American teenagers are using condoms more when they have sex but some may be losing their fear of pregnancy, according to a government survey released on Wednesday.
Perhaps American teenagers are less fearful of pregnancy because... they're using condoms more? That and the bad example set by Bristol Palin:
But it showed those fears fading as attitudes change toward having children outside of marriage. Only 47 percent of unmarried teen males said they would be "very upset" if they got a partner pregnant, while 58 percent females would... It found that most teenagers do not frown on having children outside of marriage, however. "The majority of teens—64 percent of males and 71 percent of females—'agree' or 'strongly agree' that 'it is okay for an unmarried female to have a child'," the report reads.
And this is an interesting detail:
Most teenagers, 79 percent of girls and 87 percent of boys, used some kind of contraception, mostly the condom.
We usually talk about boys being less responsible than girls when it comes to contraception, not more. Maybe it's sinking in that a boy is pretty powerless once he gets a girl pregnant—his future is in her hands. If she decides to have and keep the baby, he's on the hook for the next 18 years.
Keep using those condoms, boys, and use 'em correctly.
