Study: TV influences teen pregnancy stats

Watching television shows such as “Gossip Girl” or “Desperate Housewives” that feature sexual content may put U.S. teens at an increased risk of becoming pregnant, a study found.

Boys and girls ages 12 to 17 who watched the most sexual content on TV were twice as likely to be involved in a pregnancy as those who watched the least sexually suggestive shows, according to research in the November issue of the journal Pediatrics.

Based on these findings, the television industry needs to balance sexual content in programs with messages about the risks and responsibilities of sex, said study author Anita Chandra, a behavioral scientist at Rand Corp., a nonprofit research company based in Santa Monica.

The researchers said parents should consider limiting their kids’ access to TV shows with sexual content and spend time watching the programs with them so they can talk about the consequences of sex.

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