One of the major concerns in the field of healthcare in the developed United States is Teen Pregnancy and sexually transmitted diseases (STD’s). Teenagers are opting pregnancy even before they hit puberty, which is an alarming situation. Teen Pregnancy has posed a huge challenge to the nation and the education provided to the teenagers is being blamed. Apart from the education provided in schools and colleges, the relationship between the teen and the parents must also be considered in providing proper education related to teen pregnancy and STD. There are many states in U.S. where the teen pregnancy rates are higher and they are increasing every year. This paper describes the underlying theoretical framework and reviews previous studies, and the importance of education in reducing the number of teen pregnancies and STD rates.
Underlying Theoretical Framework and Previous Studies
Out of the many states in U.S. Milwaukee has recorded the highest number of teenage pregnancies. In 1999, the median household income of the residents of Milwaukee was $32,216 and 21% of the residents had income below poverty level; however in 2004, 19% of teenage births in Wisconsin were repeat births compared to 20% in the nation . These numbers would be reduced in case the teenagers abstained from having sexual intercourse. U.S. has been emphasizing on abstinence, lowering teen pregnancy, reducing abortion and teen pregnancy birth rates. Each state has an abstinence law and of the 50 states only 38 states has sex education laws as on 2007 and thirty of the 38 state laws contained abstinence education provisions, 8 states did not . There are also variations depending on the gender, race, and geographical location. A survey result has shown that that boys are sexually more active than the girls.
South and Southwestern U.S regions had higher pregnancy and fertility rates for 10-14
Family Involvement in Educating Teens. Family, especially the parents contribute in upbringing the children for the values given to them since birth. Family involvement, structure, parental values and monitoring, parent child communication and important factors influencing critical life choices and considered crucial in teen pregnancy prevention . It is noticed that when there is more communication between parents and teens, there is less sexual intercourse. Less support from parents and no involvement in children increases the chances of the teens getting involved in sexual permissive attitudes, and associating with sexually active friends. The mother-daughter constant communication helps reduce pregnancy.
Apart from family participation, there are other factors that also effect teen pregnancy. Socio-economic status, education, cultural influences, and access to contraception through medicaid waiver are parsed out statistically to study the bond between sex education and teen pregnancy and birth rates . There have always been debates on the kind of education that has to be provided in schools. Many think that sex education that teaches safe sexual practices, such as condom use, birth control pills, gives a mixed message to students and encourages sexual activity. Precaution Adoption Process Model advocated by the National Institutes of Health suggests that comprehensive sex and HIV/STD education should be taught as part of the biology curriculum in middle and high school science along with social studies.
Education Impact to decrease Pregnancy and STD. Education is highly important to understand the ill health effects of teenage pregnancy and the health risks associated with them. There is no significant correlation between statewide teen education and level of abstinence education, though education is not correlated to teen pregnancy rates, it is positively related to abortion rates, and as a consequence, negatively correlated with teen birth rates . Comprehensive sex education has proven to provide better results in avoiding teen pregnancy and sexual diseases. Abstinence-only programs are as effective and have proven to be inaccurate, and even dangerous. Valuations of complete sex education and HIV/ STD avoidance programs display that they do not intensify the rates of sexual commencement, do not reduce the age at which teens start sex, and do not reduce the occurrence of sex or reduce the number of sex partners in sexually active teens. Comprehensive sex education is supported by the healthcare organizations, family, parents, and also through public support.
Conclusion. The states that provide comprehensive sex education, such states have lower teen pregnancy rates, but when compared to Europe, these rates are still considered high. An initiative required to reduce the ratio of high teen pregnancy rates would be to make full sex education mandatory in all public schools. Presently the faculty with little knowledge gives sex education and STD/HIV curricula; however, going ahead sex education must be added in social studies and general science and must be taught by expert teachers. The schools teaching sex education must have a vision and clear goals to prevent HIV, other STIs, or teen pregnancy. The Parent-Adolescent-Relationship Education (PARE), a program delivery was developed to reduce risks for adolescent pregnancy and STDs, which has been helpful to an extent in lessening the number of teen pregnancies and STD’s. The 100% effective way to prevent STI and HIV is to abstain from vaginal, anal, and oral intercourse with multiple partners, and use protection.
References
Hall-Stranger, K. F., & Hall, D. W. (2011, October). Abstinence-Only Education and Teen Pregnancy Rates:Why We Need Comprehensive Sex Education in the U.S. Public Library of Science, 6(10), 1-11.
Lederman, R. P., & Mian, T. S. (2003). The Parent-Adolescent Relationship Education (PARE) Program: A Curriculam for Prevention of STD's and Pregnancy in Middle School Youth. ProQuest Nursing & Allied Health Source, 29(Spring 2003), 33-39.
Partington, S. N., Steber, D. L., Blair, K. A., & Cisler, R. A. (2009, June). Second Births to Teenage Mothers: Risk Factors For Low Birth Weight and Preterm Birth. ProQuest Nursing & Allied Health Source, 41(2), 101-109.
