Teenage sex and pregnancy : modern myths, unsexy realities / Mike A. Males.

9780313385612 (alk. paper)
0313385610 (alk. paper)

Santa Barbara, Calif. : Praeger, c2010.

English

viii, 256 p. ; 25 cm.

HQ27 .M345 2010

306.70835

Surprisingly, in light of popular belief, pregnancy among younger teens in the United States is at the lowest levels ever. Perhaps even more astonishingly, the best studies show teen motherhood is not socially costly and may even be economically beneficial for certain poor populations, and a lot of press panics about teen sex turn out to be complete fabrications. How do we separate truth from myth when it comes to this hot-button subject? Teenage Sex and Pregnancy: Modern Myths, Unsexy Realities analyzes the extensive deceptions and fears surrounding discussion of teenage sex and pregnancy, including their relationship to popular culture, poverty, adult sexual behaviors, and anxieties toward the increasingly public roles of young women. Award-winning author and researcher Mike Males argues that today's discussions rely largely on falsehoods and the suppression of crucial realities. His work details a new view of popular culture as a largely beneficial feature of teens' lives and presents a carefully documented analysis demolishing destructive myths about the "new girl." Debunking popular arguments, he shows that the teen sex debate is mired in interest-group talking points that ignore difficult realities to advance the politically attuned agendas of today's "privatized social policy." It's time, he writes, to modernize the discussion, recognizing that teens act in ways consistent with their interests, with the sexual behaviors of adults, and with the school and job opportunities afforded them.

Includes bibliographical references and index.

Sex, love, and psychology.

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