Jamie Lynn Spears, Disney starlet and younger sibling of Britney Spears, recently announced her pregnancy. The Zoey 101 actress is only 16 years old.

Jamie Lynn's announcement comes shortly after the startling news that America's teen pregnancy rate is up for the first time in decades. Indeed, the United States has the second highest teen pregnancy rate of all developed counties in the nation.

Rest assured, American teens are not inventing the wheel when it comes to sexuality - research has found that international teens and American teens have very similar sexual experiences, including when they initiate their sex lives and how often they have sex.

So why are American teens more prone to pregnancy?

It could be because they are not being taught about safer sex. Abstinence-only sex education is incredibly limited and also contradictory.

Teaching teenagers to "wait" is hardly sex education, and it does not offer them they crucial information they need about birth control and sexually transmitted diseases. By giving them this information, we are not giving them permission, but we are giving them the tools they need to make smart, clear-headed decisions when the issue of sex arises. And, trust me, it will arise.

If you want to equip your child with the tools he needs to have a safer sex life, you need to start when he is young. As Jamie Lynn's situation proves, we need to give our children information about the birds and the bees before they hit their reproductive years.

A member of the British Medical Association recently announced his opinion that sex education should begin as early as 5 years old.

While that may sound extreme, it is important to remember that this sex information can be offered in an age-appropriate manner. For instance, if a child has question about his genitals or where babies come from, parents should answer their questions honestly and without embarrassment.

This will help create an environment in which your child feels safe coming to you with sex questions and concerns, so he will be more likely to come to you with these questions in adolescence.

No parent wants their child to be sexually active, particularly when they are not emotionally or physically prepared for the consequences which can accompany intercourse.

But unless we give them the tools they need to make the right decision, teens might make a wrong step when they venture into their first sexual experiences.

As scary as Jamie Lynn's situation might be, I hope it serves as a marquee message to American parents: Teach your teens about safer sex...today!