January 26, 2010 7:43 PM
- Text
Katie Couric's Notebook: Teen Pregnancy
Is it a blip or the start of a disturbing trend? After more than a decade on the decline, the number of teen girls getting pregnant has gone up. Seven percent of 15-to-19 year-old girls were pregnant in 2006. While that's much better than the 12 percent rate 20 years ago, it's an increase from the year before.
Teen Pregancy Rate Increases
The reasons aren't clear, but it came amid an increase in funding for programs that taught kids only about abstinence and nothing about contraception. The Obama administration has since cut money for that approach, but it's too soon to see any effect.
We should teach our kids to say no to sex. Some will listen ... but others won't. So, they also need to know how to protect themselves. Given the consequences of STD's and unplanned pregnancy, these are decisions teens will have to live with for the rest of their lives. Having some of the facts just isn't good enough.
That's a page from my notebook.
I'm Katie Couric, CBS News.
Teen Pregancy Rate Increases
The reasons aren't clear, but it came amid an increase in funding for programs that taught kids only about abstinence and nothing about contraception. The Obama administration has since cut money for that approach, but it's too soon to see any effect.
We should teach our kids to say no to sex. Some will listen ... but others won't. So, they also need to know how to protect themselves. Given the consequences of STD's and unplanned pregnancy, these are decisions teens will have to live with for the rest of their lives. Having some of the facts just isn't good enough.
That's a page from my notebook.
I'm Katie Couric, CBS News.
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