….other researchers have talked to teen moms who believed they couldn’t get pregnant the first time they had sex, didn’t think they could get pregnant at that time of the month or thought they were sterile. “This report underscores how much misperception, ambivalence and magical thinking put teens at risk for unintended pregnancy,” said Bill Albert, a spokesman for the Washington, D.C.-based National Campaign to Prevent Teen and Unplanned Pregnancy.
Many Teen Moms Say They Didn’t Think They Could Get Pregnant
(via girlwithalessonplan)
There are a lot of reblogs and comments shaming these girls for what people perceive as stupidity, which bothers me. We as animals can figure out how to reproduce — but birth control methods have to be taught.
If we don’t teach correct information about sex — and that means details about how our bodies work — they’re going to rely on that combination of misconceptions and magical thinking. Combined with the ambivalence and invincibility complex that is, frankly, naturally in these years of development, exactly what do we expect?
So please don’t assume that in all these cases it’s a lack of responsibility. Many times it might be. But just as many times, it may be a lack of information. And in some cases, that isn’t a teenager’s fault. If you want to say “That’s what the internet is for,” there’s plenty of MISinformation along with legitimate help. That’s why frank and honest discussion and the availability of information are important tools for effective sex ed.
(via girlwithalessonplan)
