Study Links Sex On TV To Teen Pregnancy

Girls Who Avidly Watch Racy Programs Have Higher Pregnancy Rates, Research Claims

(CBS/ AP)  Groundbreaking research suggests that pregnancy rates are much higher among teens who watch a lot of TV with sexual dialogue and behavior than among those who have tamer viewing tastes.

"Sex and the City," anyone? That was one of the shows used in the research.

The new study is the first to link those viewing habits with teen pregnancy, said lead author Anita Chandra, a Rand Corp. behavioral scientist. Teens who watched the raciest shows were twice as likely to become pregnant over the next three years as those who watched few such programs.

Previous research by some of the same scientists had already found that watching lots of sex on TV can influence teens to have sex at earlier ages.

Shows that highlight only the positive aspects of sexual behavior without the risks can lead teens to have unprotected sex "before they're ready to make responsible and informed decisions," Chandra said.

The study was released Monday in the November issue of Pediatrics. It involved 2,003 12- to 17-year-old girls and boys nationwide questioned by telephone about their TV viewing habits in 2001. Teens were re-interviewed twice, the last time in 2004, and asked about pregnancy. Among girls, 58 became pregnant during the follow-up, and among boys, 33 said they had gotten a girl pregnant.

Participants were asked how often they watched any of more than 20 TV shows popular among teens at the time or which were found to have lots of sexual content. The programs included "Sex and the City," "That '70s Show" and "Friends."

Pregnancies were twice as common among those who said they watched such shows regularly, compared with teens who said they hardly ever saw them. There were more pregnancies among the oldest teens interviewed, but the rate of pregnancy remained consistent across all age groups among those who watched the racy programs.

Chandra said TV-watching was strongly connected with teen pregnancy even when other factors were considered, including grades, family structure and parents' education level.

But the study didn't adequately address other issues, such as self-esteem, family values and income, contends Elizabeth Schroeder, executive director of Answer, a teen sex education program based at Rutgers University.

"The media does have an impact, but we don't know the full extent of it because there are so many other factors," Schroeder said.

The question of whether a child's viewing habits in general affected pregnancy rates, mainly the total number of hours spent watching television - not just racy programming - was also not covered, as pointed out on CBS' The Early Show.

But Bill Albert, chief program officer at the nonprofit National Campaign to Prevent Teen Pregnancy, praised the study and said it "catches up with common sense."

"Media helps shape the social script for teenagers. Most parents know that. This is just good research to confirm that," Albert said.

Still, U.S. teen pregnancies were on a 15-year decline until a 3 percent rise in 2006, the latest data available. Experts think that could be just be a statistical blip.

And Albert noted that the downward trend occurred as TV shows were becoming more sexualized, confirming that "it's not the only influence."

Psychologist David Walsh, president of the National Institute on Media and the Family, cited data suggesting only about 19 percent of American teens say they can talk openly with a trusted adult about sex. With many schools not offering sex education, that leaves the media to serve as a sex educator, he said.

"For a kid who no one's talking to about sex, and then he watches sitcoms on TV where sex is presented as this is what the cool people do," the outcome is obvious, Walsh said.

He said the message to parents is to talk to their kids about sex long before children are teens. Parents also should be watching what their kids watch and helping filter messages sex-filled shows are sending, he said.

[cyberdjs4]

Wow!
I thought *** and alcohol led to teen pregnancy.

[guest173]

My family blocked all the regular channel at our house except for PBS (we don''t watch their fiction though) and we stick with Sky Angel family IPTV programming. There is too much garbage on tv so we just block a lot of it and delete channels we don''t need. There are plenty of good programs without that stuff if you want it.

[culturechang]

What was the line from Distinguished Gentleman? "I got studies that say one thing; I got studes that say another. Which do you want to officially believe?"

[txlakeside]

I just love it when the MORALITY police take the responsibility away from the parents. Blame games, TV, Music and Movies. Forget that mom and dad are not spending quality time with the kids (instead of abandoning them to TV), working way to many hours and are either drunk or loaded on prescrips when they are home!

This is the problem with this country! Way too many folks trying to make morality decisions for everyone rather than making people be responsible for them and theirs!

[irishmail42]

Study Links *** In Shows To Teen Pregnancy. It''s also been shown that violence on TV and in films creates violence in society.

As a society we''re too gratuitous of both in our mass media entertainment.

[steelmonkey5]

So the Rand Corp, who just a week ago, purposed a shocking proposal to the Pentagon in which it lobbied for a war to be started with a major foreign power in an attempt to stimulate the American economy and prevent a recession. (Google it.) Are now also experts in sexual behavior, too? I couldn''t make all of this up, its better than a dime novel.

Isn''t it about time we got all of these large corporate influences on a leash where they should be, instead of allowing them to run our country and our lives?

[irishmail42]

Give me a break. You use the word *** in your headline, but you bleep it in my comment?

God but were a troubled nation.

[elpaulito]

I think that the same TV shows can be linked to the high levels of diabetes in this country, as well as obesity, and probably the fact that a good portion of this country''s population cant find iraq on a map. Sitting there watching incredibly intelligent shows like Survivor and the hills does nothing but rot the brain, body and soul.

[billh971]

WOW! WHO WOULD HAVE THUNK IT! MAYVE SARAH PALIN AND HER TEENAGE DAUGHTER SHOULD HAVE WAITED TO READ THIS REPORT! ALTHOUGH ONCE IT GIGN''T HAPPEN THIS WAY! JESUS! WHAT A WAY TO WASTE MONEY!

[gop_will_win]

Ofcourse it is! That and along with having the misfortune of having liberal parents. Thats who has all the teen pregnancies, daughters of liberal parents. My children are forbidden to watch anything other than the Christian channel. My oldest daughter is 17 and doesnt even know what *** is, when she is having her period I tell her God is punishing you for sinning and she should pray for forgiveness.

[jdparker28]

Kind of interesting problem for broadcasters, either they argue that TV has no effect on human behaviour arguing that advertisers are wasting thier money or they have to claim it affects behaviour and make themselves responsible for problems like this.
Maybe someone should hold them accountable one way or another . . .

[jdparker28]

Kind of interesting problem for broadcasters, either they argue that TV has no effect on human behaviour arguing that advertisers are wasting thier money or they have to claim it affects behaviour and make themselves responsible for problems like this.
Maybe someone should hold them accountable one way or another . . .

[gop_will_win]

That and along with having the misfortune of having liberal parents. Thats who has all the teen pregnancies, daughters of liberal parents.
Posted by gop_will_win at 08:55 AM : Nov 03, 2008

Palin would like a word with you.




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Posted by NailinPalin
=======================
About what?

[gop_will_win]

'''' .. if you were stranded on a planet with trillions dollars dressed diligent sober celibate adult subsistance soldiet gods and congresses and networks and big companys and their baby-saveing nuclear biological chemical stealth ray holy warfare and there were scattered all about trillions dollars naked lazy dopey lusty kid subsistance farmet war babys with no market share lunch money armor weapons alcohols parades raped baked starved slaved tortured mangled .. would you join the gods and congresses and networks and big companys or the war babys or just do what most folk most time do? .. ''''



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Posted by autumn987
======================
Shut up you freak!

[jdparker28]

Kind of interesting problem for broadcasters, either they argue that TV has no effect on human behaviour arguing that advertisers are wasting thier money or they have to claim it affects behaviour and make themselves responsible for problems like this.
Maybe someone should hold them accountable one way or another . . .

[antoniof123]

About what?
Posted by gop_will_win at 09:32 AM : Nov 03, 2008


Her daughter being a pregent teen that is what.

My daughters never got pregent and one is still a teen but an adult. So if you are a parent TURN THE TV OFF MORON.

And it is not just liberal parents but conservatives morons. So no matter how you spin it beat the partent it is there fault.

[billpl-2009]

Study proves to me that.

Teenagers who have s-e-x and become pregnant are more likely to watch racey shows that contain a lot of TV with sexual dialogue and behavior than among those teenagers who have tamer s-e-xual habits.

[gop_will_win]

About what?
Posted by gop_will_win at 09:32 AM : Nov 03, 2008


Her daughter being a pregent teen that is what.

My daughters never got pregent and one is still a teen but an adult. So if you are a parent TURN THE TV OFF MORON.

And it is not just liberal parents but conservatives morons. So no matter how you spin it beat the partent it is there fault.


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Posted by antoniof123
===========================
Palins daughter could have gotten pregnant from a toilet seat in a unisex bathroom. Thats how my neighbors daughter got pregnant last year. Stupid liberals with their unisex bathrooms!

[billpl-2009]

(oops, typo fixed)
Study proves to me that.

Teenagers who have s-e-x and become pregnant are more likely to watch racey shows that contain a lot of sexual dialogue and behavior than among those teenagers who have tamer s-e-xual habits.

[excoachken]

What a scoop! How long did they have to do this research? And, some Grad student got credit for this brilliant thesis, no doubt. I wonder just how the Fox Filth Factory of "Family Values" will spin this one??????

[donevis-2009]

If the teen is interested in the violin chances are she won''t go for the "racy" shows. The other teens that can''t seem to satisfy the itch in their panties will watch the racy stuff and fine the web sights that gives your computer the "bugs".

[krescera]

This is what is so absurd about these so-called "breakthrough studies".Any elderly lady will tell you offhand what kind of sexual harm the TV shows could do to young viewers.We don''t need the Rand Corporation or anybody else to teach us commonsense, unless we are total idiots and want somedy else to think for us.

[patriotic9]

The right-wing nutz are taking our country towards Talibanization. They are so impressed of Taliban ideology whether it''s homophobia, women''s liberty, hollywood, etc.
Why did we waste billions of dollars in fighting Taliban overseas when we have home grown radical christian talibans in our own backyard?

[voidmaster-2009]

I was exposed to a lot of s.e.xual content as a teen and I never got pregnant. But then, I am male. Go figure.

[notmudrose1]

hey gopwillwin, don''t fool yourself about your daughter. every guy and animal in your town has had s e x with your daughter.

[gop_will_win]

hey gopwillwin, don''''t fool yourself about your daughter. every guy and animal in your town has had s e x with your daughter.


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Posted by notmudrose1
===========================
No she hasnt. She is a good christian child. You are just watching dirty movies and they have warped your mind.

[patriotic9]

Palins daughter could have gotten pregnant from a toilet seat in a unisex bathroom. Thats how my neighbors daughter got pregnant last year. Stupid liberals with their unisex bathrooms!

Posted by gop_will_win at 09:54 AM : Nov 03, 2008

This called "State of denial"!
It''s the same state of denial which results in young boys sodomized in the churches.
It''s not the preists sodomizing those little boys, it''s actually "FATHER" inserting "HOLY GHOST" in the BACK HOLE of "SON"!

[patriotic9]

gop_will_win

I have a question.

Does psychosis lead to GOP or GOP leads to psychosis?

[notmudrose1]

if she'' a child, she knows how to do an awful lot of "adult" things.

[notmudrose1]

hey gopwillwin, you''d only know about "dirty movies" by being the star in all of them.

[patriotic9]

Sarah Palin didn''t only spend 150G on herself but also on her "illegitimate son in law"!
Republican Family values in action!

[gop_will_win]

hey gopwillwin, you''''d only know about "dirty movies" by being the star in all of them.


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Posted by notmudrose1
========================
I know about dirty movies because my church group protested them back when they played in the dirty theaters. Now perverts like you can rent them and not have to face the wrath of the good people.

[comeon11]

WE HAVE TO BE HONEST WITH OURSELVES. EVEN AS A DEMOCRAT, I CAN TELL THAT OUT NATION IS IN A STATE OF DECADENCE. WE CAN DENY IT ALL WE WANT BUT OUR CHILDREN AND SOCIETY WILL BE THE ONES TO SUFFER. THERE ARE TOO MANY PEOPLE WITH THEIR OWN IDEA OF MORALITY AND THERE ARE TOO MANY CRAZY PEOPLE WHO DON''T EVEN KNOW THAT THEY ARE CRAZY OR IRRATIONAL. ALL GREAT CIVILIZATIONS ENDED ON A NOTE OF LACK OF MORALITY AND EXCESSIVENESS.

[random_radar]

Since when is it the government''s business to regulate our behavior? If government has the power to make us be good, they also have the power to make us do evil. It just depends on who is in charge and how they define good and evil.

Anyone who wants to use the power of government to make you do anything is evil. Coercion is evil. It doesn''t matter how good the goal is, forcing people against their will is wickedness. It doesn''t matter whether it is one tyrant or a tyranny of the majority, imposing your will on your neighbors is morally bankrupt.

Welcome to America!

[comeon11]

patriotic9..................that''s not the point. we are talking about standards of morality, not how some people act in irresponsible manners.

[cdfoxtrot5]

Obama must lose because his radical views will cause a revolution in the streets by the good people who will not tolerate is radical leftist positions.

Let''''s cut the *** and violence in TV. It''''s the right thing to do.

Posted by gctomajtom

The world has just endured eight years of the most radical president in US history. President Obama will be decidedly conservative by comparison.

If you want to cut the s*ex and violence on your TV, I have three words for you: TURN IT OFF. If you don''t want to watch something, don''t try to force your radical, extremist views on everyone else. Sorry if you''re such a terrible parent that you''re unable to control what your kids watch.

[comeon11]

cdfox...................I agree that Obama is the man for the job, but we have to cut off this *** on tv, on children and teen shows, on bus ads, on billboards etc........What is always most important are the consequences of actions and practices. History tends to repeat itself.

[libh8er]

BLAHAHAHAA.....''groundbreaking study''???!?!?!!?!?!!? Pathetic.

[pensacola98]

Many of us who are parents have said for years that pop culture glamourizes much of the adult expression that lures the impressional minds of children into high risk behavior.

Some parents let their children become captives of the Electronic Baby Sitter AKA Television.

When Captain Kangaroo got fired for saying children watch too much TV, it clinched it for me.

When Bush won the presidency in 2000, I dumped my TV and stopped watching it. I saved $7,200 in cable bills, and got an overall healthier emotional state of mind. I don''t any other way to have survived it.

[comeon11]

Pensacola98........................I wish it was that easy. Kids and teens will find ways to watch these shows. Its like the internet. There is no getting away from it if its there.

[azraek-2009]

Blaming TV for kids being stupid again? Getting old guys, seriously......I was watching *** and violence since I was around 8 yrs old, I don''t have kids, never killed anyone, nothing......the problem today is parenting or lack there of. Stop trying to find other things to blame, it won''t work and it isn''t helping solve the issue.

[comeon11]

Azraek ...........you just explained your misunderstanding. You don''t have kids. We need to stop being delusional. There are these ads on buses, billboards, tv, internet, etc.....ITS EVERYWHERE.

[azraek-2009]

How am I the delusional one? Japan which has more *** and violence on TV has less issues than us, it''s us a country who lacks parenting abilities, we have babies having babies, kids killing kids, ADULTS acting worse than the kids, you tell me I am delusional because I blame parents for not telling their kids right and wrong and not assisting in their nurturing and well being, yet you and everyone else is quick to blame a TV show or video game, you my friend are the delusional one.

[gop_will_win]

This called "State of denial"!
It''''s the same state of denial which results in young boys sodomized in the churches.
It''''s not the preists sodomizing those little boys, it''''s actually "FATHER" inserting "HOLY GHOST" in the BACK HOLE of "SON"!


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Posted by patriotic9
=====================
You have a dirty mind!

[hueffenhardt]

We cannot know based on a correlational study that the tv viewing habits caused teens to become more sexually active as the article implies. It could be that some other factor such as general interest in *** led to both more viewing of racy tv and engaging in more ***.

This is the thing that bothers me about these types of articles on scientific findings based on correlational data. The writer never points out that one cannot infer causation from correlational data.

[credibility2]

Grown-up topics requiring maturity in thought and emotion shouldn''t be viewed by non-adult kids. They''ll try anything and believe anything because they''re ignorant. Wonder if this study also shows a link between this and lax parents who over-indulge, don''t discipline and don''t set a positive example?

[displeased]

When Bush won the presidency in 2000, I dumped my TV and stopped watching it. I saved $7,200 in cable bills, and got an overall healthier emotional state of mind. I don''''t any other way to have survived it.
Posted by Pensacola98

I don''t own a tv either. I get so much work, recreation, and exercise in every night. It feels good not to waste hours watching about other people''s lives. I also didn''t have a tv while growing up. As a child, I spent my time playing outside or reading or making things. However, as a teenager, I was a trouble maker. Hung out with the "wrong" crowd for a brief period. TV had nothing to do with my bad decisions. Any bad decisions I made were my own fault.

[easeup-2009]

When Bush won the presidency in 2000, I dumped my TV and stopped watching it. I saved $7,200 in cable bills, and got an overall healthier emotional state of mind. I don''''t any other way to have survived it.

Posted by Pensacola98 at 11:52 AM : Nov 03, 2008

Bush winning made you get rid of your tv???

What a moonbat!

[jankebenz]

Groundbreaking research? Hardly,its well known that people esp. the young are influenced by what they see.Hence the violence, seks, immorality,rudeness, bad behaviour,ect,ect. So much of societies attitudes and ideology finds its roots in what comes out of hollywood.

[observer2020]

This is just another example of absent parenting. Sit the kids down in front of the TV and you can do what you want. Who cares if your kids aren''t getting the right morals passed along to them--isn''t that the responsibility of the schools? If you don''t get and stay involved in your children''s lives, you are going to raise someone that has no morals or integrity. My kids watch anything they want...then we discuss it, sometimes a great length to see what they got out of the program and what kind of morals and/or integrity is involved. And as they so-well know: Mommy is watching.