TV shows link to teen pregnancies
Teenage girls who watch a lot of TV shows with a high sexual content are twice as likely to become pregnant, according to a study.
Boys watching similar programmes, like Friends and Sex and the City, were also more likely to get a girl pregnant, the research in Pediatrics found.
The study authors said limiting exposure to sexual content on TV might reduce teen pregnancies.
Experts urged parents to talk more openly with their children about sex.
Study author Dr Anita Chandra of the RAND Corporation said adolescents received a considerable amount of information about sex through television and the problem was that programmes such as these typically did not highlight the risks and responsibilities of sex.
Sexual content on TV has doubled in the last few years, especially during the period of our research. We found a strong association
Lead researcher Dr Anita Chandra
She said:"Our findings suggest that television may play a significant role in the high rates of teenage pregnancy in the US."
According to Dr Chandra, hers is the first study to show such a direct link.
The researchers interviewed 2,000 adolescents aged 12 to 17 three times between 2001 and 2004.
Teens who watched larger amounts of sexually charged TV shows were twice as likely to experience a pregnancy in the subsequent three years, compared with those with lower levels of exposure.
Sexual content
By the third interview, 744 of the teenagers said they had engaged in sexual intercourse and 718 of the youths shared with the researchers information about their pregnancy histories.
Of that group, 91 teens - 58 girls and 33 boys - were involved in a pregnancy.
Dr Chnadra said: "Sexual content on TV has doubled in the last few years, especially during the period of our research. We found a strong association."
The US has one of the highest teen pregnancy rates among industrialized nations, with nearly one million adolescent females becoming pregnant each year, with the majority of these pregnancies unplanned, according to RAND.
Britain has Europe's highest teenage pregnancy rate.
The idea of parents sitting down with their children and talking about the issues raised in these television programmes is a great one
A spokeswoman from Brook
Tory MP Nadine Dorries said it would be interesting to see if a similar study in the UK revealed a trend.
"Information such as this empowers parents when making difficult decisions as to what they do and don't allow their daughters to watch," she said.
Psychologist David Walsh, president of the National Institute on Media and the Family said with many teenagers relied on the media to act as sex educator.
Dr Walsh said: "If you have a kid who no-one's talking to about sex and who then watches sitcoms on TV where sex is presented as 'this is what cool people do', the outcome is obvious.
"The message to parents is to talk to their kids about sex long before they become teenagers."
A spokeswoman from Brook said: "The causes of teen pregnancy in the UK are quite complex.
"There are a range of ways we can try to reduce the teen pregnancy rate, such as providing sex and relationship education and outreach and community services for young people.
"The idea of parents sitting down with their children and talking about the issues raised in these television programmes is a great one."
Source: BBC.COM
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Speed Comments:
"The US has one of the highest teen pregnancy rates among industrialized nations, with nearly one million adolescent females becoming pregnant each year, with the majority of these pregnancies unplanned, according to RAND."
WOW ..... one million adolescent females becoming pregnant each year ??
Now why the hell they are worried about all this mess ? This is what they sow long back and now they are getting the bitter fruits out of it ....
Blaming on TV shows ?? What is a TV show .. This is the culture they have build in their countries !!!
i only watch Dora the Explorer and Jimmy Neutron,
Family Guy, The Simpsons and cartoons from BBC.
so i guess I'm out! in the first place, I'm no teenager!
cheers,
paul
I do think TV shows have some affect on teenagers, a lot of these shows are about relationships etc.
Parents should be responsible and teach kids so they are aware, but whether we like it or not, TV does influence teenagers.
Rizks - "someone will get pregnant coz they had watched Tom & Jerry Cartoon or Donal Duck"
It happens in INDONESIA :)
Ban Spoon Feeding not Me
Great !!!.....
Now someone will get pregnant coz they had watched Tom & Jerry Cartoon or Donal Duck ....:(
Why should I save the rubbish?
Ban Spoon Feeding not Me
I got pregnant while watching Grey's Anatomy. Meredith didn't do well with the sutures.
Now, come on.. it has to do very well with how the parents enlighten their children about this issue.
Can't believe they're blaming it all on the nasty nasty television shows.
The internet is our revenge machine
;-)
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My eyes are wide open. You have edited the original posting :)Ban Spoon Feeding not Me
open you eye and read carefully ....
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".... everywhere is sex ... home/college/bars/discos/ ..."
Why only US. same thing happening in "Indonesia" as well
Go and have a look or do a yahoo search :)
Ban Spoon Feeding not Me
post here have talked about educational institutions educating children on the subject of sex BUT honestly I dont feel that it is their responsibility. If the education doesn't start in the home the kids are doomed and this epidemic will only get worse no matter what race,religion,nationality,or country we come from.
everything begins from the family background. it is not religion or caste or nationality. these all thing may happen any other countries to that we need to educate the people or student through their school or colleges.
beaches .... I mean the say when any society absorb such culture then definitely it's the generation that has to pay the price for deeds of their elders ...
By giving sex education will never solve the purpose ....
By the way I am not surprised :-)
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Who stays at home to watch their kids anymore? That's what the idiot box is for ;)
A fool and his money are soon parted.
-Thomas Tusser
cas that there is mental trauma involved with teen pregnancy but think of the damage that is being done 2 a 12 year old baby that is taken from her family to go and live with some stranger... At 12 you barely know how 2 fend for yourself..
But there is no excuse for so many teens getting pregnant in the states..
That’s gr8 Charan... I can see you always giving solutions, rather than bullying with the topics... that’s amazing...
“We make a living by what we get; we make a life by what we give.”
Sir Winston Churchill
Nation wide Education Programme on useage of Condoms must be launched throught USA :)
Spoon Feeding not Me
ballinkg, I agree with you if I bring my emotions in between, but if we see practically, being married is 200 times better than being pregnant without marriage.
Can you imagine the mental trauma those unmarried pregnant children go through, don’t you think it affects their life and career?
“We make a living by what we get; we make a life by what we give.”
Sir Winston Churchill
with this completely because being an American I see how it is more the fault of the parent's then the television programs. I also understand that many American households are those of 2 working parents thus leaving the kids alone for hours. By no means is this an excuse for the problem but as i was taught as a kid that good and bad decisions begin in the household.
And I really dont agree with the concept of a 12 year old (CHILD) getting married to anyone...
1- she is still just a baby herself
2- she is far from being mature enough to understand the
responsibility of being someone Else's partner because in my world marriage is a partnership not a domination agreement.
3- what could she possibly know about life and also herself at the age of 12.
Again this is just my thinking...
Speed, as its common in England and US, I'm waiting for those to comment who were against the Muslim personal law of a 12 year old gals marriage.
Truly if we consider Muslim laws then at least the risk factor of unplanned pregnancy goes way down.
Islam always has a concrete reason for its laws.
“We make a living by what we get; we make a life by what we give.”
Sir Winston Churchill