Churches urged to break the silence on teen sex
LaDonna Kearse/NovelTeenInk, School Without Walls
Issue date: 6/29/08 Section: Divine Intervention
Last week, authorities launched an investigation into a 'pregnancy pact' at Gloucester High School in the suburbs of Boston. Seventeen girls, some younger than 16, are expecting babies, four times more than usual. That may be shocking to the adult world, but in the world of today's teenagers, that is normal stuff.
"Many kids nowadays are having sex a lot," said 15-year-old India Reeves, a member of St. John AME on Stanton Road in Southeast. "A lot of them need help but they don't have anyone special to talk to."
Eighteen-year-old Stephon Bryant, a D.C. resident agrees. "I know you're supposed to be abstinent until you get married but it's not like that," Bryant said. "Today, in this world, in this society, everybody's doing something."
A 2007 Youth Risk Behavior survey from the D.C. Campaign to Prevent Teen Pregnancy, confirms this. The survey reported that about 58% of D.C. public high school students aged 15 to 18 have had sex. Thirteen percent of students had sex before the age of 13, and 22% of students have had sex with more than four people. The survey also found that 31% of middle school students have had sex.
Several factors influence children not to have sex, including parents, schools, churches and peer pressure. Some turn to their favorite media celebrities for guidance.
"They feel their favorite celebrity is their role model, and if they see them getting pregnant, they want to get pregnant too," said 14-year-old Dana Veney, referring to Jamie Lynn Spears, Britney Spears' younger sister. Jamie had a baby girl last Thursday. She is 17. Solange Knowles, Beyonce Knowles' younger sister, had a son when she was 18.
In conversations with area teenagers last week, some wondered whether churches shouldn't be offering regular nonjudgmental programs where teenagers can talk candidly about sex and the sex battles they are grappling with. Few said such programs exist at their churches.
With its teaching of a sacred union between a man and a woman, and waiting for sex until after marriage, the church should be a good influence on teens' decision on sex, several teenagers said. Veney said she would go to a youth group where they talked about abstinence and safe sex, if that service was offered through her church.
"Many kids nowadays are having sex a lot," said 15-year-old India Reeves, a member of St. John AME on Stanton Road in Southeast. "A lot of them need help but they don't have anyone special to talk to."
Eighteen-year-old Stephon Bryant, a D.C. resident agrees. "I know you're supposed to be abstinent until you get married but it's not like that," Bryant said. "Today, in this world, in this society, everybody's doing something."
A 2007 Youth Risk Behavior survey from the D.C. Campaign to Prevent Teen Pregnancy, confirms this. The survey reported that about 58% of D.C. public high school students aged 15 to 18 have had sex. Thirteen percent of students had sex before the age of 13, and 22% of students have had sex with more than four people. The survey also found that 31% of middle school students have had sex.
Several factors influence children not to have sex, including parents, schools, churches and peer pressure. Some turn to their favorite media celebrities for guidance.
"They feel their favorite celebrity is their role model, and if they see them getting pregnant, they want to get pregnant too," said 14-year-old Dana Veney, referring to Jamie Lynn Spears, Britney Spears' younger sister. Jamie had a baby girl last Thursday. She is 17. Solange Knowles, Beyonce Knowles' younger sister, had a son when she was 18.
In conversations with area teenagers last week, some wondered whether churches shouldn't be offering regular nonjudgmental programs where teenagers can talk candidly about sex and the sex battles they are grappling with. Few said such programs exist at their churches.
With its teaching of a sacred union between a man and a woman, and waiting for sex until after marriage, the church should be a good influence on teens' decision on sex, several teenagers said. Veney said she would go to a youth group where they talked about abstinence and safe sex, if that service was offered through her church.
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