Funny thing is, I've read that teen pregnancy rates (to cite one element) are not particularly different than in the '50s.
Not true. According to data from the Dept of Health and Human Services, Statistical Abstracts of the United States, the Centers for Disease Control, and the Dept of Commerce, Census Bureau:
Between 1955 and 1963, the number of live births to unwed girls under age 15 was between 4,000 and 5,000 annually nationwide. Since 1963, the population grown of of girls under age 15 has almost remained constant, except with a slight but steady decline up until 1987 (date latest info was available in the report I'm going from). Since 1963, the number of live births doubled to 10,000 annually by 1972, and ended 1987 right at that number, after a decline to 8,000 by 1981. Live births + reported abortions, meanwhile, skyrocketed after 1963 to 26,000 annually by 1975. This number remained constant for four years ending 1979, dipped briefly to 23,500 by 1981, but ended 1987 at about 26,000 annually, which is more than a 400% increase, or five times the number of live births + reported abortions than in the years 1955 to 1963, despite the fact that the population of girls under the age of 15 has not grown since then, but rather has slightly declined.
Sexually Transmitted Diseases, Gonorrhea: Age Group 15-19, cases per 100,000 total population: From 1955 to 1963 (eight year period), the number was most of the time 400 cases per 100,000 total population, but had declined to 350 cases per 100,000 by 1963. Starting in 1963, this number began a parabolic rise, peaking at 1275 cases per 100,000 total population by 1975, a relentless twelve years of increases. The number gradually dropped off, ending 1985 (ten year period) at 1175 cases per 100,000 population. This is still a 200% increase, or triple the number of cases in the eight year period of 1955 to 1963.
What's so significant about 1963? In the years 1963-1964, the U.S. Supreme Court began banning religious activities, symbols, teachings, etc., in the public schools, in a bizarre interpretation of the Establishment clause of the First Amendment to the Constitution, which simply states that the US Government shall not Establish a religion, i.e. an official national religion. The statistics show the results of this, along with the "sexual revolution" inspired by the freedom that the schools now had to promote promiscuity in young people. |
