Secret Life of the American Teenager: What is really being portrayed by the media

Through out the course of the semester we have seen that the media portrays teen pregnancy as a social problem and in both 16 and Pregnant and Secret Life of the American teenager, which is shown on ABC family, we see this. In  16 and Pregnant we see young women who either didn't think about contraception or just failed to use it properly. In Secret Life, Amy a "good girl" gets pregnant the first time that she has sex with the schools "bad boy" Ricky. During the course of the first season Amy tries to decide what to do and even considers marrying Ben a "good boy" that she is dating. This presents the view that if you make the mistake of getting pregnant they should get married and raise the child in a 2 parent family environment. On another season Grace the schools abstinence supporter has sex with her boyfriend Jack and that same episode her father dies in a plane crash. Last but not least is Adrianne who is the most knowledgeable of the characters. She has had sex before and knows how to properly use birth  control but in a moment of revenge she has sex with Ben and gets pregnant. What do all of these acts have in common? The moment the girls have sex something bad happens such as pregnancy or death. This is giving viewers a bias opinion that says if you have sex something bad will happen. Why do you think this is the case?  The media is obviously giving a very strong opinion and it doesn't seem to be changing any time soon even though we live in a very sex driven society. The media seems to be saying that the only option for teenagers is abstinence and even go as far as advertising this option on most of their teen shows.
My question for you guys is do you think this issue will ever change in the future? and Also what changes would you make to shows like 16 and pregnant and Secret Life of the American Teenager?

http://abcfamily.go.com/shows/secret-life-american-teenager
-Ana Gutierrez

Abstinence Focused Sex Education-Helpful or Harmful???

This week in class we learned that the state of Missouri, has an abstinence based sex education program. In this way of teaching, the students are primarily only learning about abstinence and not about the other methods of sexual health. And if these methods are being presented, they are not thorough enough in their presentations because they always go back to abstinence as the number one priority. I feel that the abstinence based sex education in Missouri is not helpful.
Being a student in Missouri since the fourth grade I rarely even remember learning about sex in school. My high school didn't even offer any type of sex health class. The first time I even came across any type of sex education was in high school and even then it was just a brief chapter or discussion in a biology or health class, taught by a science teacher or one of the creepy gym coaches. And when we did learn about sex health it was only the basics, the facts, and the horrific pictures of STIs they'd show. But what about everything else that comes along with being knowledgable in sex health..the emotions, your options, having the right for it to be okay and not frowned upon if you engaged in any sexual activity. And like many teens at that age myself and a lot of my friends were curious and had lots of questions but felt like we weren't able to ask those types of questions in class. 
And needless to say because of our abstinence based education and unanswered questions, more and more girls every year were turning up pregnant in our school. And coming from a school with approximately 500 students, is a lot of girls. I think the law of the abstinecne focused education in Missouri needs to change. It shouldn't be so one-sided and just show things in one scenario.
Sex education should encompass all aspects of it, the good, the bad, and the ugly. It shouldn't only show one aspect and one outcome. There are other options for young people besides abstinence. And also the sex educations programs should present the emotional and mental effects of having sex. I feel as though if schools did this, and presented all and complete, thorough information, then teens will be able to make much more educated decisions about their sex life and not having to late find themselves in any unwanted situations.

How adequate do you feel the sex education in your state is???
Do you think there should be and amendments to how or what schools teach their students???

~Nikki Walton

What Route Would You Take In An Unplanned Pregnancy?

As we learned in the article "To Parent or Relinquish" there are plus' and minus' to any route in choosing what to do in the situation of a unplanned pregnancy. There are definitely patterns in what people do, or how they make their decision in the situation. For example, in the article it can be seen how the typically girls that chose to give their baby up for adoption came from a home with a mother that was educated. This could be because the mother knows what her daughter needs to do in order to be successful as she is, it takes a lot of work and time that a young mother does not have. Mothers that gave their child up for adoption were way more likely to go onto and finish vocational schools and get a job that pays better.
There was also the fact that women that kept their baby were happier with their decision than were the women that gave theirs up for adoption. This was not surprising to me, it reminded me of the show "16 and Pregnant" it really shows how hard of a decision and situation it is for a mother to have the child they have been carrying for 9 months taken away from them and reared by someone else. I think that no matter what the route abortion, adoption, or keeping your baby it is going to be an equally as tough decision that affects your life forever. There is such a stigma on abortion that I think this would prevent many couples from even considering abortion. No matter what the route it is going to be a difficult transition. No matter what I think that it is hard to determine what is best for all young mothers, they are all coming from different places and different situation and that makes a huge difference in what a girl should do.
What do you think you would do in the situation?
What would you take into consideration if you came into this situation?
-Erin Richeson
Source"To Parent or Relinquish: Consequences for Adolescent Mothers" by: Steven D. McLaughlin, Susan E. Pearce, Diane L. Manninen, and Linda D. Wings

Do you think that it is time for the government to stop funding Planned Parenthood?

Recently, it has been a big debate over whether or not the government should keep funding Planned Parenthood. The government gives Planned Parenthood about $349.6 million. Many people do not like the fact that their tax money is going to a place that funds abortions, so they want the government to stop funding Planned Parenthood. On the opposing side, they feel we need Planned Parenthood, and honestly, I agree. 

What people fail to realize is that Planned Parenthood is more than just about abortions. They offer breast exams, STD and STI screenings, Pap smears, birth control, condoms, and other reproductive health concerns for both men and women.  Planned Parenthood also operates on a sliding scale, which means that they charge people based on the person’s income and what they can afford. If it was not for this factor of Planned Parent many people would not be able to get the services listed above. It also seems that Planned Parenthood is conveniently located for most people. There is usually a Planned Parenthood close to where a person lives, especially in rural and urban areas, which are areas that have a number of people without health insurance.  According to Planned Parenthood’s website, they have touched the lives of 1 in 5 women.

I understand the concern of the people who are pro-life; however we have to look at what else Planned Parenthood does. If they have more positive aspects then negative, then people should want the government to continue to fund them. What do you think will happen if the government stops funding Planned Parenthood? Will everybody all of a sudden become abstinence? Of course not, and the STD and STI rates may increase, because the people who do not have health insurance will not be able to get treated and will continue to spread the diseases. In addition to the increase of STDs, there may be an increase in home abortions, which can be extremely dangerous. I wonder have the government taken these types of consequences into consideration.

Please visit the Planned Parenthood website to find out more, and I believe they are starting to start a petition.

Sources:

http://www.plannedparenthood.org/about-us/newsroom/press-releases/two-new-public-polls-nbc-wsj-quinnipiac-show-majority-support-planned-parenthood-36392.htm

http://www.lifenews.com/2010/12/16/planned-parenthood-gets-363m-in-tax-money-abortions-rise/

-        -  Brittaney Vaughn

Parental Influence

As teenagers, parents opinions gave a big role in our lives, sometimes too big. Parents should be ope to sharing their opinion on many subjects: who you date, what you wear, what classes you should take, etc... But should their influence determine a teen's decision on what to do if they get pregnant. As we have previously talked about in class, teens very often make this decision based on what their parents think. In my opinion, parents should definitely have an opinion or a say in the matter, but should not be the deciding factor. This is a huge decision that will greatly impact ones life and you do not want to make that decision simply "because my parents said so...". Parents will not always be around to make decisions for you, so teens need to learn to be independent and make their own decisions. Especially because in the end it is your life, not your parents, and this will have an impact on the rest of your life. Therefore, I think teens that become pregnant should look into all of their options and make a decision that will be best for them and their life in the long run. Not only for them, but for their child as well. In conclusion, although these girls and boys are still young they should be able to make this big of a decision on their own.

Do you agree that parents sometimes play too big of a role in big decisions like what to do if their child gets pregnant? What other thoughts do you have on the subject?

-Alex Antoniou

The Missing Parent: The Absense of Teen Fathers

Teen fathers are often portrayed as the missing parent in 16 and pregnant as well as society in general. Why is this?? Everyone knows that it takes two to make a baby and the teen mother is not the only one who has responsibility for this child that they both created. Teen fathers, I think, are portrayed as the missing/ absent parent because they aren’t expected to raise a child and if they do stay around to raise this child they are seen as heroes who should be rewarded for their generous behavior. This is a double standard if the teen mother decided that she didn’t want to have anything to do with her child she is looked down upon and ashamed, but the young man is not. To me this standard has to change, if you are old enough to get a girl pregnant then you are more than old enough to stay with the girl and help her raise the child. This doesn’t mean that they have to get married or even be a couple but it does mean that the man has the responsibility of being there for his child and the mother of his child in any way that they can. I can speak from experience that often times the woman doesn’t really need the father to provide for them but they do need that support from the father to know that they are not alone in this experience and that they have someone who is willing to be their support.

            Of course there is no sure way of getting the father to participate in the life of his child but if men are taught from childhood that it is their responsibility to help raise children then maybe when they grow up they will have that sense of fatherhood already engrained in them, much like young women are taught to be mothers from a young age.

            Do you guys think that it is a good idea to have young men taught from childhood to raise a child? And if so what impact does this have on teenage mothers? And what obstacles do we as a society face when making changes in the male/female dichotomy? 

-Ana Gutierrez-Gamez

Teenage Parenting: A Blessing or Mistake????

"I love my baby, but..." Many teenage parents have used this statement to describe their situation when they become parents. Teen parents have to walk this line of contradiction when they decide to raise a child. They feel as though they should recognize their choices as a mistake but the baby itself is not. Why is that? Why do so many teens feel that having sex, creating a child, and deciding to raise that child is a mistake? when not too long ago, if a 16 or 17 year old took the same actions, it would have been a delighted decision instead of frowned upon or judged so harshly. Forty, fifty years ago, many teenagers were having sex and having children at young ages and raising their families. But our society today, holds teenage parenting as a shameful act and that our teenagers have a certain path to follow and that they shouldn't turn away from it.
I feel as though teen parents shouldn't have to look at their decisions as a mistake unless it truly was. When two people decide to have sex  they should be aware of all the consequences and be ready to handle whatever comes their way physically, emotionally, and financially. So if they do become parents then they won't have to regret their decisions. Our society is to blame for shaming these young parents in doing what they think is best for them in their situations. It should be okay for them to say they made a mistake, they don't like what they did without being judged for it. For the parents having these children, for some it has changed their lives drastically for the better and have helped to actually pursue dreams they never would have before. And for others they run from it. But making the decision to have sex shouldn't be said as a mistake unless they were truly not ready. I feel as though having a child as a teen should be looked at the same. Teen parents should be able to say, "Yes! I had a baby." and be proud of their decisions to do so.  It shouldn't have to be one way or the other. They shouldn't have to feel if they have sex and have a child, that their decision is a mistake or wrong in any way, unless they truly as if it is. They shouldn't have to deal with outside participants influencing them to feel a certain way. They may have disappointed people in their families with their decision but if they are truly happy with their decisions then the parents should be allowed to feel that way. To me, teenage parenting is only a mistake if you're not ready and didn't think about your consequences for sex. Its a blessing in disguise, you just have to realize it is.

~Nikki Walton