Religious Teens More Likely to Have Unexpected Pregnancy

By Rachel Stockton rachels at foodconsumer dot org

The journal Reproductive Health is reporting on a study conducted by Dr. Joseph Strayhorn, Child/Adolescent Psychologist Drexel University College of Medicine, comparing religiosity with teen pregnancy.

Data on teen pregnancy for the research came from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), while information on income levels came from the U.S Census Bureau.  Religiosity data came from the U.S Religious Landscape Survey.

For the study, the term “religiosity” is defined by those who agreed with the following conservative statements:

1) Belief in a God or universal spirit: Absolutely Certain.

  2) There is only one way to interpret the teachings of my religion.

  3) Scripture should be taken literally, word for word. 

  4) How important is religion in your life: Very Important.

  5) My religion is the one true faith leading to eternal life. 

  6) Frequency of attendance at religious services: at least once a week.

  7) Frequency of prayer: at least once a day.

  8) How often do you receive a definite answer to a specific prayer request: at

      least once a month. 

States that had a higher religiosity percentage also had the highest teen pregnancy rates, even after accounting for certain controls, such as income level and abortion.

Parents who agreed unequivocally with the above statements also overwhelmingly believe that any type of sex education taught in public schools should be only abstinence based.

While some may be surprised by these findings, Sandra Tester, family therapist, is not.  She has found in her practice that teenagers from religiously conservative homes fail to use birth control, even after they become sexually active.  Some of this, she explains, is because they feel guilty enough about having sex to begin with.  Actively searching out birth control leaves no room for denying that they are “disobeying” what they’ve been taught all of their lives.

The authors of the study also maintain that while highly religious homes emphatically emphasize that sex before marriage is anathema, they do not go on to explain birth control to their children, should something go “wrong”, and the teen doesn’t comply with the sexual restrictions the parents put forth.

Ms. Tester suggests that parents who believe strongly in abstinence before marriage do not have to compromise their beliefs when teaching their kids about teen pregnancy and sex.  She urges them to leave their children an “out”, by acknowledging that they, and God, know they are only human, and that sometimes, plans become waylaid.  That way, the teenager will be more likely to come to the parent asking about birth control if they become sexually active, so that an unwanted, teen pregnancy can be avoided.