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Loading...One In 10 Texas 6th Graders Has Had Sex – VIDEO
Texas has the third-highest teen birthrate in the nation. In fact, a Texas teen gets pregnant every 10 minutes, and teen childbearing costs the state’s taxpayers $1 billion annually.
This information come from Children at Risk, a state policy advocate organization, which last week published a series of studies and articles on sex and teen pregnancy in Texas.
Teens More Likely To Have Sex With 4 Or More Partners
A study out of the University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston gives us the lowdown on the down-and-dirty. This by way of the Chron’s Mom Houston blog:
1. Almost one in 10 Texas 6th graders have had sex.
2. The percentage of Texas 7th and 8th graders who have had sex is 22 and 29 percent respectively.
3. Of high school-aged kids, 32 percent of 9th graders, 41 percent of 10th graders, 53 percent of 11th graders and 62 percent of 12th graders have had sex.
4. Just over one third of the entire public middle and high school population are sexually experienced.
5. Texas students are more likely to report having had sex with four or more partners and are less likely to have used birth control or condoms.
The results come from an analysis of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s Youth Risk Behavior Survey, the CDC’s Middle School Youth Risk Behavior Survey and the University of Texas Prevention Research Center’s All About Youth study.
But – Governor Perry Believes in Abstinence-Only
Yet at least twice in the past year state agencies halted efforts to apply for millions of dollars in federal Personal Responsibility Education Program (PREP) grants for teen pregnancy- and STD-prevention following discussions with Governor Perry’s office. PREP’s purpose is to educate youth ages 10-19 on both abstinence and contraception for the prevention of pregnancy and sexually transmitted infections, including HIV/AIDS.
But Governor Perry supports abstinence-only policies that are common throughout most Texas public schools.
Nationally, More Kids Postponing Sex, Using Condoms
Interestingly, I wrote here just last week about a national survey showing that most teens are postponing sex until their later teen years, and using contraception when they do have sex.
Once again, the state of Texas bucks the trend.
You can see Rick Perry defending his abstinence-only policy and failing miserably here:
Related Stories
Teens Today Postponing Sex, Using Condoms
Survey Shows Need For Better Sex Ed.
Photo Credit: iStock
Read more: 6th graders having sex, cdc youth risk behavior survey, governor rick perry, teenage sexual activity, texas
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I agree with Ryan Y.
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this is total bigotry and hate mongering! How sick and hateful are the younger girl's parents, I hope…
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134 comments
+ add your ownBob M. :
I laughed so hard I have to wash chewed pistachio's from my laptop screen.
If abstinence is 100% effective, why are we celebrating Christmas today?
This man is clearly either ignorant or in denial. He's too proud to admit he's wrong, whereas admitting he's wrong and willing to change would've probably garnered an applause from the audience, to get this issue addressed adequately. Just because something works personally for him, it doesn't mean it'll work for the rest of the state of Texas!
I'm sorry, but if they said 90% of teens were having sex by 12th grade, I wouldn't be alarmed. I don't know that 11 year olds having sex is alright, though. Then again, it is Texas, so some of them might be older than 11...
Sounds like an epidemic to me.......gosh I was eighteen, and not even ready then, but at least I knew all about birth-control and choices!!!
wow
One teen gets pregnant every 10 minutes in Texas? Why isn't Rick Perry praying they won't have sex? Isn't GOD the answer? Why do the taxpayers always have to pick up the tab??
i can't believe listening to him trying to answer this question that anyone believes he could be a good president.
This article is very relevant:
Top 20 College Sex-Ed Programs
http://www.thedailybeast.com/articles/2011/10/18/sex-education-colleges-with-the-best-programs.html
6th graders are approx 11 years old. This is so sad
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