Blog
Texting and Teething Rings: Teen Pregnancy in Canada
Teen pregnancy has been a hot topic in the media for the past few years. The stars of 16 and Pregnant are on the covers of gossip magazines. There were rumours of a pregnancy pact among a group of Massachusetts high school friends. In 2008, Jamie Lynn Spears, Britney’s sister, and once a rising Disney star, had a baby at 16. The movie Juno, about a smart, cool teenager who happens to be pregnant, won an Oscar. Closer to home, teen pregnancy is one the main reasons people utilize the PCCSH. Are more teenagers having babies these days? The latest statistics, which are from 2004, show that there were 31,611 teenage pregnancies in Canada, with almost half resulting in live births. Teen moms contributed to 4.2 per cent of total births. Canada's birth rate among teens is 13.6 for every 1,000 teen women, far below the birth rate of 41.1 in the U.S., but nearly seven times higher than Sweden’s rate, which has one of the lowest teen birth rates of all developed countries. More recent data from the US shows a rise in teen pregnancy, with some experts predicting a similar increase in Canada. Teen pregnancy is a serious issue, regardless of the rates in our country.
Piercings, Tattoos, and Your Health
The warm but much too short summer months will soon return to Nova Scotia, which means we will be seeing tattoos, piercings, and other adornments on exposed skin. Tattoos were once associated with the criminal underclass: ex-cons, bikers, and gang members. They were seen as a symbol of non-conformity and rejection of middle-class values. Conversely, they were also associated with the military, especially the Navy, where the tattoo was a symbol of conformity. Today, you can see tattoos on people from all walks of life. Piercings have entered the mainstream as well. Having a nose ring in the 70s or 80s was a symbol of punk rebellion; today it is not unusual to see a middle-aged woman with a tasteful stud in her nose.