Teen Pregnancy And Sexual Content Analysis

Teen pregnancy has been a health issue in America for years now. Even though there has been an overall decline in teenage pregnancy throughout the previous two decades, it seems as though there are still high numbers of teens who are engaging in intercourse and becoming pregnant whether it was an accident or unplanned. A key period of sexual exploration occurs during the adolescent phase and that is when many teens become sexually active. Although sexual intercourse is common in youths, a majority of sexually active teens wish they had waited until they were older. Teens become sexually active before they are fully aware of consequences. Studies have suggested that teenage pregnancy is influenced by educational and economic opportunities. It …show more content…
Sexual behavior is strongly influenced by culture, and television has become essential for teens. There is scientific reasoning to associate teen pregnancy with television because recent statistics found that the average teenager spends approximately three hours a day watching television (Hinckley, 2014). The findings from a scientific content analysis of a representative sample of programming from 2001-2002 indicated that sexual messages are common and typical. The analysis found that 64% of all television programs contain sexual content, 61% talked about sex, 32% previewed some sort of sexual behavior, and 15% depicted or strongly implied sexual intercourse (Kunkel, et al, 2003). The high percentage of all television programs that contain sexual content is unavoidable for teens and inevitably intertwines into their lives. Social learning theory forecasts a higher rate of sexual behavior in teens because the exposure to television characters engaging in sexual activity without experiencing consequences will lead to similar actions as portrayed. The exposure conceivably affects teen’s beliefs and norms. Television has the effect to generate illusions that promote sexual behavior because sex comes off as a daily …show more content…
All the research has been done in attempts to prevent teenage pregnancy. However, there are still lacking trends with communication in all aspects. Even though there has been a decrease in the couple decades, continual improvement is required in order to eliminate the issue of teenage pregnancy. Also, the choices made by teenagers are going to be their choices regardless- trying to influence their behaviors is the most that can be