The will is infinite and the execution confined. The desire is boundless and the act is a slave to limit (Shakespeare)
Every year, in France, there is an increase in the number of single teen mothers. England has the biggest problem in Europe with 30 pregnancies per 1,000 teen girls, while France has 15/1000, Germany shows 20/1000, Holland, on the other hand, is doing a better job of informing its youth with 7/1000. It also seems that puberty in girls is showing up more frequently at an earlier age (9 years-old) while it used to be not long ago between 12-13.
RATES PER THOUSAND TEEN GIRLS
Factor |
United States |
France |
Germany |
Netherlands |
Pregnancy |
79.8 |
20.2 25% |
16.1 20% |
8.7 11% |
Births |
48.7 |
10.0 21% |
12.5 26% |
4.5 9% |
Abortions |
27.5 |
10.2 37% |
5.6 20% |
4.2 15% |
The U.S. suffers the highest rate of teen pregnancies in the industrial world; it is estimated that close to 30% of teen girls get pregnant before the age of 20 (Source: Center for Disease Control). That means almost 4 times the rate of France, a country well-known for its liberal views on sex. Why? Is is the school? The parents? Or the culture?
Why The Difference?
What is the difference between Holland and the other western countries? It is known that the Dutch have a very tolerant view of just about every touchy subject, whether religion, drugs, or sex. They openly talk about intercourse in their schools, not just the biology of reproduction, a source of boredom for our teens, but also the actual act and relationship. But why such a difference in our country?
The main reason is probably our Puritan heritage which still permeates most of our educational system; I always wondered about American extreme values: On one hand, the fiercely conservative sector of politics which rejects abortion and sexual education in schools. It seems that conservative parents are not even allowed to touch the topic with their kids, as if sex were considered a mortal sin. On the other extreme, the first amendment allows even the worst kind of pornography according to the Supreme Court, a decision I always considered strange in view of the religious influence on our politicians. Our august judges also allow the burning of the flag as a legitimate expression of opinion, an act that most countries would determined as criminal.
Can’t Wait
Another possible reason is the factor I would call ‘immediate satisfaction’. Many children are used to get what they want immediately by making a scene at the supermarket; harried mothers who usually work outside the home don’t want to struggle with temper tantrums, and, by extension, with valuable lessons on how to postpone satisfaction. Absent parents, they both hold a job, seek to compensate by satisfying every juvenile desire as soon as they get home.
Absolutely Scandalous..
As the children go through puberty, sexual desires emerge and ‘must’ be fulfilled as soon as possible. In the absence of sufficient information from parents and teachers, and in the absence of strong values, many of these teens end up in sexual relations without taking the proper precautions. I sometimes dream of a school offering free condoms to boys after proper training and instruction. I also imagine a school giving free contraception pills to 15 year-old girls with the respective information. Wow! How long would the principal hold his/her job? What a scandal that would be in the media, outraged commentators pontificating on the corruption of values.
Protester against Scientology, holding sign which reads: “What kind of Church makes its staff have Abortions”. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)
Hypocrisy?
Let’s face it. We are hypocrites when dealing with sexual education. We, as adults – many politicians have shown this, engage in all kinds of sexual activities, sometimes illicit, and sometimes gross in nature. But what we tell our children is just the opposite: Sex is sinful and must not be talked about. And there the problems start; children grow up with the idea that there is a dirty secret among adults related to their private parts. They are told early in life that touching these parts is wrong and sinful, unlike Europeans who see that activity as a normal part of their children’s development.
Change Is Needed
We can’t continue holding this shameful world record in teen pregnancies and abortions; it is time to open our eyes and our minds to the urgent need of educating our children properly in sexual matters. Maybe a few Dutch teachers could visit our schools and show us how to it. As the wise Shakespeare tells us, ‘the desire is boundless’.
jcsprenger
