Sharing credit / sharing blame.

: In the US, adolescent pregnancy, birth, and abortion rates are declining along with the numbers of adolescents who engage in sexual intercourse before they finish high school. Contraceptive use among adolescents is also rising. The adolescent pregnancy rate remains the highest in the industrialized world, but it is finally heading in the right direction and is at its lowest level in two decades. Responsibility for this favorable turn of events is assigned to a variety of factors including greater emphasis on delaying sexual activity; increasingly conservative attitudes about casual sex and out-of-wedlock births among adolescents; fear of acquiring sexually transmitted diseases, especially HIV/AIDS; popularity of long-lasting contraceptive methods; more consistent or effective use of contraception; and a strong economy with better job prospects. Others credit adults, parents, teachers, and health professionals. Adolescents themselves also deserve credit and praise for adopting responsible sex behavior. While some argue that adults must continue to provide adolescents with dual messages promoting abstinence and contraceptive usage, educators should also praise adolescents. Educators should also consider accepting a portion of the blame for the persistent homophobia in the US that has led to the brutal murders of young homosexuals. Educators must not shirk from addressing this issue, and if the subject is banned from the classroom, educators must take advantage of whatever opportunities arise in their homes and communities to answer questions and respond appropriately to inappropriate jokes and slurs.