teen pregnancy

Sexual Health Websites for Teenagers (collected by Sari Locker, Ph.D.)

Here’s my list of great sexual health websites for teenagers:

How to talk to your parents about sex; Deciding about sex:

https://www.girlshealth.gov/body/sexuality/talkparents.html

https://www.plannedparenthood.org/teens/sex/am-i-ready

Birth Control Information:

https://www.bedsider.org/methods

https://www.plannedparenthood.org/learn/birth-control

Emergency Contraception:

https://www.bedsider.org/methods/emergency_contraception#costs_tab

https://www.plannedparenthood.org/learn/morning-after-pill-emergency-contraception

STIs, STDs, HIV/AIDS, Safer Sex and Testing:

https://www.plannedparenthood.org/learn/stds-hiv-safer-sex

https://www.cdc.gov/std/healthcomm/fact_sheets.htm

Consent Information:

https://www.plannedparenthood.org/teens/relationships/consent-and-rape

References for GLBTQ Teens:

https://www.cdc.gov/lgbthealth/youth-resources.htm

Planned Parenthood Info for Teens:

https://www.plannedparenthood.org/teens

How to Put on a Condom:

https://www.plannedparenthood.org/learn/birth-control/condom/how-to-put-a-condom-on

Sexuality Health Clinics in NYC (free or low cost, no parental permission)

www.ppnyc.org

https://www1.nyc.gov/assets/doh/downloads/pdf/clinic/iud-provider-list.pdf

https://www1.nyc.gov/site/doh/health/health-topics/teen-home.page

Also, please see my list of website for parents of teens using the link in the box below:

Sexual Health Websites for Parents of Teenagers

Sexual Health Websites for Parents of Teenagers (collected by Sari Locker, Ph.D.)

For Parents: Talking with your teens about sex:

Website: https://thenationalcampaign.org/resource/talking-your-teens-about-sex-love-and-relationships

(PDF) https://thenationalcampaign.org/sites/default/files/event-supporting-download/2017-national-month-parent-tips.pdf

(PDF) https://thenationalcampaign.org/sites/default/files/resource-primary-download/10tips_final.pdf

For Teens: How to talk to your parents about sex; Deciding about sex:

https://www.girlshealth.gov/body/sexuality/talkparents.html

https://www.plannedparenthood.org/teens/sex/am-i-ready

For Parents: Talking with your Teens about Romantic Relationships:

https://mcc.gse.harvard.edu/thetalk

(PDF) https://mcc.gse.harvard.edu/files/gse-mcc/files/mcc_the_talk_loveparenttips.pdf

For Parents: Talking with your Teens about Sexual Harassment:

(PDF) https://mcc.gse.harvard.edu/files/gse-mcc/files/mcc_the_talk_misogynyparenttips.pdf

Birth Control Information:

https://www.plannedparenthood.org/learn/birth-control

https://www.bedsider.org/methods

Emergency Contraception:

https://www.bedsider.org/methods/emergency_contraception#costs_tab

https://www.plannedparenthood.org/learn/morning-after-pill-emergency-contraception

STIs, STDs, HIV/AIDS, Safer Sex and Testing:

https://www.plannedparenthood.org/learn/stds-hiv-safer-sex

https://www.cdc.gov/std/healthcomm/fact_sheets.htm

How to Put on a Condom:

https://www.plannedparenthood.org/learn/birth-control/condom/how-to-put-a-condom-on

Sexuality Health Clinics in NYC (free or low cost, no parental permission required)

http://www.ppnyc.org/

https://www1.nyc.gov/site/doh/health/health-topics/teen-home.page

(PDF) https://www1.nyc.gov/assets/doh/downloads/pdf/clinic/iud-provider-list.pdf

Consent Information:

https://www.plannedparenthood.org/teens/relationships/consent-and-rape

References for GLBTQ Teens:

https://www.cdc.gov/lgbthealth/youth-resources.htm

For Parents of GLBTQ Teens:

https://www.pflag.org/chapter/pflag-new-york-city

https://gaycenter.org/about

https://www.nytimes.com/2017/05/17/smarter-living/gay-lesbian-bisexual-transgender.html?smid=tw-share&_r=0

Today is the National Day to Prevent Teen Pregnancy, which is a day to raise awareness about this problem and what we can do to try to prevent it.  Unfortunately, Bristol Palin, 18, has been appearing as a “teen ambassador” on TV and for events on this day. While in an interview on the Fox News Channel several months ago, Bristol said very clearly that teen abstinence is “not realistic at all,”  now she has recanted that statement. This morning she said on Good Morning America that abstinence is the only effective way to prevent pregnancy, and that she is “promoting abstinence.”  She refuses to say publicly that she and other teens must use birth control to prevent pregnancy!  In a post I wrote here in February, I said that I certainly hope that Bristol does not try to speak to teens about pregnancy prevention until she learns how to discuss the use of birth control and condoms. It has been clear for months that she refuses to educate teens in a constructive way, so why was she invited by pregnancy prevention groups to be a spokesperson for this day?! On this National Day to Prevent Teen Pregnancy, my message is to Bristol: Please use birth control effectively, and teach others about it, too. And please stop telling teens that abstinence is the only way, because that is exactly what led to your unplanned pregnancy.

There are too many misconceptions about Plan B, and I’d like to correct some of them.

Yesterday when I appeared on CNN Headline News, I heard many misconceptions about Plan B — also called EC, Emergency Contraception, and The Morning After Pill — and about what it means for our government to allow 17 year olds to buy it without a prescription. Here are the top misconceptions, and then the realities. (more…)

Last  year, when research from the National Center for Health Statistics (NCHS) found that there was an increase in the teen birth rate for the first time since 1991, we were not sure if that was simply a blip in the research. Also, despite that 3% increase, it still marked a lower rate for the US when compared with fifteen or twenty years ago. The teen birth rate had declined 34% between 1991 and 2005. Now we find that in addition to the 2005-2006 increase, it has also increased 1% between between 2006 and 2007. An increase two years in a row is cause for concern. Is the problem lack of comprehensive sexuality education? In part. Is the oversexualized media to blame? Could be. (But according to research, probably not.) Most of all, when teens get pregnant their parents had some role in the matter. Parents are the primary sex educators of their children. Through conversations and examples, they learn values and behaviors. I’ll be talking more about this on TV over the next couple of days.  So stay tuned. Meanwhile, here’s a link to the NYTimes article about the new NCHS findings, including that the overall birth rate for all ages was the highest in ever 2007 — a true baby boom.

Bristol Palin, 18, decided to step into the spotlight this week with an interview by Greta Van Susteren on the Fox News Channel. Bristol claims that she wants to be an advocate for teen pregnancy prevention, saying, “I hope that people learn from my story and just, like, I don’t know, prevent teen pregnancy, I guess.”  She says that she thinks teens should wait ten years to get pregnant, because, “it’s so much easier if you’re married and if you have a house and a career and — it’s just so much easier.” She adds that teen pregnancy is not, “a situation that you want to strive for.” 

Bristol says that teen abstinence is “not realistic at all,” which shows progress in the political media discussions that began when her pro-abstinence mother, Gov. Sarah Palin, confirmed then-17 year old Bristol’s pregnancy last year. However, in the Fox News interview, when asked about her views about birth control Bristol declined to comment. She seems to want to be an advocate for teens avoiding pregnancy without explaining how they can do this. She also perpetuated the myth that teens today are more interested in having pre-marital sex than teens in previous generations. In fact, according to sex research for at least four decades about 95% of Americans have been having premarital sex.

Perhaps Van Susteren made Bristol defensive by asking her a personal question about why or if she did not use contraception (which she declined to answer). But, despite that, when asked how she could change the fact that teens have sex and may get pregnant, all Bristol could muster was a statement that she as a teen mom can scare teens into not having sex. No mention of the need for teens to use birth control or more effective sexual decision making methods, or for them to have comprehensive sex ed or better communication with their parents, or any other factors that truly could help teens avoid pregnancy.  

I certainly hope that Bristol does not try to speak to teens about pregnancy prevention until she learns how to discuss the use of birth control and condoms. Teens may be positively influenced by hearing about the profound challenges of teen parenthood from a teen mother. However, only telling teens how tough it is to be a teen mom won’t keep teen sperm from uniting with teen eggs.