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I agree with your distinction between correlation and causation, but people seem to be intrigued by this study because it's a lot easier to change what our watch than it would be to reprogram their hormones. I think this study merits further research.

Suppose, for example, that additional research shows that the effect on teen pregnancy can be explained by the confounding factor of parental supervision and control. I'll bet that teens who watch a lot of sexually explicit television aren't being closely watched by authoritative parents. Thus, we might wind up determining that more active and effective parental involvement reduces the risk of teen pregnancy.

If that's what this study is pointing us toward, I'm all for it. I'd rather find out what my teen is watching today than be surprised by a positive pregnancy test tomorrow. If I'm not involved enough in the life of my child to keep him from WATCHING steamy sex scenes, what makes me think I'm involved enough to help him know what to do when he winds up in one?

So here's two cheers for this study!