Teen+Pregnancy

Lauren Levitt
 * Teen Pregnancy  **

** Definition: ** Teenage Pregnancy is defined as “a pregnancy that occurs in an adolescent. An adolescent is a female who has reached puberty and is 19 years old or younger” (University of Illinois Medical Center). Teenage pregnancy typically refers to a young girl who has unintentionally become pregnant and is not married. ** Background: ** Teenage pregnancy is one hundred percent preventable, however, sexual communication plays a major role in the outcome of many teen pregnancy cases. For instance, F. Scott Christopher points out in his article, // Adolescent Pregnancy Prevention, // that when comparing the United States to six other Western countries, “they found that teen sexual activity, although not always seen as appropriate, is accepted as inevitable in most other countries” (Christopher, 1995). From this we can draw the conclusion that if parents throughout the United States, accepted that their children are going to be sexually active and refrained from viewing sexual activity as taboo, sexual communication would be more likely to occur between children and their parents. This would give the child a better understanding of risks and how to prevent the risks associated with sexual activity. Likewise, children who have a good line of communication with their parents about sex are less likely to have sex at a younger age, more likely to practice safe sex, more successful with the transition into adulthood and reduce negative peer influence (Bond, 2011). Furthermore, “the teenage pregnancy rate rose 3% in 2006, the first increase in more than a decade…Guttmacher and others suggest the increase is related to a focus on abstinence-only sex education programs under the Bush administration” (Jayson, 2010). If programs in schools focused on providing more information than abstinence only, as well as parents working on communication with their children about sex, issues such as teenage pregnancy would be easier to avoid, or at least teenagers would have more knowledge about how to prevent such risks. More specifically, benefits of all sex education programs include a delayed sexual debut, safer sex practices, decrease in unwanted pregnancy, and open dialogue about sexuality (Bond, 2011).

** Prevention: **Teenage pregnancy prevention starts with having open communication between teenagers and their parents. Having open communication is important, as well as having continuous communication instead of one sex talk. This can provide children with the knowledge they need to have to prevent negative outcomes associated with sexual behavior, such as teen pregnancy. More specifically, having open and comfortable communication with not only your parents but other medical providers will allow teenagers the information that safe sex should always be practiced. In other words, using a condom should always be performed, as well as knowing how to properly use the condom. Moreover, young girls who are becoming sexually active may want to discuss with both their parents and medical provider the option of some form of contraception, whether it be the pill, a birth control patch, or many other viable options that are out there for women.

There are many available birth control options for women,which include the pill.

** Teen Pregnancy in the Spotlight: ** Many famous teenage girls have been in the spotlight, but for the unintentional pregnancy they faced. One famous case of teenage pregnancy that received plenty of media was when former Governor of Alaska, Sarah Palin, announced to the world that her 17 year-old daughter, Bristol, was pregnant. Although publicizing such pregnancies may make teenage pregnancy look fun and cool, Bristol took a different approach after her pregnancy to teach young women the true effects teenage pregnancy can have on a girl at such a young age. For instance, one way Bristol chose to fight against teenage pregnancy was when she teamed up with the Candies Foundation and created her public service announcement “Pause before you play.” In her commercial, she questions her audience with a series of questions including, what may have happened to her and her son if she hadn’t come from a wealthy family? Furthermore, while on an interview on Good Morning America with Robin Roberts, Bristol was asked what was meant by her message pause before you play. Bristol stated that, “ It could be pause and go get a condom or it could be pause and think about your life or it could even be pause and wait until marriage” (Newman, 2010). From stating this, Bristol doesn’t approach the topic and give off the message that teenagers shouldn’t engage in sexual activity, but to do what is right for yourself, and if what you choose is to engage in such activity, practice safe sex and be aware of the risks. ** Teen Pregnancy Fast Facts:  **  - Three in ten girls in the United States get pregnant at least once by the age of twenty.  - Six in ten teens who have had sex said they wish they would have waited  - In 2006–2008, the most common reason that sexually inexperienced teens gave for not having had sex was that it was “against religion or morals” (42% among females and 35% among males). The second and third most common reasons for females were “don’t want to get pregnant” and “haven’t found the right person yet.”  - A sexually active teen who does not use a contraceptive has a 90% chance of becoming pregnant within a year  - In 2002, some 90% of publicly funded family planning clinics counseled clients younger than eighteen about abstinence, the importance of communicating with parents about sex or both topics  - 82% of teen pregnancies are unplanned; they account for about one-fifth of all unintended pregnancies annually  (Guttmacher, 2011)  ** Conclusion:  ** Teenage pregnancy is one hundred percent preventable. Having an open and comfortable line of communication with parents is a good start to preventing not only teen pregnancy, but also other risks associated with sexual activity. Establishing a strong base of knowledge dealing with these topics can also help prevent teen pregnancy. For instance, how to prevent pregnancy (condoms, contraception, abstinence) and where to go for the necessary tools (parents, doctors, counselors) for prevention is a good starting base for knowledge about sexual activity. Also, it is important for teens to remember to keep communication open between parents and themselves, but there are also others available to talk to, such as medical providers, which may include your pediatrician or a counselor.
 * References **

Bond, Bradley. "Family Communication about Sex." Lecture. 28 Feb. 2011.

Bond, Bradley. “Formal Sex Education.” Lecture. 28 Mar. 2011.

Christopher, F. Scott. "Adolescent Pregnancy Prevention." //Family Relations// 44 (1995): 384-91. //JSTOR//. Web. 9 Apr. 2011. . "Facts on American Teens' Sexual and Reproductive Health." //Guttmacher Institute//. Jan. 2011. Web. 09 Apr. 2011. . Jayson, Sharon. "Teenage Pregnancy, Abortion Rates Rise." //USA Today//. 25 Jan. 2010. Web. 9 Apr. 2011. .

Martin, Eva. "University of Illinois Medical Center:Health Library." //University of Illinois, Medical Center//. 1 Oct. 1999. Web. 09 Apr. 2011. . Newman, Maria. "Pause: Bristol Palin and Teen Pregnancy." //The New York Times//. 7 Apr. 2010. Web. 9 Apr. 2011. . “Birth Control.” // Planned Parenthood. //Photo.  Web. 9 April. 2011.