The only real pearls of wisdom that I could cull from this article was that marriage before parenthood fosters the deliberation process in couples that serves both them and their children well. We as single women need to deliberately improve our own communication with casual and committed sexual partners about contraception in order to prevent ill-deliberated pregnancies and the subsequent shotgun weddings and single parenthood alike. If we are talking about unwed teen parents or unwed couples in their twenties, I think it stands to reason that the focus of Dear Prudence's next article should probably be the evolving culture of family planning and contraceptive educational policy.

and enlightening article. Slate should hire you.

"I think it stands to reason that the focus of Dear Prudence's next article should probably be the evolving culture of family planning and contraceptive educational policy. "

Yes. Maybe she needs to talk about the *gasp* ineffectiveness of 'Abstinence only' programs and make the argument for better access to birth control, and (horror of horrors, hear comes the hate posts) safe, legal abortions.

Better access to birth control? Last time I checked condoms were pretty accessible. They give these things out for free at schools and clinics and they can be bought relatively cheap. If we are supporting birth control pills as the perfect solution, then society is in trouble. Birth control pills aren't as effective in the hands of teenagers or early twentysomethings. Also, smoking reduces the effectiveness of birth control pills, a fact which women seem to ignore. Most importantly, look at the latest statistics on STD rates among high school girls. My guess is most of these girls are on birth control pills and think nothing of having unprotected sex.

Not really that accessible everywhere. Even where legislation says it "should" be, local practice is inconsistent.

Plus, I saw my (very careful, responsible, sexually-active) friend go through enough "broken condom" panics in high school that I suspect condoms and birth control in general are less reliable than I was brought up to assume.

Thank goodness for the morning-after pill, at least.

You know what might be better birth control? Showing young men and women the gruesome details of childbirth (not just the screamer videos, but the actual realities - the bowel movements, episiotomies, months of discomfort before and after, etc.) plus the unsexiness of life as a broke teenaged parent trying to make rent while still longing for carefree youth.

I think as long as some teens have the abstract idea of "Oooh, a little baby all to my own!", it will still be tempting to think unplanned pregnancies are no big deal. It's not enough to just use a condom and hope for the best. There needs to be a PLAN.

Peripheral Vision:

I think as long as some teens have the abstract idea of "Oooh, a little baby all to my own!", it will still be tempting to think unplanned pregnancies are no big deal. It's

I have kids, but I'm still glad to see a stinky, dirty, irritable baby now and then to remind me I really didn't want any more when I stopped having them.