Dr. Rosen:: 48% of high school girls and 61% of boys are sexually active in the U.S.

Mrs. Smith: It is amazing how many teens are having sex (发生性关系)in the 90s. Our country has become totally promiscuous(男女关系混乱的). I understand that nearly one million teenage girls become pregnant each year.

Dr. Rosen: That's true. But America wasn't always this way. When I was a boy, teen pregnancy was almost unheard of. And if a girl did become pregnant, she was ostracized(受到排斥的). Rampant promiscuity in our society has only been around since the mid 1960's. That when the so-called "sexual revolution" began.

Mrs. Smith: Yes, I've heard about it even though I was just kid during the 60s. Things are certainly different now. Today, nobody even blinks(眨眼) when they hear about someone becoming pregnant.

Dr. Rosen: That's because it's become an "everyday thing."

Mrs. Smith: What really bothers me, is that all these young, unmarried mothers are all on welfare, and it's you and I who are paying for them sowing their wild oats(播种野燕麦，比喻性生活放荡).

Dr. Rosen: I would have to agree. What's worse, is that it doesn't stop there. Sexually active teens are far more likely than those who have never had sex to practice a number of self-destructive behaviors including drug and alcohol abuse(吸毒酗酒), school delinquency(青少年学生犯罪), even suicide. We tend to look at these problems in isolation, but studies show that they are usually connected to each other.

Mrs. Smith: But what can a parent do these days? I mean, most parents have no idea what their kids are doing. many, don't care.

Dr. Rosen: I think most parents can sense changes in their teen, especially when something is wrong. Sex by age 16 may reflect a "risk-taking profile."(冒险的特性) If a parent suspects their teen are sexually active, they should seriously consider getting help for their teen.

Mrs. Smith: I just can't understand why anyone would dare have sex in this age of AIDS. I mean, a one night stand (一夜鬼混;一夜的停留演出)with a stranger could kill you..

Dr. Rosen: I know what you're saying. It doesn't make sense, but people don't think logically when it comes to sex. They think emotionally. Let's face it. People are weak when it comes to sex. Ironically, at a time when sex has never been more dangerous, popular culture has never been more sexual. "Sexy" TV shows like "90210" influence teens more than people think.

Mrs. Smith: I agree. I never let my kids watch those kind of shows. But it doesn't seem to matter. Even if they don't watch them, they hear about them from their friends at school. Unfortunately, I think our "If it feels good, do it" lifestyle had influenced much of the world.

Dr. Rosen: I know what you're saying. American movies, music and books are our number one export. And they certainly do influence people in other countries. The problem with entertainment is that it rarely or never shows the "real side" of illicit sex. The reality of teen sex is that is the root cause of a chain of problems in our society. Teen sex means teen pregnancy which means more poverty, more crime, billions in costs to taxpayers and more abortion and disease. There are over 2.5 million cases of sexually transmitted diseases (性病)among teens alone reported each year!

Mrs. Smith: I guess people really think that it will never happen to them. A lot of them think "I won't get pregnant" or " I won't get AIDS," but they are just fooling themselves.

Dr. Rosen: A recent study found that boys who had sexual experience were six times more likely to have used alcohol, five times more likely to have used marijuana (大麻)and 10 times more likely to have been in a car with a drug-using driver!

Mrs. Smith: I guess, I've been worrying about my daughter lately. I don't like the kids she's been hanging around with.. I just don't know how to talk with her.

Dr. Rosen: The best thing you can do is keep communication lines open with her. Talk to her. But if you keep hearing "I don't want to talk about it" and it looks like she's getting into problem behaviors, you might want to consider getting counseling (咨询)for both of you.

Mrs. Smith: Do you have any other suggestions?

Dr. Rosen: I know that this may sound bold in today's society, but why don't you try religion? Sometimes a little spirituality can do wonders for a person who's tried everything else. Also, try getting together asat least for a few minutes everyday. The American family is eroding, because none spends any time together any more.

Mrs. Smith: That's a great idea. Well, I'd better run. I've got to pick up some take-out food for the kids tonight, because I have to go to a special meeting.