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Teen birth rate hits all-time low, led by 50% decline among Hispanics and blacks

washingtonpost.com

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Re: Teen birth rate hits all-time low, led by 50% decline among Hispanics and blacks

#151

Post by gambiting »

Chronic51 wrote: post #148
gambiting wrote: post #136

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Yes, but you still had to get them shipped home, where parents would ask you what you've ordered. Now with amazon it takes 3 clicks, and you can get them delivered to a drop-off location anywhere(at least here in UK I can get amazon parcels delivered to a nearby corner shop for example).

Most teens do not have a credit card or access to their parents' on Amazon.

I had a debit card that could be used online when I was 13, with my own account, and that was 15 years ago. I know debit cards are not as popular in the US, but I'm fairly certain 13 year olds can have them nowadays.

Re: Teen birth rate hits all-time low, led by 50% decline among Hispanics and blacks

#152

Post by rmc »

eru wrote: post #94
seizethecheese wrote: post #17

Earlier quoted context omitted.

This runs counter to the belief that many have that when given higher access to contraceptives, teens will have more sex. Another knock against abstinence-only sex ed!

Perhaps wider access to contraceptives still encourages more sex, but there were other forces even stronger in the other direction?

Or: Teens are having more sex, but contraceptives are stopping more pregnancies.

Re: Teen birth rate hits all-time low, led by 50% decline among Hispanics and blacks

#153

Post by rmc »

Chronic51 wrote: post #148
gambiting wrote: post #136

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Yes, but you still had to get them shipped home, where parents would ask you what you've ordered. Now with amazon it takes 3 clicks, and you can get them delivered to a drop-off location anywhere(at least here in UK I can get amazon parcels delivered to a nearby corner shop for example).

Most teens do not have a credit card or access to their parents' on Amazon.

You can buy a prepaid amazon gift card. Or a prepaid credit card.

Re: Teen birth rate hits all-time low, led by 50% decline among Hispanics and blacks

#154

Post by rmc »

gambiting wrote: post #136
geon wrote: post #133

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> now you buy condoms online Mail order condoms was common long before the web was popularized.

Yes, but you still had to get them shipped home, where parents would ask you what you've ordered. Now with amazon it takes 3 clicks, and you can get them delivered to a drop-off location anywhere(at least here in UK I can get amazon parcels delivered to a nearby corner shop for example).

And it'll come in a generic Amazon box. Buy a few DVDs and condoms. You can tell your parents about the DVDs.

Better than a box from "Condoms R Us", or a generic box, which will still require explaination. An amazon box requires no extra explaination

Re: Teen birth rate hits all-time low, led by 50% decline among Hispanics and blacks

#155

Post by todd8 »

tajen wrote: post #124
protomyth wrote: post #4

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I take it that the gas station bathroom didn't have them? In ND, every gas station seemed to have had the same condom dispenser. I've always wondered what company was responsible for them and who stocked them.

Were they stocked ;)? I'm always doubtful about public policies since I discovered that the 3 suicide lines in France were only open during certain hours, and certainly not at night.

Private companies own and stock the machines in the United States.

Re: Teen birth rate hits all-time low, led by 50% decline among Hispanics and blacks

#156

Post by pdpi »

valvar wrote: post #123
dangerlibrary wrote: post #103

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Mathematically, sure, that's fine. Empirically/theoretically, you've dug yourself into a hole that is difficult to get out of. You're going against Occam's razor so now you've got a lot of 'splainin' to do.

It's not clear to me how (and if) Occam's Razor should necessarily be applied in this context. We are not choosing between a very simple, and a vastly complex alternative. Rather we are choosing between an unintuitive and probably complex option (contraceptives are causing less copulation - this does not sound at all like a simple suggestion to me), and admitting that our models and data may not be complete. Either w…

Teens are known to be rebellious and to like toeing the line

By making things more accessible and banal, you remove the urge to do it just to spite authority.

That simple argument justifies that teens who can sample alcohol at home are less likely to binge drink, and that kids who have ample access to sex ed and contraception are less likely to go and have sex both logistically and emotionally unprepared

Re: Teen birth rate hits all-time low, led by 50% decline among Hispanics and blacks

#157

Post by verytrivial »

rustynails wrote: post #6
bko wrote: post #3

Despite teenagers having mobile unrestricted access to all sorts of supposedly corrupting media available to them at all times, they still make rational decisions regarding their bodies. This is very encouraging to all those that value freedom.

This theory doesn't make sense (and I read three articles that repeat what you say). If you use contraception, you won't have pregnancy. So why are the rates down? Health? Then why are 25% of kids obese (I looked up those figures). I can only assume that technology has created more social isolation.

> I can only assume that technology has created more social isolation.

Well, bluntly, it IS putting distance between the participants genitals.

Re: Teen birth rate hits all-time low, led by 50% decline among Hispanics and blacks

#158

Post by ajuc »

JulianMorrison wrote: post #137
seizethecheese wrote: post #17

Earlier quoted context omitted.

This runs counter to the belief that many have that when given higher access to contraceptives, teens will have more sex. Another knock against abstinence-only sex ed!

What bugs me is that if abstinence only sex ed pushers are going to defy the obvious, they should at least make their claims more entertaining. Virginity will grant you the ability to fly and speak to birds. Contraception causes vampires. Having sex outside of marriage will make your skin split and a 20-foot tall bright red demon will emerge from your fleshy husk. Kissing gives you polka-dot leprosy. I mean, if you'r…

> I mean, if you're going to be unbound by facts or reality, why be boring?

To be more persuasive.

Re: Teen birth rate hits all-time low, led by 50% decline among Hispanics and blacks

#159

Post by raverbashing »

JulianMorrison wrote: post #137
seizethecheese wrote: post #17

Earlier quoted context omitted.

This runs counter to the belief that many have that when given higher access to contraceptives, teens will have more sex. Another knock against abstinence-only sex ed!

What bugs me is that if abstinence only sex ed pushers are going to defy the obvious, they should at least make their claims more entertaining. Virginity will grant you the ability to fly and speak to birds. Contraception causes vampires. Having sex outside of marriage will make your skin split and a 20-foot tall bright red demon will emerge from your fleshy husk. Kissing gives you polka-dot leprosy. I mean, if you'r…

Well they do that with Global Warming as well, so

But it is unfair to blame only that group for "magical thinking"

Re: Teen birth rate hits all-time low, led by 50% decline among Hispanics and blacks

#160

Post by andyjohnson0 »

dangerlibrary wrote: post #103
eru wrote: post #94

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Perhaps wider access to contraceptives still encourages more sex, but there were other forces even stronger in the other direction?

Mathematically, sure, that's fine. Empirically/theoretically, you've dug yourself into a hole that is difficult to get out of. You're going against Occam's razor so now you've got a lot of 'splainin' to do.

Occam's razor is a heuristic, not a law.
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