Pregnancy

THE NATION'S teen-pregnancy rate is at its lowest level in decades. But don't toss condoms into the air in celebration just yet. Although we're faring a whole lot better than in the past, the U.S. teen-pregnancy rate remains embarrassingly high compared with that of many European countries. And here's another reason to be ashamed: MTV deserves credit for the drop. Not to take anything away from federal de-funding of abinstence-only sex education and improved safe-sex campaigns, but the cable network that introduced us to Snooki of "Jersey Shore" fame and the misogynistic term "grenade," has done a lot to raise awareness about the pitfalls of teen pregnancy.

Question: I am a very unhappy pregnant woman, and friends/family seem to be bothered by that. I actually had a friend practically give me a lecture the other day saying that I was ungrateful. I love children and am really looking forward to bringing a child into my family. But why do I have to be happy about being pregnant? So far it's been about getting fat, being bloated, restricting what I can eat and drink, feeling sick. I would gladly adopt five kids over having to do this again.

Question: I am 30, and going through a divorce. Against my better judgment but still employing two forms of birth control, the husband I'm divorcing and I were intimate. I am now pregnant. I can't make a logical argument for having this child. I still want a divorce and my husband is still engaging in the same behaviors that drove me to pack up and leave. I think the logical decision would have been to have an abortion but, though I tried, I never could stomach the thought.

Text4Baby delivers health tips for pregnancy and infants Some technological innovations are amazingly simple, and Text4Baby is one of them: Just text baby (or bebe for Spanish) to 511411, enter a due date or birth date, and you'll get three texts a week with medical tips and information timed to your stage of pregnancy or your baby's development up to one year. The texts are carried free by all the major cell- phone providers, and the messages - with information known to improve a mother's or baby's health - are approved by a host of medical organizations that have signed onto the public-private partnership, including the American Academy of Pediatrics, the American College of Nurse Midwives, and various federal health agencies; Philadelphia health commissioner Donald F. Schwarz announced the city's participation last week.

A new study indicates that the prevalence of abortion among poor women has increased dramatically. That's disturbing information for people on both sides of the abortion debate who agree that the procedure should be less common. An estimated one out of three American women has had an abortion by age 45. And between 2000 and 2008, there was a nearly 60 percent increase in the proportion of poor women among that group, according to the study, by the Guttmacher Institute. The study, released Tuesday, said the proportion of poor women obtaining abortions increased from 27 percent to 42 percent in those eight years.

Let's get past debate to solutions So much of the debate on sex education and many other topics seems to be more about proving that one opinion is more right or that the other opinion is more wrong, as opposed to providing solutions. Sadly, while the two extremes continue to try to make points, the United States still leads the Western world in teen pregnancy. Isn't it obvious that we need to provide our young people with as much information as possible? We need to teach abstinence as the first line of defense, not for moral or religious reasons, but because it is the best method of avoiding the negative ramifications of sexual activity.

AS VERONICA Siwik-Daniels, this former Tiger Woods mistress held a press conference to say how appalled she was that someone whould put her face on a golf ball - something ridiculous to do with violence against women. Her attorney, Gloria Allred, was appalled right next to her. As Joslyn James, ex-porn star, Veronica spoke with "Inside Edition" about bedding Tiger. How does she decide when she's Veronica and when she's Joslyn? Our guess: Tiger slept with Joslyn. Joslyn tells "Inside Edition's" Jim Moret today that her 2006-2009 affair with Tiger resulted in two pregnancies - eerily at the same time as Elin's pregnancies.

BRISTOL PALIN the poster girl of abstinence-only education who ended up pregnant and unmarried - turns out to be part of an unfortunate trend. Teen pregnancies and abortions in the United States - which had dropped steadily for two decades - are rising again, according to a report released this week by the Alan Guttmacher Institute that was based on government data. Teen pregnancy rates rose 3 percent from 2005 to 2006; the number grew by 30,000. Teen abortions rose 1 percent. The rise comes after a decade in which the federal government spent $1.5 billion on abstinence-only education programs.

Criticism of the U.S. general in Iraq who wants to punish soldiers who get or get someone pregnant led him to retreat. But the topic of coed military operations should command attention - and the discussion should include sexual assaults. Maj. Gen. Anthony A. Cucolo 3d issued a general order in November that prohibited soldiers under his command from becoming pregnant or impregnating another soldier. "I believe there should be professional consequences for making a choice like that," he said, explaining that pregnant soldiers must be reassigned, which reduces his combat strength.

Admit it. At least once on the bus, you've recoiled from another passenger. Maybe it was the waxy skin or the vacant expression or the inarticulate voice. You just didn't want to know from her. Or maybe you thought you knew all there was to know. Precious is such a girl. She is 16, morbidly obese, and illiterate. She won't look you in the eyes because she can't bear to see you avert them. She doesn't have the words to communicate that how she looks isn't who she is. And even if she did, she would be unintelligible.