Sex on TV! Sex in music! Sex in advertising! Sex on the Internet! Our culture is so drenched in carnal cues that young people cannot hope to fend off the inevitable slide into irresponsible, immoral behaviors.

Um … not quite.

While many adults scold “kids today,” long-range statistics show that in many cases teenagers are being more responsible about sex than their parents were when they were young. That good news is reflected in the dramatic declines in pregnancy and abortion.

The birthrate for teenagers is at its lowest point since national numbers began being compiled in 1940. So while today’s music is decidedly raunchier, it should be remembered that Glenn Miller had little trouble getting young people in the mood.

The declining birthrate cannot be attributed to abortions, because the rate of abortion among teens fell 44 percent from the late 1980s to 2000, according to the latest figures from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

The explanation for these positive trends isn’t clear-cut, but that hasn’t stopped political and social groups from pointing to their favorite strategies. Social conservatives credit abstinence-only campaigns. Social liberals credit the increased use of contraceptives. It looks like they’re both right.

The latest CDC survey shows that about two-thirds of males between the ages of 15 and 17 have never had intercourse. In 1988, only half had abstained. Many kids today are taking pledges of virginity. Even those who break the pledge typically delay their first time by 18 months. Meanwhile, condom use among males ages 15 to 17 increased almost 30 percent from 1991 to 2001.

Changing attitudes, especially among young women, is also a factor. They’re being more assertive in their relationships, because they have career aspirations that would be torpedoed by an early pregnancy.

Education, whether at home, school or on the Internet, is also important. Many parents are reacting to society’s pervasive sexual images by sitting down with their children and having frank discussions. Sex-ed programs at schools have been improved and are meeting less resistance. And the Internet provides an informational outlet for young people who are too embarrassed to ask questions.

However, society shouldn’t be satisfied with the overall numbers. Birthrates and the rates for sexually transmitted diseases among teens remain the highest in the industrialized world. The teen birthrate in Canada is twice as low. In France, it is five times lower.

Nonetheless, America’s teens are moving in the right direction. Let’s take a brief pause to recognize that and then get back to work.