Do you worry about your teens/young adults getting pregnant?

jeanjolie wrote: »

Contrary to the media and popular belief, they've been falling ever since the mid 1950s in everywhere across the Western World and the majority of those who get pregnant in Ireland at those ages, it tends to be the lower class (from what I've been told).

Whoever told you that had no idea what they were talking about, but I can understand why you chose to believe them - because it sounds true to you. The truth is that there's a difference in the options and opportunities available to young girls who become pregnant, depending upon their social class. Whatever sex education they received in school often has very little influence on reality outside school.

That said, no, I don't concern myself too much with whether or not my child will ever become a teenage father unexpectedly. He has more things occupying his mind than some of the young boys his age who brag about their digital dexterity with the fairer sex.

Senor Fancy Pants wrote: »

It used to be "up the bum, no harm done" but nobody ever expected evolution to provide "bum babies".

Its only a matter of time.

I wonder will Aeneus top the name list when that happens..

I don't have children but I think that every parent would worry about it. Isn't that what parents do, worry about their children?

jeanjolie wrote: »

Read a thread on Reddit about "how crappy was your sex ed" and some Irish poster said how he never got anything in secondary school apart from a few days in the Junior Cert.

It's true..I think we can all reiterate how painfully true this is yet is it a concern? People give out about how we need to educate our kids about sex but it seems that they're doing pretty 'okay'. Contrary to the media and popular belief, they've been falling ever since the mid 1950s in everywhere across the Western World and the majority of those who get pregnant in Ireland at those ages, it tends to be the lower class (from what I've been told).

The lads in my class ranged from 'playas' to the most socially awkward and incompetent ****s you would know yet I'd wager my bets that they'll go on to have kids at roughly the same age.

I don't have kids so I'm probably talking out my backside here but I don't see what the amount of sex ed schools give has to do with it, ultimately it is the parents responsibility to make sure their kids are properly educated about the birds and the bees but with peer pressure as strong as it is these days even that won't guarantee that your teen won't one day bring home a nipper since you can't be looking over their shoulder 24/7.

Best you can do is accept the fact that your teen is most likely going to have sex and, short of locking them in their room until they are 21, there is nothing you can do to stop it but what you can do is make sure they are properly educated about it and, more importantly, properly protected. Buying your teen a box of condoms won't guarantee no pregnancy but it would significantly reduce the likelihood of one and also show your teen that you trust them enough to make their own decision and a teen who feels they are trusted with that responsibility is more likely to take it seriously.

Loveinapril wrote: »

It's not up to schools to educate kids on sex, reproduction and their bodies, it's a parents' job. It needs to start as open conversations as soon as kids start asking questions. I have friends and family members who got pregnant young (the youngest was 14) and I know lots of them happened due to misinformation from other young people (because there was little or no info given at home); things like you can't get pregnant on your first time, you can't get pregnant standing up, you are too young to get pregnant, etc. ALL of these could have been avoided if honest, open conversations happened with informed adults.

Parents often aren't informed adults. Just because one us capable to have kids it doesn't actually meant they know much about it. Good sex ed in schools is important. Parents should be doing many things but often they don't. You can't leave it to chance.

Anyway I am not overly terrified of teenage pregnancy, that can be rectified. I would be horrified if they decided to continue with it.

Senor Fancy Pants wrote: »

So, youre saying 4 is the magic number then?

I think it's 3 and a tayto bag actually. Salt and vinegar if your brave enough