Morning Roundup: Teen Birth Rate Drops; Abortion Special on MTV

MTV will air a special on teens who choose abortion; the teen birth rate drops and everyone scrambles to claim credit or blame the economy; a fabulous new app for the sexually active; buy a dress, help prevent child marriage.

MTV will air a special on teens who choose abortion, the teen birth rate drops and everyone scrambles to claim credit or blame the economy, a fabulous new app for the sexually active, and buy a dress, help prevent child marriage.

  • No Easy Decision, a special on teenagers who choose abortion, will air on MTV on December 28. The channel also airs the popular programs 16 and Pregnant and Teen Mom. According to Entertainment Weekly, “MTV sources say the documentary will tackle all sides of the issue, including the importance of contraception and the devastating effects of facing such a decision.”
  • The teen birth rate dropped 6% in 2009 from the year before, to the lowest rate in the seventy years the government has been collecting data. What is the cause of the drop? Well, of course, it depends on who you talk to.  Could it be the recession? Increased contraception use? How about abstinence? Maybe MTV’s 16 and Pregnant? Probably not Bristol Palin.
  • A Texas rabbi has created an iPhone and iPad app on sexuality education. Available for 99 cents through iTunes, LoveSmarts “provides concise information about sexually transmitted infections and their symptoms, method of treatment and prevention; nine forms of contraception, cost, availability and effectiveness; a link with the Princeton University’s emergency contraception directory by zip code and a game that has a variety of viruses and bacterial infections that a player must kill with the correct “weapon” (antibiotics by injection or pills or topical creams or pills).” It sounds like this should be a mandatory app for any sexually active person.
  • Congress failed to pass the bill to prevent child marriage. (See Jodi’s piece on the subject.) But if you are searching for a last minute gift, the One-Dress Project is selling dresses that promise to flatter all women – with proceeds to benefit CARE’s Prevent Child Marriage initiative as part of its We Are One holiday campaign. The One-Dress Project collaborated with women around the world to design a dress, and its purpose “is to raise awareness and funds on behalf of organizations around the world that enhance and protect women’s health, reduce violence against women, educate young girls, and support women to play an active role in society.”

Dec 22

Dec 21