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Written by Peter Jon Mitchell, senior researcher at the Institute of Marriage and Family Canada
Teen pregnancy rates continue to fall in Canada according to a study released May 27 by the Sex Information and Education Council of Canada (SIECCAN). The study, which is published in The Canadian Journal of Human Sexuality, compared pregnancy rates in Canada, England/Wales, Sweden and the US. In the 10 year period from 1996 to 2006, the teen pregnancy rate dropped in Canada by nearly 37 per cent. The rate is calculated by adding the number of women ages 15 to 19 who gave birth with those who had abortions. The number is expressed per 1000 women in this age group.
The Canadian teen pregnancy rate is 27.9, compared with 31.4 in Sweden, 60.3 in England/Wales and 61.2 in the US. The report’s authors acknowledge that many variables influence pregnancy rates, but as a promoter of sex education, they focus on the influence of sex ed and access to “reproductive choice” as significant contributors to the decline.
The decline in the teen pregnancy rate is good news, but what do the numbers really tell us?
Sex education
Some in the media have editorialized that Canada’s decline in teen pregnancy is proof of the effectiveness of sex ed. However teen pregnancy rates alone cannot substantiate this claim. While teen pregnancy has been declining, the rate of sexually transmitted infections has been generally increasing among teens during the same period. Cultural norms, socioeconomic factors and other variables must be accounted for in evaluating what influences teens’ sexual decision making. Nevertheless, the authors of the SIECCAN study warn, “a reduction or neglect of access to sexual and reproductive health education and services for youth is likely to halt or reverse the current trend in teen pregnancy rates.”
Abortion
Abortion remains the first choice for teens today, though the gap is narrowing with 13.7 abortions per 1000 births compared to 14.2 per 1000 pregnancies. The authors claim “reproductive choice,” meaning access to abortion, has contributed to declining teen pregnancy. It wasn’t until the mid-1990s that the number of abortions among teens outnumbered births in Canada.
The authors also point out that in Sweden, where the teen birth rate is a low 5.7 births per 1000 young women, nearly 81 per cent of all teen pregnancies end in abortion. The report quotes survey data suggesting Swedish teens do not endorse abortion as a form of birth control, but view it as a “painful necessity.” It’s difficult to comprehend how abortion doesn’t amount to a culturally accepted form of birth control in Sweden, and here at home.
In the UK, a government program to cut the teen pregnancy rate in half in 10 years has produced little results. Commenting on the reduced teen birth rate and increased abortion rate in England/Wales, SIECCAN states, “While the government’s goal of significantly reducing the rate of conceptions among teens in England has not been achieved, the teen birth rate (the outcome with greater socioeconomic and demographic implications) has dropped.” Abortion contributed to the decline in births. Is this really success?
Canadians should be encouraged that teen pregnancy rates are declining. The authors of the report are correct when they acknowledge that many variables influence teen pregnancy. At the same time, the success or failure of sex ed alone is not responsible for the changing teen pregnancy rates. Parents must recognize that they remain the primary sex educators and take the lead in helping their teens navigate toward healthy adulthood. |
