17 High School Teens Pregnant After Secret Pact

Glouester staff, families doubt explanation for baby boom

(NEWSER) - The mayor of Gloucester says there’s no proof that teenage girls in the Massachusetts town made a pact to have babies together, the AP reports. The principal of Gloucester High School, where a bizarre spate of 17 girls got pregnant this year, was quoted in Time saying the girls had conspired to conceive. But the principal can’t remember his source of information, the mayor says. More»

98% of sexually active Catholics use or used contraceptives

(NEWSER) - The Catholic Church officially bans birth control—and that ban and a dollar will buy you a condom out of a vending machine. It turns out that a whopping 98% of sexually active Catholic women use or have used birth control, according to a new study from the Guttmacher reproductive health institute. The remaining 2% stuck to the church-approved “natural family planning” method, which involves tracking menstrual cycles in the hopes of having sex only during less-fertile periods. More»

More under-40s opt for the liberating procedure

(NEWSER) - Once exclusive to the over-40 crowd, vasectomies are increasingly popular among young men who want condom-free sex and no fears of Daddydom. But there's also a control component, writes Richard Morgan in Details: These men are taking charge of birth control, not leaving it up to the woman. "I don't have to worry about being tricked," says one snipped man. More»

Female students may no longer be able to afford the Pill

(NEWSER) - Many college students may no longer be able to afford birth control come September, thanks to a 2006 bill that discourages drug companies from offering schools deep discounts on contraceptives. The change went into effect this year, but students will feel the crunch only now, as health centers that stocked up on cheap birth control run out, the Journal reports. More»

(NEWSER) - A new book teaches teenage girls how to determine when they are (and are not) most likely to become pregnant, but some adults are sure they want girls to have the information. Cycle Savvy,The Smart Teen's Guide to the Mysteries of Her Body by Toni Weschler, shows teens how to chart fertility over their monthly cycles. More»