USA leads all but one other European Country in Teen Birth Rates

[Skwim]

Wonder why?

source
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Make you proud to be an American? I sure hope not.


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[Sultan Of Swing]

The UK isn't that great on the chart either, but we have swell sex education across the country.

Sure it's a lack of sex education that's causing this?

 

[Quetzal]

The UK isn't that great on the chart either, but we have swell sex education across the country.

Sure it's a lack of sex education that's causing this?

May not be the sole cause, but it certainly seems to have an influence.

 

[Sultan Of Swing]

May not be the sole cause, but it certainly seems to have an influence.

Where's the evidence of causation? (And correlation isn't necessarily causation)

I can understand lack of sex education making a big impact in much of Africa.

The USA though? Dunno, you'd think them family values would be taught well in the areas where they don't have it.

 

[George-ananda]

One thought is that there is statistically a disproportionate number of teen births by people of black descent. I would guess the U.S. has the highest percentage of blacks of any country on that list. I am guessing that if we look at non-black teen birth rates in the United States we wouldn't see much difference from the pack.

 

[Quetzal]

Where's the evidence of causation? (And correlation isn't necessarily causation)

I can understand lack of sex education making a big impact in much of Africa.

The USA though? Dunno, you'd think them family values would be taught well in the areas where they don't have it.

Im not sure, I don't have the data in front of me. Are you suggesting that the lack of sexual education does NOT play a role in regards to the OP?

 

[Father Heathen]

The UK isn't that great on the chart either, but we have swell sex education across the country.

Sure it's a lack of sex education that's causing this?

That, and cultural attitudes within various demographics that eschew personal responsibility (kids and their parents alike).

 

[Sultan Of Swing]

Im not sure, I don't have the data in front of me. Are you suggesting that the lack of sexual education does NOT play a role in regards to the OP?

I'm asking for evidence that backs the OP's claim that a lack of sexual education plays a large role in this particular case of the USA, or as the OP seems to suggest, the deciding factor. This does not mean I am suggesting the opposite (as I wouldn't have the evidence to back that one either).

 

[Sultan Of Swing]

That, and cultural attitudes within various demographics that eschew personal responsibility (kids and their parents alike).

Which demographics are you referring to, and what cultural attitudes?

 

[Quetzal]

I'm asking for evidence that backs the OP's claim that a lack of sexual education plays a large role in this particular case of the USA, or as the OP seems to suggest, the deciding factor. This does not mean I am suggesting the opposite (as I wouldn't have the evidence to back that one either).

I guess we are in the same boat then, I don't have the data either.

 

[VioletVortex]

Probably because sexual education in America spends to much time creating fun euphemisms for the actual terms, probably convoluting it.

 

[Kilgore Trout]

http://www.hhs.gov/ash/oah/adolescent-health-topics/reproductive-health/teen-pregnancy/trends.html

The teen birth rate has been dropping steadily since 1990 (when teen birth rates were around 60 per 100000). Even from 2008 (the data from the OP), the teen birth rate in the US has dropped from around 40 per 100000 to 26.5 per 100000 in 2014. I'm not sure how teen sex education has changed from 2008 to 2014 (or from 1990 to 2014), or if any such changes could explain such a significant, and steady, decrease in teen birth rates.

 

[George-ananda]

The UK isn't that great on the chart either, but we have swell sex education across the country.

Sure it's a lack of sex education that's causing this?

I think there is more than the level and type of sex education involved in these statistics. I think the OP was trying to draw too close a connection between sex education and teen pregnancies.

 

[Sunstone]

One thought is that there is statistically a disproportionate number of teen births by people of black descent. I would guess the U.S. has the highest percentage of blacks of any country on that list. I am guessing that if we look at non-black teen birth rates in the United States we wouldn't see much difference from the pack.

As it happens, it might not make all that great of a difference, albeit it most likely makes some difference. I was only able to find US White adolescent birth rates from 2014, five years later than the data Skwim used in the OP, but if we assume that that data can give us an approximate result, then comparing White US rates to European rates would only drop the US three places, from second place to fifth place on the charts. In other words, the US would still place well above the European average.

[Source]

 

[YmirGF]

Well, at least America is still great at some things.

 

[Kilgore Trout]

I just feel bad for all the European teens not getting laid.

 

[Skwim]

The UK isn't that great on the chart either, but we have swell sex education across the country.

Sure it's a lack of sex education that's causing this?

Certainly not the sole cause, but I'd say a highly contributing factor. Unfortunately, there's a significant segment of US society that's uncomfortable talking about sex. You know, the kind who only has sex with the lights off.


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[Skwim]

I'm asking for evidence that backs the OP's claim that a lack of sexual education plays a large role in this particular case of the USA, or as the OP seems to suggest, the deciding factor. This does not mean I am suggesting the opposite (as I wouldn't have the evidence to back that one either).

"Researchers studied the National Survey of Family Growth to determine the impact of sexuality education on youth sexual risk-taking for young people ages 15-19, and found that teens who received comprehensive sex education were 50 percent less likely to experience pregnancy than those who received abstinence-only education."​

Other studies

"Researcher Douglas Kirby for the National Campaign to End Teen and Unplanned Pregnancy examined studies of prevention programs which had a strong experimental design and used appropriate analysis. Two-thirds of the 48 comprehensive sex ed programs studied had positive effects.

40 percent delayed sexual initiation, reduced the number of sexual partners, or increased condom or contraceptive use.
30 percent reduced the frequency of sex, including a return to abstinence.
60 percent reduced unprotected sex."



"Advocates for Youth undertook exhaustive reviews of existing programs to compile a list of programs that have been proven effective by rigorous evaluation. Twenty-six effective programs were identified, twenty-three of which included comprehensive sex education as at least one component of the program. The other programs were early childhood interventions. Of the 23 effective, comprehensive sex education programs:

Fourteen programs demonstrated a statistically significant delay in the timing of first sex.
13 programs showed statistically significant declines in teen pregnancy, HIV, or other STIs.
14 programs helped sexually active youth to increase their use of condoms.
9 programs demonstrated success at increasing use of contraception other than condoms.
13 programs showed reductions in the number of sex partners and/or increased monogamy among program participants.
10 programs helped sexually active youth to reduce the incidence of unprotected sex."
source



Researchers at the University of Washington set out to compare the sexual health risk of adolescents who have received various types of sexuality education.
This study used data collected in 2002–03 through the National Survey of Family Growth (NSFG), a nationwide survey conducted by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s (CDC) National Center for Health Statistics.

Key Findings:

Young people who received comprehensive sex education were significantly less likely to report a teen pregnancy compared to those who received no sex education.
Abstinence-only programs were not significantly associated with a risk reduction for teen pregnancy when compared with no sex education.
In comparing abstinence-only programs with comprehensive sex education, comprehensive sex education was associated with a 50% lower risk of teen pregnancy.
After adjusting for demographics, abstinence-only programs were not significantly associated with a delay in the initiation of vaginal intercourse.
Comprehensive sex education was marginally associated with reduced reports of vaginal intercourse.
Neither abstinence-only programs nor comprehensive sex education were significantly associated with risk for an STD when compared to no sex education.
source


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[Nietzsche]

Well, at least America is still great at some things.

We're still great at school-shootings!

We're number 1! We're number 1!

 

[jeager106]

These kids better stop screwing around!