved behind the scenes. We're preparing discussion guides to go along with each episode so that teens and parents and other adults have a place to start when they want to talk about what they're watching. Once the initial on-air run is complete, we'll also be distributing DVDs of the show to groups, classrooms and programs who need compelling content on this important topic to share with teens.

Check out the discussion guides and FAQ at http://www.stayteen.org/tuned/16-and-pregnant/ and don't forget to set your DVRs accordingly.

A recently released study on marriage and the impact of childbearing on marriage determined that after the birth of their first child, couples experience a sudden decrease in marital quality. While couples without children also experience declines in marital quality over time, the decline is much more gradual. The overall conclusion from the research is that becoming parents is a particularly challenging time for couples--probably not surprising findings for most parents or couples.

Now imagine how the data on relationship quality would look if it turned out that the pregnancy was unplanned--or if the couple wasn't married when they found out they were about to become parents. Couples in these situations are more likely to break up than married couples who plan their pregnancy. Clearly, becoming a parent can be very rewarding, but it isn't easy. Parents will be better suited for this adventure if they decide to plan when they are ready (or not ready) for the challenging task of raising a child together.

We all know that Chuck Norris is able to count to infinity (twice!) and that he is so tough that he can slam a revolving door. But did you know he writes an exclusive weekly column at WorldNetDaily.com where they let him talk about anything he wants?

Seriously... you can't tell Chuck Norris what to write. In fact, Chuck Norris doesn't actually write his columns. The words assemble themselves out of fear.

Last week, Chuck took on "sexting" in his column, dispensing advice to parents like Walker, Texas Ranger dispenses roundhouse kicks to the skulls of criminals. An excerpt:

We might live in a technological wonderland, but that doesn't mean it's good to eat from all of its fruits. Most especially, we can never throw up our hands in surrender to marketing and peer (or parental) pressure in order to give our kids everything the Joneses have, especially when those things expose them to others exposing themselves!

Read the rest of the article here or Chuck Norris will find you.

• Chuck Norris is so tough that when child porn sees him it turns itself in to police rather than take a beating.
• Cell phone towers transmitting "sexting" messages melt in Chuck Norris' presence.
• Chuck Norris is so tough that cell phone 'send' buttons ask his permission before sending messages.
• Chuck Norris is so tough that the guy who invented the cell phone camera has gone into the Witness Protection Program.

The teen birth rate increased 1% in 2007, according to a new report from our friends at the National Center for Health Statistics. Close watchers know that this is now the second year in a row that the teen birth rate has increased. The stark reality is this: After 14 years of uninterrupted good news, after the teen birth rate declined an amazing 34% between 1991 and 2005, the teen birth rate has now increased 5% between 2005 and 2007.

Today, we also released a new public opinion survey of adults and teens—With One Voice (lite) 2009. The survey provides some clues on what might help to reverse the recent increases in the teen birth rate. To wit:

• When it comes to teens' decisions about sex, parents are far more influential than they think.
• Adults and teens--by a long shot--view abstinence and contraception as complimentary, not contradictory, strategies.

So there!

If you are looking for additional info, please visit our web portal that has a press release, National Campaign analysis of the increase in both long and short form, a summary of key data, the complete results of the new National Campaign public opinion survey, and other helpful materials.

We really want to hear from you on two important questions:

• Why do you think the teen birth rate is increasing?
• What should be done to reverse the recent unpleasantness?

How about that Super Bowl huh? Definitely one of the five best SBs of all time don't you think? The nation now faces our APOG (Annual Period of Gloom) as the long, empty, sports-less days extend before us as far as the eye can see. (Hockey and non-playoff NBA action don't count and I simply will not abide arguments to the contrary. Sure, NCAA b-ball is great but thin gruel for the long winter months to be sure.) The light at the end of the tunnel is a distant one—the dulcet tones of "play ball" that will ring from major league ballparks in April. Tom Boswell was right; time does begin on Opening Day.

But I digress. Truth is I will do nearly anything to avoid getting back into the nation's most tiresome non-debate that pits abstinence versus contraception. Snooze. But back in I must...

Yet another survey—this one conducted for the National Women's Law Center and the YWCA USA by our friends at Public Strategies, Inc.—underscores that the American public wants teens to be encouraged to delay sexual activity and to be given information about contraception. Not either/or. The NWLC/YWCA survey notes that 76% of Independents and 62% of Republicans believe the government should support sex education programs that include information about abstinence and contraception. Not either/or.

Friend's here's my simple point. There really is precious little disagreement among the American public about abstinence, contraception, and what teens should be taught. Liberals, conservatives, Obamaists, parents of teens, old folks, Welsh cardigan corgis, teens themselves, all agree—in one public opinion poll after another—that teens should be encouraged to delay sex and be provided with information about contraception. Not either/or.

Simple right? What am I missing? I am, as always, waiting to be enlightened.

Ever since we released the report on our "Sex and Tech" survey last month with CosmoGirl.com, my fellow Campaigners and I have been answering questions from hundreds of reporters who want to get to the bottom (so to speak) of the "sexting" craze.

Our survey found that about 20% of teens have posted or sent nude or semi-nude photos of themselves; and about 30% have received such images meant for someone else. About 3/4 of the teens in our survey acknowledged that this kind of thing is risky and could have negative consequences.

But they're doing it anyway. And now the consequences seem to be more serious even than future embarrassment. Today's New York Times notes the latest example of teens across the country who are being charged with dissemination and possession of child pornography, even when they're sending photos of themselves. That makes for a murky legal situation, and a really scary one to find yourself in.

Countless reporters have asked me if we should just make sure teens only have cell phones without cameras. Have you tried to buy one of those? I'm not sure you can anymore. Besides, it's not the phone's fault. Instead, we need to teach teens how to use technology in a smart and safe way, and how to make sure that something done on a whim or a dare doesn't cost them their futures. Parents remain the most powerful force in teens' lives—and while most parents don't feel like they're experts at technology, they are still experts at being parents.

What would you tell your teen? Have you asked your teen if they know anyone who's done this? Tell us you thoughts and find tips for parents and teens on the Sex and Tech page of our Web site. 

Today The Campaign, along with our friends at Cosmogirl.com, released a survey about the scary intersection of sex and technology. As it turns out, nearly 40% of teens are sending sexually suggestive text message, IMs, or emails. And nearly half have received them. Think that's bad? They're also sending sexually explicit photos and video—about 1 in 5 teens say they've posted or sent nude or semi-nude images of themselves. Most send this stuff to their boyfriends and girlfriends but 15% of those who've done it say they've sent such content to people they know only online. Yikes!

There's a lot to talk about here. Teens know it's dangerous and they do it anyway. This sort of activity increases with age (so much for "youthful indiscretions" that are over by adulthood). Teen girls say they do it because they think its "fun" but many guys see it as being "hot" and nearly a third of teen boys say girls who send such content are expected to hook up. Guys show what they're receiving to their buddies. And nearly a quarter of teens say this sort technology makes them more forward and aggressive in real life.

Real life. That's the scariest part of all. If someone has already seen photos of your naked body either online or on their cell phone screen, then the expectation for sexual contact may be more intense when you spend time with them in person. Or it might be harder to say "no" to something in real life if you've pushed the envelope electronically. Not to mention the real life impact these photos may have when potential employers or college admissions officers or new friends or first dates or sworn enemies or pretty much anyone else searches for information about you online.

And for the most part parents have no idea what's going on. When parents were growing up their moms answered the phone and knew their friends' voices. Phone conversations took place in the kitchen in front of everyone. Even if they took racy pictures of themselves as teens the only way to share them was passing around snapshots and then hiding them away. "Friends" were people you knew and spent time with—not a classification on Facebook that applies equally to people you've never met as well as lifelong pals. Parents may (or may not) be old-fashioned or out of touch when it comes to teens' attitudes about sex, drugs, drinking, etc., but at least they've lived through it. Not so with cell phone culture and social networking. Which can make it harder to talk about and easier to get away with.

For survey results, teen reaction, news coverage, tips for parents, things to think about before you press 'send' and more check out Sex and Tech: What's Really Going On on our site and Cosmogirl.com's The Daily Kiss blog.

Flying home on Virgin America from San Francisco this week I took in an episode of MTV's "Sex with Mom and Dad" on the in-flight entertainment system.  While I was prepared to be entertained, I was not expecting to be as engaged as I was by Dr. Drew Pinsky's moderation of the parent-kid talk.

TV critic Brittany Doctor says in her review that, "Sex" is an enlightening show. It's a shock to see how little many teens around the country know about the dangers of unprotected sex, as demonstrated in episode five when Tiara revealed that she didn't know that she could get pregnant or infected even if her boyfriend "pulled out."  Exactly...except I wouldn't limit the commentary to teens--as you'll see for yourself.

The bottom line in all of the wide-ranging episodes is that parent-child communication is so very important.  And the age of the participants doesn't matter.  Talking about and planning for your most important moments makes sense.  "Sex with Mom and Dad" takes a step in the direction of making the conversation easier.

When I wrack my brain for examples the gold-standard in parenting, I don't often think about 80's metal bands.  In fact, I don't ever think of 80's metal bands as good examples of much beyond proper eyeliner application and why spandex is wrong in so many ways. 

But to my surprise, some of those ertwhile made up and spandexed out rockers are now parents - and pretty good ones by the sound of it. 

This morning, I came across an article penned by former GnR bassist and current dad of two girls (one 8 and one 11), Duff McKagen.  After learning that some of his daughter's classmastes were "joking around about sex", McKagen realized he had to have "The Talk" with his girls. 

Check out his blog post on Seattle Weekly, The Birds, the Bees, and My Daughters.  It's hilarious and - if you're a parent - will certainly make you realize that you're not the only one dealing with this!

Somehow I managed to live 30+ years without having to change a single diaper, but that all changed eight weeks ago today when my wife and I became new parents to our daughter, Lucy. While I am not a parenting expert yet and still have a lot of questions, I think I am getting the hang of life as a new parent. Dirty diapers, it turns out, are only the tip of the iceberg. In the last two months, I have learned a great deal about babies and what it means to be a father - things I never knew before.

Get your Mr. Mom on after the jump.

Although the National Campaign is not focused intensely on sex education, I am often asked what I think should be taught and when and by whom and under what circumstances, and usually I find ways to refer people to our website, where our "Ten Tips for Parents" appear, along with much else about effective curricula and more. But I am beginning to think that we need a new list—or perhaps an additional list—of topics to discuss with young people as well as among ourselves.

Here is the way I think about it. This nation has been engulfed for years in a series of arguments that touch on sex, love, and relationships—a partial list includes abortion, abstinence-only curricula versus comprehensive sex education, parental consent, and birth control clinics in schools. There are more, too, but those are the biggies.

But I think that while we have all been arguing about such matters, a number of simple, basic ideas has fallen by the wayside. When I speak about them—see list below—people often write them down or ask me to "go slower" so that they don't miss any. Sometimes they are treated like news, even though I would imagine my grandmother might have laid them out quite easily. So, here is my list of topics we need to discuss with teens, in particular, although many apply to young adults as well.

Aunt Sarah's List

1. Sex has risks, meaning and consequences.  Take it seriously....
2. A couple shouldn't have sex if they can't talk about birth control and what they will do if pregnancy occurs. 
3. Girls: Sex won't make him yours and a baby won't make him stay.
4. Boys: Making babies doesn't make you a man.  Being a devoted partner and father can....
5. Babies need adult parents.
6. Babies don't cement relationships; they stress them.
7. Babies don't give unconditional love; they seek and demand it from the adults around them.
8. Children do best when they are raised by parents who are committed to each other and to years of devoted parenting.
9. Getting pregnant, having babies, and raising children is perhaps the most important thing we do (and it also costs a lot).  Therefore, it needs to be thought about carefully, not stumbled into.  We plan many relatively unimportant things all the time: vacations, outfits, dinner, presents, what movie to see....  Doesn't pregnancy deserve at least the same amount of planning?

If you thought dealing with Jeff Conaway's addiction (not to mention his girlfriend) on "Celebrity Rehab" was a daunting task, wait until you see this. Dr. Drew is going to help teens and parents talk about sex.

"Sex...with Mom and Dad" premieres Monday on MTV. And not a moment too soon.

We hear it constantly from teens and young adults—parents have more influence over their kids' sex lives than anything else. Certainly more influence than parents themselves think they have, and also more influence than media, friends, school, religion or anything else for that matter. Which is good—if you have parents who know how to talk about sex, love, values, and relationships or who at least care enough to make sure the messages their kids get from them about these issues are rooted in self-respect and responsibility. But that's not always as easy as it sounds. After all, it can be hard to talk about this stuff—embarrassing, awkward, confusing. Parents may feel that they need to be experts (not true) or that their own past calls their authority into question (also not true). Kids may feel weird about these conversations (almost always true) and may resist a parent's efforts to start a discussion (you can bank on this one) or their own desire to have their questions answered. All of which can lead to misinformation, bad choices, family turmoil, and more.

So what can you do? Short of enlisting the expert advice of Dr. Drew Pinsky—not just a TV doc but an actual board certified, medical school-teaching, honest-to goodness physician, who incidentally has teenage children of his own—you can actually do quite a bit. We have some handy, dandy tips for parents to get you started. The most important thing is to remember that it's not The Talk - but rather a conversation that lasts a lifetime. Age-appropriate information about feelings and body parts, honest discussions about what's acceptable in your family (which is often very different than what's acceptable in Hollywood or even among peers), and wide-ranging conversations about dreams for the future (and what would stand in the way of those dreams, like say too-early parenthood for example) are important.

Tune in next Monday at 7p ET/PT. Let us know what you think.

A recent poll released by the Monmouth University Polling Institute details the views of New Jersey residents on sex and society...in other words, their thoughts on sex ed, the influence of the media, etc.  A lot of the info in the release was unsurprising; what got me poised to blog, however, was one chart that indicated that 82% of "other parents" felt that middle school was the time to begin sex ed.  Here's the chart in all its mathy glory:

Source:  Monmouth University/Gannett New Jersey Poll.  For more information: Monmouth University Polling Institute, West Long Branch, NJ 07764, www.monmouth.edu/polling

This is fantastic.  The idea that the majority of parents in this community see a place for sex education in schools is a wonderful step in the right direction.  But I have to wonder - how many of that 82% have already broached the subject of sex with their children?  The National Campaign regularly tells parents that the "Talk" isn't a one shot deal...it should be a series of conversations worked into appropriate moments in your child's life.  So while I congratulate the parents of New Jersey for recognizing that kids as young as 5th grade need and want age-appropriate guidance about sex, love, and relationships, I have to wonder - have you been practicing what you preach?

Get some great tips for talking to your kids in our Parents Portal. 

Get the polling data here.

I hear that NBC's "Baby Borrowers" is one of the biggest summer shows EVER. I have watched all the episodes now, each several times. I love it. Truly, madly deeply. I started watching because I had to (the Campaign developed discussion guides for the show though we had nothing to do with its basic premise or taping), but I am now a flat-out convert.

Tonight, NBC is airing a special follow up about the show, and because I am in this special (please do NOT watch my segment unless you promise to tell me that I looked 32....), I have now had extensive contact not only with the teen couples but also the "lender" parents and the show's wonderful creator, Richard McKerrow. Based on hours with all these people and others, I am more convinced than ever that this program is a force for good. It reveals in living color why teens are best advised to postpone parenthood—and it does so without being preachy or annoying. In particular, it shows how the stress of babies is overwhelms fragile teens relationships.

Shocking news bulletin: None of the couples are still together....

I also think that all the whining about how traumatic the experience of being "lent" was to the babies is not credible. Think babysitters. Think day care centers. Think, we went to NYC for the weekend but my sister took care of Baby Walter.... ALL the lender parents would do it again in a heartbeat.

I must also report that (1) there was more food backstage for the taping of this show that I saw at the last three weddings I attended combined, and (2) l loved the "hair and make-up" gig. I think they took 5 years off me...no small feat.

9 pm in the East. NBC. Tonight.

This just in from Massachusetts about a pack of little girls who decided to get pregnant together.  This is exhibit #50928345 in a basic reality today: our culture and its constituent parts--parents, media, faith leaders, elected officials and more--have failed in one of our most critical and basic jobs, which is communicating to the next generation about what babies need and deserve.  And what are those things?  The list includes having adult parents who are deeply and sincerely committed to each other; who are willing to be active, devoted parents for decades; and who have done the best they can to get educated so that they and their children need not struggle with poverty.  I cannot believe that if these girls had been surrounded by a culture and families who were clear and explicit about these simple facts that they would have been so reckless.   

Why didn't they just go get tattoos together or do some other innocuous adolescent thing?  This Massachusetts story provides a possible answer:  casual, non-marital child-bearing among teens as well as older individuals has become so common and inconsequential that it actually now IS the consumer equivalent of a tattoo: meaningless.

A new battle front in the culture wars has opened.  The issue is ICK -- in this case, some arguably salacious material in a sex ed curriculum. 

Here are a few thoughts: advocates on all sides of the sex ed battles have found sections in various curricula that they dislike.  As a general matter, the right dislikes sexually explicit content (the current flap) and the left routinely flags material that is medically inaccurate, homophobic and/or tied to religion.  It seems that almost anyone who sets foot into sex education offends at least someone.  It's tough terrain.    

So, what's a parent to do?  By all means review what your child's school plans to offer in sex ed 101.  If you find aspects of the curriculum that you don't like, consider having your child opt out of the class or perhaps just one session.  

But if you do so, keep in mind the following:

1. Some sex ed programs have been proven to help reduce the risk of teen pregnancy.  It is far better to have your child taught using an effective program than one lacking any evidence of good results.

2.  The overall popular culture that our children live in is very sexually explicit---and remember, it is on the watch of everyone reading this note that our culture has become what it is. Your children know and wonder about and hear tales of things that many of us old ones still don't get.  What makes you blush would hardly be noticed by the vast majority of teens.  Sorry.  It's the truth. 

3.  You are bound to find something that you do not agree with in any curriculum.  The question therefore is---on balance---does the curriculum seem right overall?  Does one disagreeable passage negate what might be 100 pages of positive material?  Analogy: Do you vote for a political candidate because you agree with him/her on every issue or just on most issues?

 4 . If you do remove your child from a class or curriculum, all that does is increase the burden on YOU to become a top flight sex educator.  Are you willing to do that?  To learn about the reality of teens' lives and the choices/pressures facing them, and then offer accurate, complete and compassionate advice?

Discuss.

In an effort to get the word out about the StayTV Mash Up contest, I came across a really great web resource, Teens Today With Vanessa Van Petten.  Vanessa, a self-described "Gen Y'er", is an author, teen mentor, and general proponent of getting teens informed about the risk of teen pregnancy - you can see why we like her!  We also love her site and she was gracious enough to give us a little shout out...so, to return the favor, get yourself to Teens Today and read her latest entry about how parents can talk to teens about sex, love, and relationships.  And, if you can't bear to navigate away from Pregnant Pause for even a second, here is a clip of the vlog (video blog) that accompanies the post:

Over the years, Campaign surveys have offered up two striking and consistent conclusions: (1) teens consistently say that parents most influence their decisions about sex, and (2) parents freely admit that they know--in their souls--that they should talk to their kids about sex, love, relationships and values but that they don't know what to say or when to start the conversation. 

Help is on the way.

A new book, Like Whatever: The Insiders Guide to Raising Teens contains a terrific chapter on teens and sex authored by former Campaign family member Karen Troccoli.

For the Campaign's tips for parents, do that mouse-click thing here.

There are at least 6 dead trees on my desk as I gear up for my first blog entry.  I am nervous.  I am excited.  I don't know what to write about so...I will tell you why the dead trees -- I mean, the massive reports -- I have in front of me are distressing.  All are from very well regarded groups.  All are scholarly, loaded with graphs, bloviating at full throttle with phrases like "priorities for public policy should be based on the following core principles..."   ALL talk about the problem of poverty in America, especially child poverty, along with some specific parts of the grim picture, including dropping out of high school.