Baby’s Baby Boomers - Teen pregnancy on the incline is growing trend.
It has been some time now that the “Baby Boom” generation has been conceived; most of this four hundred thousand plus generation will be retiring within the next few years. But what of the new baby boomers? A rise in teen pregnancy after a 15 year decline has the attention of some of the nations brightest minds.
According to the National Center for Health Statistics pregnancy in teens was on a steady decline for 15 years before a dramatic three to five percent national rise in 2006/2007. Although this may not seem like a big increase the numbers translate to about three in every ten teenage girls becoming pregnant at least once before they are twenty years of age. Repeat pregnancies may account for as much as twenty percent in some parts of the country.[ NCHS] The National Campaign to Prevent Teen and Unplanned Pregnancy claims that babies born to teens in 2004 will cost taxpayers 9.1 billion dollars over time. This figure includes increased costs to public assistance, public sector health care, child welfare and state prisons and lower taxes paid by teen parents and their children over their lifetimes. Although the difference of birth rate varies for different ethnicities the NCHS rules out race as a potential factor in national birth rate.
The causes for such increases over the past two years range widely in theories widely from restriction of funding for certain types of sexual education, to religious background and belief, even personal need to feel accepted in society by older peers. But most of the data collected by various organizations points mostly to the fact that no highly effective sex education or HIV prevention education program is eligible for federal funding because mandates prohibit educating teenagers about the benefits of condoms and contraception. [American Foundation for Aids Research] The government will only allow funding for sexual education programs that teach abstinence until marriage which, according to the researchers at Columbia University “virginity pledge programs increase pledge-takers’ risk for sexually transmitted infections and pregnancy”. The study concluded that 88 percent of pledge-takers initiated sex prior to marriage even though some delayed sex for a while. Rates of sexually transmitted infections among pledge takers and non-pledge takers were similar, even though pledge-takers initiated sex later. Pledge-takers were less likely to seek STI testing and less likely to use contraception when they did have sex”. [Bruckner H., Bearman P]
Another cause to this new age baby boom sensation is the growing amount of support and acceptance for teenage mothers in society. As if they have done something they should be rewarded for, as if getting pregnant before marriage or even before they are allowed to vote is some sort of good deed. As unsettling as this may be it is true and maybe confusing for teenage girls. When teenage girls see celebrities that star on kid network television channels like Jamie Lynn Spears get pregnant and then pregnant again four months after the delivery of her first child they may be getting mixed signals. Or when seventeen year old Mackenzie McCollum was benched from her high school volley ball team until cleared via doctors note because she had gotten pregnant and her mother filed four suits against the athletic committee because they do not require doctor notation for none-pregnant student athletes. The mother Barbra Horton (note last names of mother and daughter) has been quoted saying “My goal is for them to change their policies to include pregnant athletes” and “to nurture pregnant athletes, and to make sure that these athletes are successful”. [Hatch] I think I make my point. What is the country coming to when we almost reward our children for doing something that is simply irresponsible?
Concluding the main cause of birth increase in teenagers is the lack of knowledge about contraception and condoms and that new norm in society when everyone is a winner despite how much they are failing. The teens are less informed about “safe sex” and more informed about being morally correct and given basically two options; be abstinent until someone will tell them the truth, Or learn on their own. And that is mostly the problem, we have to many young explorers taking adventures with no navigation system and unfortunately they don’t realize how far off they really are until they get a flat. Unfortunately the government doesn’t only have difficulty with the problems of the future but apparently are unable to read well documented statistics. In one recent study 94 percent of adults and 93 percent of parents said that sex education should cover contraception. Only 15 percent of Americans wanted abstinence-only education taught in the classroom. [National Public Radio et al] It just makes more sense to educate instead of attempting to refrain.
Having a baby is not the only repercussion that will come of teenage pregnancies. Each year these babies cost the tax payers over nine billion dollars. Most teenage parents can not afford a child because they are simply children themselves. Eighty percent of teenage mothers end up on welfare. Most teenage mothers do not finish high school. Only one third of them will finish high school and only one and one half percent will obtain a college degree by age 30. Children birthed by teenage mothers are more likely to do poorly in school and be abused or neglected, boys are thirteen percent more likely to end up in prison while girls are twenty-two percent more likely to become teenage mothers themselves. [NCHS] And so on this cycle will continue unless the education system explains the “rules and regulations” of sex, in place of telling kids just not to do it. And maybe a slap or two in the back of the head when they make a mistake instead of this positive reinforcement for negative action kick that America has been on. If society would just tell the youth to stop screwing up they might just listen.
Sources
National Center for Health Statistics, National Vital Statistics Report, Births: Final Data for 2006, January 2009. Web. Dec.5.2009
National Center for Health Statistics, National Vital Statistics Report, Births: Final Data for 2006, January 2009; National Campaign to Prevent Teen and Unplanned Pregnancy, By the Numbers: The Public Costs of Teen Childbearing, 2006.Web.Dec.5.20009
American Foundation for AIDS Research. Assessing the Efficacy of Abstinence-Only Programs for HIV Prevention among Young People. [Issue Brief, no. 2] Washington, DC: Author, 2005. Web. Dec.5.2009
Brückner H, Bearman P. After the promise: the STD consequences of adolescent virginity pledges. Journal of Adolescent Health 2005; 36:271-278.
Brückner H, Bearman P. Promising the future: virginity pledges and first intercourse. American Journal of Sociology 2001; 106(4):859-912.
National Public Radio et al. Sex Education in America: NPR/Kaiser/Kennedy School Poll. Menlo Park, CA: Kaiser, 2004. Web.Dec.5.2009
Hatch, Amy. Teen Athlete Claims She was Benched for Pregnancy. Parentdish.com. Dec8th2009. Web.dec.10.2009
Post Write.
I like this paper, i feel like i use enough resources and evidence and fully answer the requirments of the assignment
Edit Edit Edit, its never really done is it? At this point i wait for critizism and work from there.
Is it engaging enough, entertaining enough? who wants to be boring.
Did i leave anything vital out, or do I meet the assignment requirments fairly well?
Is it bias or bias sounding truth?
Thursday, December 10, 2009
Monday, December 7, 2009
The Next Generation
Baby Boomers' Babies - Teen pregnancy on the incline a growing trend.
It has been some time now that the “Baby Boom” generation has been conceived, most of this 400 thousand plus generation will be retiring within the next few years. But what of the new baby boomers. A rise in teen pregnancy after a 15 year decline has the attention of some of the nations brightest minds.
According to the NCHS pregnancy in teens was on a steady decline for 15 years before a dramatic three to five percent national raise in 2006/2007.[1] Although this may not seem like a big increase the numbers translate to about three in every ten teenage girls becoming pregnant at least once before they are twenty years of age, And repeat pregnancies may account for as high as twenty percent in some parts of the country.[1] The National Campaign to Prevent Teen and Unplanned Pregnancy claims, babies born to teens in 2004 will cost taxpayers $9.1 billion over time. This figure includes increased costs to public assistance, public sector health care, child welfare and state prisons and lower taxes paid by teen parents and their children over their lifetimes.[2] Although the difference of birth rate varies for different ethnicities the NCHS rules out race as a potential factor in national birth rate.[1]
The causes for such increases over the past two years range in theories widely from restriction of funding for certain types of sexual education, to religious background and belief, even personal need to feel accepted in society by older peers. But most of the date collected by various organizations points mostly to the fact that no highly effective sex education or HIV prevention education program is eligible for federal funding because mandates prohibit educating teenagers about the benefits of condoms and contraception.[3] The government will only allow funding for abstinent until marriage sexual education programs which according to the researchers at Columbia University “virginity pledge programs increase pledge-takers’ risk for sexually transmitted infections and pregnancy. The study concluded that 88 percent of pledge-takers initiated sex prior to marriage even though some delayed sex for a while. Rates of sexually transmitted infections among pledge takers and non-pledge takers were similar, even though pledge-takers initiated sex later. Pledge-takers were less likely to seek STI testing and less likely to use contraception when they did have sex”.[4][5] Concluding the main cause of birth increase in teenagers is the lack of knowledge about contraception and condoms. The teens are less informed about “safe sex” and more informed about being morally correct and given basically two options; be abstinent until someone will tell them the truth, Or learn on there own. And that is mostly the problem, we have to many young explorers taking adventures with no navigation system and unfortunately they don’t realize how far off\ they really are until they get a flat. Unfortunately the government doesn’t only have difficulty with the problems of the future but apparently are unable to read well documented statistics, In one recent study 94 percent of adults and 93 percent of parents said that sex education should cover contraception. Only 15 percent of Americans wanted abstinence-only education taught in the classroom.[6] It just makes more sense to educate instead of attempting to refrain.
Having a baby is not the only repercussion that will become of teenage mommies. Each year these babies cost the tax payers over nine billion dollars. Most teenage parents can not afford a child because they are simply children themselves, eighty percent of teenage mothers end up on welfare. Most teenage mothers do not finish high school. Only one third of them will finish high school and only one and one half percent will obtain a college degree by age 30. Children birthed by teenage mothers are more likely to do poorly in school and be abused or neglected, boys are thirteen percent more likely to end up in prison while girls are twenty-two percent more likely to become teenage mothers themselves.[1] And so on this cycle will continue unless the education system explains the “rules and regulations” of sex, in place of telling kids just not to do it.
Sources
1. National Center for Health Statistics, National Vital Statistics Report, Births: Final Data for 2006, January 2009. Web. Dec.5.2009
2. National Center for Health Statistics, National Vital Statistics Report, Births: Final Data for 2006, January 2009; National Campaign to Prevent Teen and Unplanned Pregnancy, By the Numbers: The Public Costs of Teen Childbearing, 2006.Web.Dec.5.20009
3. American Foundation for AIDS Research. Assessing the Efficacy of Abstinence-Only Programs for HIV Prevention among Young People. [Issue Brief, no. 2] Washington, DC: Author, 2005. Web. Dec.5.2009
4. Brückner H, Bearman P. After the promise: the STD consequences of adolescent virginity pledges. Journal of Adolescent Health 2005; 36:271-278.
5.Bearman PS, Brückner H. Promising the future: virginity pledges and first intercourse. American Journal of Sociology 2001; 106(4):859-912.
6.National Public Radio et al. Sex Education in America: NPR/Kaiser/Kennedy School Poll. Menlo Park, CA: Kaiser, 2004. Web.Dec.5.2009
Post Write.
Im not sure how i feel about this paper so far, its unfinished and it isnt as long as i would like it to be.
I think i want to add another minor cause and a few more effects and lenghten the paper up a bit
Do you think ive responded well to this assignment? Is teen pregnancy clearly defined as a trend in this piece. Is there enough information and statistics to back up my allegations?
It has been some time now that the “Baby Boom” generation has been conceived, most of this 400 thousand plus generation will be retiring within the next few years. But what of the new baby boomers. A rise in teen pregnancy after a 15 year decline has the attention of some of the nations brightest minds.
According to the NCHS pregnancy in teens was on a steady decline for 15 years before a dramatic three to five percent national raise in 2006/2007.[1] Although this may not seem like a big increase the numbers translate to about three in every ten teenage girls becoming pregnant at least once before they are twenty years of age, And repeat pregnancies may account for as high as twenty percent in some parts of the country.[1] The National Campaign to Prevent Teen and Unplanned Pregnancy claims, babies born to teens in 2004 will cost taxpayers $9.1 billion over time. This figure includes increased costs to public assistance, public sector health care, child welfare and state prisons and lower taxes paid by teen parents and their children over their lifetimes.[2] Although the difference of birth rate varies for different ethnicities the NCHS rules out race as a potential factor in national birth rate.[1]
The causes for such increases over the past two years range in theories widely from restriction of funding for certain types of sexual education, to religious background and belief, even personal need to feel accepted in society by older peers. But most of the date collected by various organizations points mostly to the fact that no highly effective sex education or HIV prevention education program is eligible for federal funding because mandates prohibit educating teenagers about the benefits of condoms and contraception.[3] The government will only allow funding for abstinent until marriage sexual education programs which according to the researchers at Columbia University “virginity pledge programs increase pledge-takers’ risk for sexually transmitted infections and pregnancy. The study concluded that 88 percent of pledge-takers initiated sex prior to marriage even though some delayed sex for a while. Rates of sexually transmitted infections among pledge takers and non-pledge takers were similar, even though pledge-takers initiated sex later. Pledge-takers were less likely to seek STI testing and less likely to use contraception when they did have sex”.[4][5] Concluding the main cause of birth increase in teenagers is the lack of knowledge about contraception and condoms. The teens are less informed about “safe sex” and more informed about being morally correct and given basically two options; be abstinent until someone will tell them the truth, Or learn on there own. And that is mostly the problem, we have to many young explorers taking adventures with no navigation system and unfortunately they don’t realize how far off\ they really are until they get a flat. Unfortunately the government doesn’t only have difficulty with the problems of the future but apparently are unable to read well documented statistics, In one recent study 94 percent of adults and 93 percent of parents said that sex education should cover contraception. Only 15 percent of Americans wanted abstinence-only education taught in the classroom.[6] It just makes more sense to educate instead of attempting to refrain.
Having a baby is not the only repercussion that will become of teenage mommies. Each year these babies cost the tax payers over nine billion dollars. Most teenage parents can not afford a child because they are simply children themselves, eighty percent of teenage mothers end up on welfare. Most teenage mothers do not finish high school. Only one third of them will finish high school and only one and one half percent will obtain a college degree by age 30. Children birthed by teenage mothers are more likely to do poorly in school and be abused or neglected, boys are thirteen percent more likely to end up in prison while girls are twenty-two percent more likely to become teenage mothers themselves.[1] And so on this cycle will continue unless the education system explains the “rules and regulations” of sex, in place of telling kids just not to do it.
Sources
1. National Center for Health Statistics, National Vital Statistics Report, Births: Final Data for 2006, January 2009. Web. Dec.5.2009
2. National Center for Health Statistics, National Vital Statistics Report, Births: Final Data for 2006, January 2009; National Campaign to Prevent Teen and Unplanned Pregnancy, By the Numbers: The Public Costs of Teen Childbearing, 2006.Web.Dec.5.20009
3. American Foundation for AIDS Research. Assessing the Efficacy of Abstinence-Only Programs for HIV Prevention among Young People. [Issue Brief, no. 2] Washington, DC: Author, 2005. Web. Dec.5.2009
4. Brückner H, Bearman P. After the promise: the STD consequences of adolescent virginity pledges. Journal of Adolescent Health 2005; 36:271-278.
5.Bearman PS, Brückner H. Promising the future: virginity pledges and first intercourse. American Journal of Sociology 2001; 106(4):859-912.
6.National Public Radio et al. Sex Education in America: NPR/Kaiser/Kennedy School Poll. Menlo Park, CA: Kaiser, 2004. Web.Dec.5.2009
Post Write.
Im not sure how i feel about this paper so far, its unfinished and it isnt as long as i would like it to be.
I think i want to add another minor cause and a few more effects and lenghten the paper up a bit
Do you think ive responded well to this assignment? Is teen pregnancy clearly defined as a trend in this piece. Is there enough information and statistics to back up my allegations?
Saturday, December 5, 2009
2012 2nd draft
Morrison, David. “2012 and Counting, a NASA scientist answers the top 20 questions about 2012” Skeptic volume 15 number 2 2009, AcademicOne.web.23.Nov.2009
In this Essay and Interview, Morrison expresses his frustration caused by and email flooded with questions from people concerned with Doomsday “myths and hoaxes” such as Nibiru; a supposed giant brown dwarf as large if not larger than the earth that is supposed to crash into and dissipate the planet sometime in the near future, And 2012; the predicted end of the world. Morrison also answers twenty questions from a NASA website [astrobiology.NASA.gov]. He concludes that all the talk of Nibiru, 2012, and most other doomsday scenarios are strictly fiction. They are just a way for the media to cash in while fueling the inferno of fear in the mind of many people.
David Morrison, a scientist for the National Aeronautics and Space Administration, answers twenty of the most popular questions posted by the public. The answers provided by Morrison could be viewed by a skeptic as bias and possibly false or misleading, but this is common nature of a skeptic anyway. A scientist may look at these answers as fact, truth, and nothing more. It seems that the answers given make sense, but if you are not a NASA employee or at the least an amateur astrologer you may not be so quick to accept. This is a problem that can not be solved because most skeptics do not work for NASA and must accept the words of Morrison on a very serious matter. He does not present much evidence but like he states, it is not the job of NASA to prove these claims false but the responsibility of the people presenting the claim to prove them truth. Morrison also urges people to do there own research if they are still a skeptic.
Post Write.
I dont really care for this paper, i like the topic but If you notice it is exactly the same as my first draft because I didnt receive any feedback to improve it and wasnt sure on my own how to impove it.
There is alot that needs to be changed on this paper i think. It is technically my first draft and i imagine there would be many errors.
Do you feel this is a good topic for this kind of writing piece ?
Is there anything specific that you like about the information provided?
Do you feel there is enough information for this type of paper?
In this Essay and Interview, Morrison expresses his frustration caused by and email flooded with questions from people concerned with Doomsday “myths and hoaxes” such as Nibiru; a supposed giant brown dwarf as large if not larger than the earth that is supposed to crash into and dissipate the planet sometime in the near future, And 2012; the predicted end of the world. Morrison also answers twenty questions from a NASA website [astrobiology.NASA.gov]. He concludes that all the talk of Nibiru, 2012, and most other doomsday scenarios are strictly fiction. They are just a way for the media to cash in while fueling the inferno of fear in the mind of many people.
David Morrison, a scientist for the National Aeronautics and Space Administration, answers twenty of the most popular questions posted by the public. The answers provided by Morrison could be viewed by a skeptic as bias and possibly false or misleading, but this is common nature of a skeptic anyway. A scientist may look at these answers as fact, truth, and nothing more. It seems that the answers given make sense, but if you are not a NASA employee or at the least an amateur astrologer you may not be so quick to accept. This is a problem that can not be solved because most skeptics do not work for NASA and must accept the words of Morrison on a very serious matter. He does not present much evidence but like he states, it is not the job of NASA to prove these claims false but the responsibility of the people presenting the claim to prove them truth. Morrison also urges people to do there own research if they are still a skeptic.
Post Write.
I dont really care for this paper, i like the topic but If you notice it is exactly the same as my first draft because I didnt receive any feedback to improve it and wasnt sure on my own how to impove it.
There is alot that needs to be changed on this paper i think. It is technically my first draft and i imagine there would be many errors.
Do you feel this is a good topic for this kind of writing piece ?
Is there anything specific that you like about the information provided?
Do you feel there is enough information for this type of paper?
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