Woman; 019; The Sexually Active Teen

Tonight our topic is control to more teenagers sexually active today than ever before and as a result pregnancy is reaching epidemic proportions. This is a matter of grave concern to parents and state legislatures throughout the country. With us this evening to discuss this problem Steven who was the youngest member of the president's commission on population control. The president and national cochairman of the Committee on population and the American future which he founded with a practicing Obstetricians and Gynecologists. He's on the faculty of the State University of New York. Sex activity amounts much less a fact of life today right. How should we respond to this is as a teacher teaches because when we think first of all have to deal with some of the myths that surround the whole discussion of sexual activity minors

among those with us. One of the ones that dumb people are more sexually active today than they have been in the past are evidence indicates the contrary. That in fact something in the neighborhood of half will age 19 of sexual intercourse. And secondly there's a great feeling that they have nothing to say that counseling is unnecessary because in their words kids know more than we do. They're so warm today that they really don't need our help they know more about sex than and perhaps even that's simply inaccurate as well. The findings of the lidy of researchers around the country young people don't understand their bodies. There seems on those words even to be a reverse or action of early sexual activity in the US of young people to discuss sexual

behavior and ways to prevent pregnancy. Knowledge about the subjects. So I think first of all we have to acknowledge that there is a problem. Secondly to decide that we are not dealing straightforwardly with the problem. Young people do have needs that respond. Suggest by counseling. I find it especially frustrating that we often end up dealing with the teenager who is under 16 who has had no prior conversations with her parents on the subject and often finds herself in a difficult situation such as suspecting venereal disease or possibly pregnant and with nowhere to turn. And this is the teenager that isn't often by the parents in the school and consequently it's usually a stranger that in some way takes over the management of this child or this developing young woman or

the lack of communication. This young girl and her parents is most disturbing. All this that is not the discussion you find because of the way the laws are. Parents have to eventually become and it's a very traumatic experience for the child and the parents to find out for the first time that they're dealing with there. With the sexual needs and desires that have never been able to interpret and consequently do you feel that certain parents perhaps experience certain reservations or raise objections and even have difficulty in coming to terms with the fact that their 14 year old child is sexually active and perhaps if they give us control or give them education along this lines this is sort of giving tacit approval to

later sex relationships leave the the attitude between the parent child developing very early in the child's life while you're young. The preschool age can come home with questions that the parent's response can be very important to a parent that hears a child come in with a with an honest and simple minded question. So that's something we don't talk about or the child pressure that sucks or something or something that isn't discussed. I think a groundwork for a series of other difficult situations where the child doesn't feel good to discuss these matters with the parent. So I think even at the very earliest level in the child's life the parent can begin expressing an openness toward sexual discussions that carries through into the child's life so that they can deal with problems

straightforwardly and secondly I think there's no indication that that's courage any kind of support for that I think if the parent shows a certain willingness to discuss things openly and fairly with the child and not intimidate the child the child spec the parents opinion much more than that the child is simply without basic understanding and in certain activities sex lives begins. It doesn't have the necessary sexual intercourse but it can cause many of the frustrations and the attitudes of some of the younger children. And if you have a greater understanding and openness that was presented in the US with things could be discussed prior to the actual adventure certain things might change and at least the child would feel that there was a place somewhere to turn to for this question before the

decision and didn't have to feel that they were forced into it this is the basis of pressure from the boyfriend. They had no one else to turn to to discuss. Consequently the whole matter of birth control becomes one of after the fact. The patients I see in the office who question birth control in particular have already had intercourse many times. They don't come in often for sleep or pregnant it's too late. Educating parents should be able to convey to the child how they feel. At the same time not necessary. This is such that the child feelings for examination of the child to be completely rejected because you were with them the parent wants to keep a certain communication certain

openness in the dissent even to their liking. In addition to that I think you have to cut to the core of what you mean by religious or what you're saying. Studies that have indicated that of course also show that in the minds of most people with affection and I think that runs counter to a lot of people's notion upon the skew it what they define it. People with lots of indications are that most young people activity or thinking of it in terms of that that's a very good point. Parents unwilling to accept this in themselves because they are not. Chance to work

out a relationship. It's very true that eventually this boy the girl gets pregnant nothing will have been made and the just become more mature and be better able to choose the person that's spent her life. Most communities that a great deal of instability and marriages are not stable people up until this time and maybe for the future with a little more understanding will become more stable which has come to. Could you just list. Obstetrician gynecologist there members of the major group the gynecologist who have to deal with this problem. Approximately 80

percent of them agreed that sex with teenagers should be given birth control. This gets to be kind of a problem and states and which is that young girls under the age of 17 can't even be examined without their parent's consent. New York state in particular has gotten easier for the physician to prescribe birth control because he is able to examine any teenager without consent. If he's looking for possible disease but the state's pediatrician. And I think it's important too to realize in the public at large has come around on this issues they've become more aware of the dimensions of the problem. In the survey that was done for national

commission on population about a year ago somewhere in the neighborhood of 7 percent of people throughout the country. And this cut across regional religious and occupational and so on lawns that teenagers who were sexually active should have access to contraceptive services. Also there was a very high percentage. About 80 percent of that thought these services are to be provided that it was very much for state agencies to assist in the provision of the services either through funding or actual. Assisting in the information and service to this commission the present commission on population control. This took its stand off to the other associations. That's correct. There are a number of additional goods that are now on the people groups like the bird Scouts and the Girl Scouts in the camp and so on that deal a little with millions of young people and deal with

not only their loss and we're talking about sexual relationships and more with their with their boyfriends or with 100 other but also young children thinking about their attitudes toward each other and toward and toward members of the other sex in the lives of their own sex or occupational preferences the Campfire Girls For instance or are talking a lot about alternative roles for women in their age. Even the very youngest children are five and five and six year old roots to begin thinking about themselves as four people instead of those women who have a very narrow constrictive consider the one and I think in the long run that kind of broadening people's perspectives may be crucially important. Or the attitudes towards sex and relationships. And could you talk about some of the objections that were raised when you were such a commission in respect to supplying teenagers with us control

devices. Well a couple of them through the first I think there are number of people who feel that this is something that sex education and sex attitudes are primarily the concern in the home that it's a mistake to talk about those in these sort of settings outside of the home whether it be a doctor's office or clinic of some time or whatever. I think basically the commission of that many important sexual attitudes are developed in the hope that the fact that a lot of those IT services and Kelson are not being deliberately doing a good job and the patient should try to move on with their work needs to be dealt with at the moment. Also I think in the minds of many people who still the thought that the provision the information the frank discussion of sexuality to what they call promiscuity. No one wants to place a definition on the other and comfortable with anything they can come up with. But but but they believe that it

does lead to all sorts of aberant So for the haven of one or another and I think our commission tried to say in both instances that is not the case that we had to begin seriously addressing the issue. Think much of the validity of these claims. We haven't been able to discover any evidence that indicates that ignorance as that is a good barrier to search for. In fact ignorance only promotes such wide between people that that leads to all sorts of undesirable consequences of pregnancy and disease and it should be pointed out that approximately 5 to 7 percent of the pregnancies in this country every year are children on the age of 16. And this of course is disastrous for the individuals with the unpleasant choice of dropping out of school or perhaps an abortion. And states where it is permitted or problems

are a great deal of pressure for Justin. And the person expresses this for the rest of their life and the social lessons of many teenagers even the basic facts are able to conceive would have thought that by now they would have learned that a study was done 60 percent of all young high school girls had no food. Obviously if they're going to be exposed to sexual relations at home even though the percentage might be 20 or 30 percent these are the girls who get pregnant the most. At risk. As it stands today treating minus in a gynecologist's office either in connection with or in supplying this control in the states

does exist throughout the states it is a state law or medical practice. Some states like California boosters are trying to pass with what are variously termed the emergency clauses of the of their statutes which permit a physician in certain specified situations to deal with a minor without parental consent or willing to give physicians that kind of flexibility in the area of treatment of the neural disease that we have in the area of dealing with the largely positive under the new disease which is exactly what he and trying to avoid as a preventative measure. The adverse effects of those that are so so so often has been pointed out will young people when they've already developed a problem in the sense we're already applying the media that is and when in fact if there were. Situations that are sensitive to their needs establish clinics and facilities and people could come and get

services and counseling would be on the preventative in the secure number of Tenex which are prolific writings about a country that's correct. Many of those teens operate outside the law and fortunately under the good graces of doctors and other health personnel who understand the dimensions of the problem and in a sense put their necks on the chopping block. Others are severely restricted because of local pressures or worse in the laws and many of the street clinics also or other outside the mainstream establishment find it very difficult to get funding to support their activities they're giving away contraceptives litter samples from drug companies and so on. That's not an unusual situation at all. Minute points you have to think that it was changed. It would be a rise in the rate of promiscuity is there any evidence to back this up.

I have not been able to have that feeling that. Junior high school and high school students are the ones that are holding back from sexual activity awaiting a go ahead from some official organization that would now say you can get birth control. In many cases it is a question of their own attitudes toward the schools their boyfriends their families and their surrounding environments that make the greatest difference. You can see how the farmer has contrast with urban areas changes and attitudes. And this isn't because of the more availability of birth control. It's strictly on a social basis. It's that you have reservations about giving that control. That's what you catch. The problem is that we do not have 100 percent safe 100 percent effective contraceptives so the same reservations can occur with older women as well.

However when you're dealing with a teenager who's been taken care of by parents who have no knowledge of what is going on you're dealing with potential problems that the parents will later become involved in at a time when they had no say their making. Consequently it takes a great deal more. Courage actually to prescribe the birth control pill. Who are 15 or 16 year old girl without her parents consent. If she may form to the risk of getting a blood clot or numberless during a time when she is on the pill and have to be hospitalized and then have to face her parents with the truth of that matter as to why this is the preferred method of birth control offered to teach. I still feel it is the birth control pill because it is the only one that is 100 percent effective and there is a risk there is a much greater risk that if you get pregnant. I think it does the issue of contraceptives that are appropriate and at present safe and effective for young people. Opens the door to the whole debate of

contraceptive adequacy for the entire population. It's symptomatic with young people because the pills effect can be no more peut their rejection of the interviewed and devices more common than people that have not had children and particularly young younger people or severe bleeding that sort of thing. This is most prevalent but these are problems that that run throughout the age. Attention to developing better contraception is something that we've lived way behind in this country. It will certainly make the job of physicians trying to deal since a lot of people thought it was a little an effective morning the pill with out side effects could head off some of the potential problems if it was made available to teenagers they could get it if they needed it. However this is a problem that is still being worked out. Unfortunately the present medications being tried as in the morning after pill has many side effects.

Do you think that the erotic sort of saturation that we get has the effect of suggesting to the teenager that if he's not participating if he's not having sexual activity is this something with him. I think it's a very strange dynamic at work and society sorts of other ties or X-rated movies and so on in the media. And yet so many of the media print media sources and and and broadcast media are unwilling to run advertisements dealing with contraceptives or to talk forthrightly about problems of sexuality which seems to me to be certain. Misrepresentation of what the dimensions of human sexual. I think we're all guilty of this we're guilty of it. The stewards were guilty of it in the churches who are guilty of it in all sorts of community groups who are guilty of that and who are afraid to talk about sites in its proper perspective

and so on and what this does is leave the younger person with the sorts of extreme form of what sects such relationships. It can't help but but Foster conceptions for this information. Most people would prefer that their children make a good sexual adjustment and most people would prefer that the that their children are old enough to get married that they would be happy sex make good sexual partners. What they don't realize is that this has to be preceded by many years of development which involve experimentation as well as with the other sex as well as masturbation and most parents are unwilling to give their children the opportunity for this development and the knowledge that it is occurring without their consent and consequently have these problems and the problems are more blinders that put on themselves to shut out the fact that their children are developing sex under their eyes.

Beginnings of it are in every school on the streets and to the opposite sex which is basically the sex that leads up to it and which is how do you think this sort of repressive that is responsible for teenagers trying to establish a separate identity perhaps rebelling against the forces of authority and tradition and this can sort of potentially disastrous situation that sex is bad no matter what the point that the war on television and the so many other things. And it's hard for them to think that sex and bad in the same way means affection and kindness towards somebody that they care for and try and make them feel that it's bad I think is a wrong tack entirely I think if we can try to show them where there may be times and places where it is more advantageously for them to engage in sex at the time and the place

should be of their choosing and not be one in which they get forced into by activities or by their boyfriend or girlfriend at that particular time. But this is the approach that parents should be taking in the home and allowing free and frank discussion of what is good when it should occur. What do you think about peer pressure. Do you think this is as it has an effect on children. The fact that everybody else is doing it and they get out of it just not with it and participate. Well I think there's no question that that plays a part as it has in the past the discussions that teenagers had 20 years ago. And by the time on 18 or whatever the hell I better go out and particularly males have that or they're out and see how much I can get before I was over the hill still prevalent in large segments of the lives of the teenage population and I think it plays to this larger issue the ability of people to know to talk honestly to

develop attitudes that go beyond that and certainly the parents play an important part in that and their peers will too but they don't have the opportunity to discuss sex in the classroom or discuss it behind the school that they have a chance to talk about it in the church to talk about it after church lets out the parking lot to talk about it on the street or wherever this is not going to stop it's will always go on but there are settings I think that that those who care about the attitudes of the church or the foreman can foster were open. His last expression of sex abuse can be exchanged and children can cure the times that I've been invited to speak in the schools the health classes. I found a very refreshing number of questions and interests of the students. The starvation almost of this type of knowledge and in a mixed setting very little embarrassment fear children or teenagers all willing and able to ask questions out of sensible things that they have never been told and should have been told. And

it doesn't involve only on the question of birth control the just questions of their own body. Questions of function and this is the type of thing that more has to be done with as well as education in the home. Just one quick question before. What do you think is the impact on personality of say 13 or 14 of having sex in relationships and starting. But I think there could be problems. I don't think the average teenager at this age is ready to deep shit which involves sexual intercourse. However they might get trapped into it and that's what the percentages just begin at this point. But they have to know that they can be counseled and that this can be discussed and they're not all bad because they've gotten to the situation and they may agree that at this point I would agree that for reinforcement for the child to develop and continue develop a healthy attitude toward their search.

Thank you doctor. Goodnight We'll see you again next week. But.