No, I’m not giving lessons, though given the statistics, maybe I should.
The live birth rate among U.S. teenagers in 2011 was about 31 in 1000. (Those figures are taken from the Center for Disease Control.) This is one of the highest teen birth rates among the developed countries. In the U.S. sex ed begins in the 5th grade with separate lessons for boys and girls. In high school the classes get into more detail, often after some of the students in the class are already sexually active. For home schooled kids or religious school students, sex education may not happen at all. They advocate the Reagan drug program mantra--just say no.
In the Netherlands, sex ed begins at age 4. Dutch public TV airs programs that feature interviews with teens on topics like masturbation or the loss of virginity. According to Professor Rob McKenzie of East Stroudsburg State in today’s Pocono Record, “...the overall message is that sex is natural, but teens should wait until they’re ready, know what they’re doing when they have it and be prepared for the consequences.”
The teen birth rate in the Netherlands in 2011 was under 5 per 1000.
Do you know what this country does well? Commercials for the Superbowl. That’s about it.
This year the commercials were not that good either.
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