Teen Sex? "Not Under My Roof" (book)

Parents, Teens, and the Culture of Sex

For American parents, teenage sex is something to be feared and forbidden. Sex is often a source of family conflict. But in the Netherlands, where teenage pregnancies are far less frequent than in the US, parents aim above all for family cohesiveness

They often permit young couples to sleep together and provide them with contraceptives. Probing our child-rearing for what it tells us about our culture, Not Under My Roof by Amy T. Schalet offers an intimate and unprecedented account of the different ways girls and boys in both countries negotiate sex, love, and growing up.

Not Under My Roof features personal stories of teens and parents, a sociologically and historically-informed analysis, and a roadmap for guiding US social policy on adolescent sexual health.

Teenagers and sex? It's a controversial subject in America. Different attitudes Dutch parents hold towards teen sex prevent teen pregnancy (with a teenage birthrate four times lower than in the US) and disease.

• VIDEO: Toxins for my baby? Not under my roof
• Allowing Teenage Sex in Your House (Motherlode)
  
• "The Sleepover Question" (NYTimes)
  

Is it a conservative-liberal divide or more?

Having a baby is NOT the pinnacle of one's life

Clem Bastow (The Sydney Morning Herald National Times, June 21, 2011)
"I just lack the desire. In fact, I find the idea of pregnancy quite abject."

Choosing to remain childless gets far too much bad PR.
The strangest thing happened the other day: while I was reading the newspapers online, my computer started to make baby noises. Coos and giggles erupted from the speakers. With each tab opened, more babies' voices sprung forth, until a sonic waterfall of ga-ga-ga surrounded me.

It turned out to be an auto-playing advertisement, but that didn't stop me rushing to silence my computer in a panic. Babies have always made me nervous, because I'm one of those people who doesn't particularly want one.

As my 20s have run themselves out, the line of questioning from extended family members has shifted from "Are you seeing anyone?" to "And what about kids?" I'm 29 today and I expect the urgency with which the question is delivered to only increase once next year's birthday rolls around. More