Blame the media

[Niamh]

Hey kilted you also forgot to mention that only over 150 years ago some 15 and 16 year olds were already married with kids. And a few hundred years before that it was around the age of 12. so anyone who thinks teenage pregnancy is a mdern think, it aint.

[Bakiryu]

But they're a pretty religious group.

yes. their lives remind me of home. It's nearly similar, except for the overly religious part. I wonder how they'd react to an atheist.....

Hey kilted you also forgot to mention that only over 150 years ago some 15 and 16 year olds were already married with kids. And a few hundred years before that it was around the age of 12. so anyone who thinks teenage pregnancy is a mdern think, it aint.

yes, but proper, modern cheap condoms were not available 'til 1930 so it couldn't be prevented. And then, there was the fact that usually you had to marry whoever got you pregnant, 'there weren't as many single mothers as there are today.

crime and rape rates are rising on par as teenage pregnancy rate.

[Niamh]

Also not true. Many were unmarried, and as kilted has already mentioned, sent to stay with "aunts" in far off counties unti the child was born and or fostered by the aunt or given to an orphanage. Some of th mothers where even sent to homes run by nuns and made to do penence for their "sin". Unmarried teenage pregnancies have always been around, Crime rate have always been terrible and so have rape rates. The likes of the media we have today brings it to the attention of viewers. A couple of hundred years ago, they didnt have radio or TV, and not everything was published in the newspapers.

[papayahed]

http://www.avert.org/condoms.htm

The history of condoms

1000 BC
The use of condoms can be traced back several thousand years. It is known that around 1000 BC the ancient Egyptians used a linen sheath for protection against disease.1

100 - 200 AD
The earliest evidence of condom use in Europe comes from scenes in cave paintings at Combarelles in France.2 There is also some evidence that some form of condom was used in imperial Rome.3

1500s
The syphilis epidemic that spread across Europe gave rise to the first published account of the condom. Gabrielle Fallopius described a sheath of linen he claimed to have invented to protect men against syphilis.4 Having been found useful for prevention of infection, it was only later that the usefulness of the condom for the prevention of pregnancy was recognised.

Later in the 1500s, one of the first improvements to the condom was made, when the linen cloth sheaths were sometimes soaked in a chemical solution and then allowed to dry prior to use. These were the first spermicides on condoms.5

[kilted exile]

Also regarding the reference to condoms being available in the 1930's. This may have been the case but they were preached against by the church In fact the Catholic church still has many issues to resolve regarding contraception, it was not used widely & if it was the woman in general had no say regarding the matter. It was not until the "pill" became available in the 60's that women had any real voice regarding contraception. Condoms only really came to prominence after the panic caused by AIDS in the 80's, and there are still far too many people uneducated regarding this who choose not to wear protection.

[papayahed]

Also not true. Many were unmarried, and as kilted has already mentioned, sent to stay with "aunts" in far off counties unti the child was born and or fostered by the aunt or given to an orphanage. Some of th mothers where even sent to homes run by nuns and made to do penence for their "sin". Unmarried teenage pregnancies have always been around, Crime rate have always been terrible and so have rape rates. The likes of the media we have today brings it to the attention of viewers. A couple of hundred years ago, they didnt have radio or TV, and not everything was published in the newspapers.

Another point is that a lot of rape/crimes just weren't reported in earlier times because of the stigma attached.

[Niamh]

Another point is that a lot of rape/crimes just weren't reported in earlier times because of the stigma attached.

exactly!

[Bakiryu]

I was talking about voluntary wantonness but whatever.....(Also, I read the whole wikilink on condoms too, it said the CHEAP, MODERN ones WE USED TODAY)

[Shea]

Also not true. Many were unmarried, and as kilted has already mentioned, sent to stay with "aunts" in far off counties unti the child was born and or fostered by the aunt or given to an orphanage. Some of th mothers where even sent to homes run by nuns and made to do penence for their "sin". Unmarried teenage pregnancies have always been around, Crime rate have always been terrible and so have rape rates. The likes of the media we have today brings it to the attention of viewers. A couple of hundred years ago, they didnt have radio or TV, and not everything was published in the newspapers.

I have mixed feelings on this. My step-mom had this issue, and was forced by her family to give up her daughter when she was 16. (She finally found her again about 6 years ago). It may never have happened at all if her parents had talked to her about sex, but of course, no one ever did at that time. However many parents still don't, and being sexually active is just "accepted" because their favorite tv characters don't have a problem with it either. But a tv character isn't likely to talk about the risks involved.

[Bakiryu]

how did talk about tv and problems became talk about pregnancy statistics and condoms I'll never know. eh, I blame BAKIRYU

[Taliesin]

Also regarding the reference to condoms being available in the 1930's. This may have been the case but they were preached against by the church In fact the Catholic church still has many issues to resolve regarding contraception, it was not used widely & if it was the woman in general had no say regarding the matter. It was not until the "pill" became available in the 60's that women had any real voice regarding contraception. Condoms only really came to prominence after the panic caused by AIDS in the 80's, and there are still far too many people uneducated regarding this who choose not to wear protection.

I now feel obliged to refer to this video:


Every sperm is sacred

[RobinHood3000]

Media influences a person. People, on the other hand, are an entirely different story. The media, much as we like to think of it as an external entity, is composed of people who live in the same society we do. Media reflects the values of society - it rarely influences them. Only the most sensational and most radical (and therefore often the least credible) seeks to alter the popular view to its bidding, and because it's the least credible, it has a much smaller chance of doing so.

Besides, I can't remember the last time I heard of a youth epidemic of watching the news or reading any serious section of the newspaper. By my reckoning, they are not influenced by the media so much as they are by their parents and (by extension) each other.

[Niamh]

nice one Tal!

[manolia]

Brilliant Taliesin

[Nightshade]

humm actually I rember watching the original cheaper by the dozen recently its was made in 1950 but was based apparantly on a true story and set in the 20s I think and in it there were comments about 'family planning' and you know there are ways to not have children.

And actually the only real differance I can see is that back at te turn of the last centurey mummy and daddy were forced to marry, and then oh look an earrly baby its a mircal it survived, weve been doing some family history stuff and its amazing what you find, when you start looking at dates.