Oops

Just when you thought Britney Spears and family couldn't get any crazier:

Jamie-Lynn Spears, 16, is up the duff.

Now, Irony #1 is the fact that Britney and Jamie-Lynn's mother - Lynne Spears - has now delayed publication of her parenting guide. Which is just plain disappointing, as I wanted to purchase it for my mother as a Christmas gift, so she could see where she went wrong with me. Particularly when you consider Irony #2 - which came through on AAP wires this morning:

US researchers say teenagers who have formal sex education are far more likely to put off having sex.

They've found teenage boys who had sex education in school were 71 per cent less likely to have intercourse before they turn 15, and girls were 59 per cent less likely to have sex before that age.

When it came to black teenage girls though, 91 per cent were less likely to have sex before they're 15.

The study also found boys who had sex education were nearly three times more likely to use contraceptives for their first time, but it didn't make a difference for girls using birth control.

The study was conducted by researchers at the US Centres for Disease Control and Prevention, and will be published in the Journal of Adolescent Health.

I'm just saying, I can't wait to see what Lynne Spears' parenting "memoir" has to say about sex.

Meanwhile, things aren't looking any calmer for Britney herself. That crazy, impulsive gal!

The thing is, I still really like Britney in spite of (and probably because of) her foibles, and Jamie-Lynn seems like she's got her head on relatively straight, even if she's yet to master Condoms 101. It's all too easy to slag them off as white trash, even if it's somewhat justifiable. It's something of a shock and a shame to see the paths they've taken.

And no, I'm not trying to say pregnancy and childbirth at a young age ruins your life, and you'll never do anything again. I'm just worried these girls - and others less famous - have a screwed-up view of sex and motherhood, which could potentially damage them AND their children.

As my parents will attest as they refuse my latest request for cash - children are for life, not just for Christmas.