Survey Finds Girls Less Likely Than Boys to Recommend Abortion to Friends
 

A new survey conducted by the Girl Scouts finds girls are less likely than boys to recommend abortion to their friends.

And, overall, less than 10 percent of young people say they would ever suggest an abortion.

The numbers are from a new nationwide survey released today by Girl Scouts of the USA. The study, conducted by the Girl Scout Research Institute (GSRI), is nearly identical to one Girl Scouts commissioned in 1989.

A comparison of the two shows a marked shift toward more ethical and responsible beliefs and values and civic involvement among teens and tweens, the organization noted.

Among teenagers queried in the survey, girls are less likely than boys to say they would advise an abortion -- with just 6 percent of girls saying so and 12 percent of boys saying they would advise one.

The study also finds that one third of teenagers say they intend to wait until they are married to have sex compared to less than a quarter (24 percent) in 1989.

Among teenagers, girls are less likely than boys to say they would have sex (18 percent vs. 38 percent) .

In addition, 71 percent say their religious beliefs are important to them.

The survey was of 3,263 girls and boys from the third through twelfth grades and queried them on issues ranging from ethics and diversity to civic involvement and peer pressure.