Of all the industrialized countries in the world, the U.S. has, by far, the highest instance of teenage pregnancies with a rate that more than doubles the nearest competitors.  After posting on the topic earlier this week, I did some further research and came up with some common sense answers as to why this is.  One of the best sources I found was Advocates for Youth.  Each summer since in 1998, Advocates for Youth and the University of North Carolina at Charlotte sponsor annual study tours to France, Germany, and the Netherlands to explore why adolescent sexual health outcomes are so much more positive in the three European countries than in the U.S.  The following italicized bulleted points are from their most recent findings.  Here I will go point and counter point with what the Europeans do successfully and our U.S. reality—buckle up! 

From time to time the question of my hotness has been an issue.  Yes, it’s a terrible burden to be a handsome man—just ask Quirkee James.  I have had the badge of being incurably cute or undeniably handsome for as long as I can remember (or since July 10^th).  This hasn’t gone unnoticed either.  Some members of the fairer sex have actually gone so far as to say that I am one of the hottest male bloggers.  I, of course, relent to their conclusion.  The reason I was listed as being hot is simply because I am a stay-at-home-dad.  Now, this should serve as a lesson to guys everywhere.  

As teen pregnancy rates run rampant ‘OK’ magazine thinks it’s ‘ok’ to put out an article that supports/glamorizes Jamie Lynn Spears as a mom and her recent delivery.  What young girls in the US need now is a teen-idol-turned-pregnant-teen-turned-new-mom that talks about her “perfect delivery.”  That last sentence was intentionally sarcastic.  Is the idolizing of Jamie Lynn Spears healthy for our country?  Why are we putting JLS on a pedestal here? 

On a recent playgroup date I had I was sitting there talking to a group of moms and it happened.  One mom was talking about the developmental milestones of their toddler and said something like, “My _____ (insert trendy name like Caden here) was walking at around 10 months.”  For all of you that don’t know, that’s kind of early to start walking but not unheard of for sure.  Soon after mom #1 had said this, mom #2 chimed in with,

By now you have heard of the 17 teenage girls in Gloucester, Mass. which may or may not have had a pact to get pregnant during the course of this last school year.  The Gloucester High School students were actually visibly disappointed when they went to the school’s clinic and got news that they weren’t pregnant—sounds like a pact to me.  The girls were clearly desperate to get pregnant and they were purportedly to have said one of the driving factors to get pregnant was a desire for unconditional love.