Sexual Attitudes Among Teens Holding Steady
About 43 percent of boys and 42 percent of girls ages 15 to 19 have had sex at least once, according to a new study by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention—a rate unchanged since 2002 but significantly lower than 1988, when more than half of teens ages 15 to 19 reported having sex. Experts greeted the results with optimism. “I think that many adults look at teen culture as a blur of bare midriffs and think that things are only getting worse,” says Bill Albert, chief program officer for the National Campaign to Prevent Teen and Unplanned Pregnancy, “but I don’t think the data from the past two or three decades supports that.” Albert adds that teen pregnancy rates have gone down 39 percent since 1990. (Washington Post)
Not-So-Happy Meals
The Center for Science in the Public Interest is planning to sue fast-food giant McDonald’s over its popular Happy Meals, calling the toy-laden carton o’ food “creepy and predatory.” The activist group believes Happy Meals lure children into unhappy and unhealthy eating habits, setting them on a path toward obesity, diabetes and other dietary problems. “McDonald’s is the stranger in the playground handing out candy to children,” said Stephan Gardner, who heads the center’s litigation department. Naturally, McDonald’s begs to differ. “McDonald’s is committed to a responsible approach to our menu and our Happy Meal offerings,” said franchise spokesman William Whitman. “We have added more choice and variety than ever before, a fact that has been widely reported and recognized.” (New York Daily News)
MA Schools Reconsider Controversial Condom Policy
Schools in Provincetown, Mass., perhaps are reconsidering a newly approved policy that allows school officials to distribute condoms to schoolchildren regardless of age—and forbids parents from having a say in the matter. The new policy, which would’ve required school nurses to hand out condoms to any student who asked for them, received an avalanche of criticism nationwide. When Massachusetts’s governor also called for a review, district officials agreed to look at other options. School officials still seem to be leaning toward keeping the controversial policy in place: “I’d rather them not have the conversation [with counselors] and have the condom than not have the condom,” one school board member said. Regardless, even a revised policy won’t allow parents to have a say as to whether their child receives a condom or not. (The Boston Globe, Foster’s Daily Democrat)
YouTube’s New Buzz
In honor of the World Cup this summer, YouTube has installed a special button that allows viewers to listen to the melodic sounds of the vuvuzela—the plastic horn that’s been driving soccer fans worldwide crazy. Tech observers were less than amused. “Clicking it will activate an endless, incredibly annoying sound that sounds vaguely like a swarm of insects,” writes Tech Crunch‘s Jason Kincaid. Another blogger, Stan Schroeder of Mashable, said the vuvuzela “starts getting on your nerves in about five seconds.” (Fox News)
