'Buy Me Condoms, Mister?': With Teen Pregnancy on Rise, Would You Help a Kid Practice Safe Sex?
When a 15-year-old asks strangers to buy him condoms, what's the right response?
May 13, 2011 -- Teen Sex in the News: The Centers for Disease Control estimates 46 percent of all high school students are having sex, but only 61 percent of those are using condoms. Pregnancy among teens is on the rise for the first time in almost a decade.
MTV's shows "16 and Pregnant" and "Teen Mom 2" have been blamed for glorifying teen pregnancy by turning the teen moms into overnight celebrities. The show follows the teens through their pregnancy and life after the baby is born. The mothers are often given thousands of dollars for their participation, and their faces cover tabloid magazines.
Meanwhile, there is much debate as to the cause of the rise in teenage pregnancy. On one side of the debate, the Guttmacher Institute says their research indicates the rise in teen pregnancy may be due to increased funding for abstinence-only programs in schools instead of promoting safety alternatives like condoms and birth control. On the other side, opponents argue the numbers are yet another reason to stop teens from having sex altogether.
The Scenario: We wondered what people would do when approached by a baby-faced 15-year-old asking them to buy him condoms. With our hidden cameras in place at Wayne Pharmacy in Wayne, N.J., our actor, Cody, timidly asks customer after customer to buy him condoms. When asked why he can't buy them for himself, he explains the pharmacist is a family friend and he doesn't want his parents to find out he's having sex.
What They Said:
"If he's willing to do the right thing, he shouldn't have to be scared to come in here and buy them." -- Customer who purchased condoms for our actor
"I get it, I get it. I just can't do it. I understand that it's a good idea to be safe and everything -- I just can't do it. I'm sorry." --Customer to our actor
"The Virgin Mary over here and the Holy Ghost over here and the nuns in front of you -- I mean, what would you do?" -- An unwilling-to-budge grandmother
Watch the scenario unfold on "What Would You Do?" on Friday at 9 p.m. ET
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