parent-teen.com
an
online magazine for families with teens
ARTICLES,
ARCHIVES, &
RESOURCES
Ages
& Stages
Alcohol/Drugs
Arts
& Media
College
Planning
Coping
Driving
Fun
Issues
News
Parent
Pages
Puberty
School
Sex
& Dating
Sports
Volunteering
Working
Your
Body
COLUMNS
College
Prep
Dear
Mike
Freshman
Journal
From
the Backpack
FEEDBACK
What our readers
say
FORUMS
Discussion boards for parents & teens,
plus professional college planning advice. COMING SOON.
CONTRIBUTE
Editorial guidelines
SHOP
Coming soon.
Recommended
books for parents and teens from amazon.com. Your purchases will
help support this site.
Parent-Teen is a publication of:
Parents'
Press
1454 Sixth St.
Berkeley, CA 94710
Phone:
(510) 524-1602
Fax:
(510) 524-0912
e-mail:
ParentsPrs@aol.com
Site contents © copyright 1997-2000 by Parents' Press
You are welcome to make a single (1) copy of any article for your personal, non-commercial use as long as all rights & copyright information remains intact. Please contact us if you are interested in reprinting any material from this site.
The Role of Religion, Faith, and Values in Teen Pregnancy Prevention: New Research and Survey Data Released
WASHINGTON, Sept. 25, 2001 /U.S. Newswire/ -- What role does
religious faith and practice play in the sexual behavior of teens?
Research released today by the nonprofit National Campaign to
Prevent Teen Pregnancy suggests that religious faith is associated
with delayed sexual activity among some groups of teens. Survey
data also released today indicate that morals, values, and/or
religious beliefs affects teens decisions about whether to have
sex more than concern about STDs, fear of pregnancy, or other
reasons.
While the report being released today -- "Keeping the Faith: The Role of Religion and Faith Communities in Preventing Teen Pregnancy" -- shows that religious teens tend to hold more conservative views regarding sex and are more likely to delay having sex, it also suggests that some religious teen may be less likely to use contraception if they become sexually active.
Among the report's other findings:
-- Approximately 90 percent of teens report being affiliated with a particular religious denomination.
-- Regardless of gender or race, teens who attend religious services frequently are less likely to have permissive attitudes about sex.
-- Girls with no religious affiliation have higher rates of sexual activity and lower rates of condom use.
-- Because of limited available research, the report does not examine the effectiveness of faith-based programs to prevent teen pregnancy.
Survey data also being released today -- "Faithful Nation: What American Adults and Teens Think About Faith, Morals, Religion, and Teen Pregnancy" -- show that eight of ten teens (83 percent) say that religion is an important part of their life. Among the survey's other findings:
-- By a wide margin, teens say morals, values, and/or religious beliefs affect their decisions to have sex more than concerns about STDs or pregnancy, education and information about sex, or attachment to their partner.
-- Seven in ten adults (70 percent) and teens (73 percent) believe that churches and other houses of worship should be doing more to help prevent teen pregnancy.
-- When asked who most influences their decisions about sex, only six percent of teens cited religious leaders.
What's Being Released
Three reports are being released:
-- "Keeping the Faith: The Role of Religion and Faith Communities in Preventing Teen Pregnancy," a two-chapter report, by Barbara Dafoe Whitehead, Brian L. Wilcox, and Sharon Scales Rostosky, explores some of the barriers between the faith and secular communities around issues of adolescent sexuality and examines what research says about the role religion plays in teens' sexual attitudes and behavior.
-- "Snapshots from the Front Line III: Lessons From Faith-Based Efforts to Prevent Teen Pregnancy" provides information on innovative faith-based programs working to prevent teen pregnancy.
-- "Faithful Nation: What American Adults and Teens Think About Faith, Morals, Religion, and Teen Pregnancy" provides the results of a nationally-representative survey of adults and teens conducted in September 2001.
Founded in 1996, the National Campaign is a private, nonprofit organization with the goal of reducing the teen pregnancy rate by one-third between 1996 and 2005. The Pew Forum on Religion and Public Life seeks to promote a deeper understanding of how religion shapes the ideas and institutions of American society.
Home | About Us | Ages & Stages | Alcohol/Drugs | Arts & Media | College Planning | College Prep column | Coping | Dear Mike | Driving | Feedback | Freshman Journal | From the Backpack | Fun | Issues | News | Parent Pages | Puberty | School |Sex & Dating | Sports | Volunteering | Working | Your Body | Advertise | Contribute | E-mail Us