Introduction
Teen pregnancy is a health problem that has publicly been acknowledged. Teen pregnancy has repercussions that are long lasting for the teenage mothers and the baby. Teenage mothers are likely to score low on their language skills and may not graduate from high school. Teenage pregnancy opens doors to other problems such as substance abuse and may suffer from depression. Peer pressure is listed among the top factors that lead to teenage pregnancies. Teenagers, whose friends have boyfriends and are already having sex, start feeling pressured for sex and have boyfriends so that they can fit in the group. The experienced friends are known to talk about having sex most of the time and the other members feel left out. However, these teens should stand their ground and wait for the right time. When they wait for the right time, they will also find the right partners. Majority of teens have been known to regret decisions they make, some even lie about having sex yet they have not.
Discussion
Teens should learn to abstain from sex at their early age. Teens should learn to refuse physical contact with the opposite sex that makes them uncomfortable. In order for abstinence to be maintained, teens should select their friends carefully. Teens should learn and listen to fellow teens that have undergone teenage pregnancy. Teens should also, listen to their parents and learn from what they have to say regarding their experiences. Teens should understand that parents put restriction for them to ensure that they have a better life (Hall, 2011).
Teens should be aware of what leads to pregnancy and what cannot lead to pregnancy. Myths about sex that are misinformation tend to be spread among teens thus enabling rise in teenage pregnancy. To demystify myth, there are facts that teens need to be armed with in order to prevent teen pregnancy (Schuster, 2006).
Facts teens should know to prevent pregnancy
Teens that have unprotected vaginal sex have a very high chance of getting pregnant. Teens who indulge in unprotected sex are in danger of getting infected with diseases and infections. Pulling out or withdrawing, has the likelihood of resulting in pregnancy in about 19%. Withdrawal method is said to sometimes leave some sperms inside the vagina. It is very important that teens get to learn about the different forms of controlling birth. Methods of birth control work differently. These different methods of birth control are each preferred for different reasons (Schuster, 2006).
For example use of condoms work effectively when worn properly and work better than using the withdrawal method. Teens should be taught by using demonstrations on how to wear condoms so that they know and keep themselves safe. Condoms are available for free in hospitals and schools. The pill is another method that is popular and helps to prevent pregnancy if correctly used. Another method is inserting intrauterine devices (Hall, 2011).
Teens should be educated on emergency pills. Emergency pills are a second option because they are used after unprotected sex by women who are not in any birth control method. Teens who plan to have sex should discuss the form of family planning they should use with their partners. However, if one of the partners feels shy about talking on contraceptives, then they should know that they need to wait for the right time (As-sanie, 2004).
Variables to lower the risk of teen pregnancy
Sex education programs that are effective
These sex education programs focus on teaching teens on abstinence to avoid pregnancy. Sex education programs also discuss about contraceptives and how they work. However, the programs have not shown to significantly reduce the number of teen pregnancies and infections. Effective programs should focus on bringing teenage mothers to these programs that are willing to talk about their experiences (Krisberg, 2010). These teenage mothers can talk to fellow teens and advice; the teens will also listen and learn from their mistakes.
Counseling on sex and contraceptive programs
Counseling is the best when provided by health professionals. Counseling on sex and contraceptives help to increase the use of contraceptives while preventing the spread of sexually transmitted diseases (Krisberg, 2010). Physicians are encouraged to engage the teens in open and confidential discussions during regular checks ups without being judgmental. However, these conversations should not be held in the presence of parents. Physicians should encourage the teens to abstain. Schools should also, invite physicians to talk about sex education, and should allow the students to meet people who have sexually transmitted diseases to give them an encounter of how the experience is painful. Teenagers are likely to learn more from these kinds of experiences. Families should also be open to talk about sex and educate the teenagers.
Male teens should be counseled
Health clinics concentrate on girls and less attention is paid to boys. It is important to get the male adolescents on counseling programs about contraceptives. Incidences of teenage pregnancy cannot decrease without involving male adolescents in family planning methods (Krisberg, 2010).
Social development programs for the youth
These programs aim at psychological and social skills that enable the youth to steer away from sexual activities at an early age. The programs help the youth to understand that when they delay having sex, they will have aspirations in education that are high. Also, they help teens to understand that they will be enabled to have open communication with their parents and they will receive support with supervision. These programs give the youth an opportunity to volunteer in programs and places they feel comfortable. Volunteering will help teens to be busy with their time and will learn to appreciate what others have done in the society. These programs help the youth to be responsible with their activities in life (As-sanie, 2004).
Prevention of teenage pregnancy should concentrate on high school students who are at adolescent age and those of the same age but have dropped out of school as a result of pregnancy. These programs can be effectively implemented in high schools. The teens can then visit other high schools, for example, in one hour sessions to have discussions about how well these programs can work, during such discussions they can share their challenges and discuss possible solutions. These programs are for teens by teens. The teens will run the programs with supervision from a guidance and counseling teacher. Peer pressure is rampant in high school and they need to have independent mind of decision making to avoid being misled. The teenage mothers would set a good example for teens in schools that are engaging in risky sex behaviors. The teens in school can come up with the money making ideas help the teenage mothers take care of their expenses if they are struggling for upkeep.
They can come up with car washing events or baking cookies just to raise funds. The teenagers can learn more from experiences of their peers. These programs can make the teenagers rethink about their decisions that could affect their education. With the increase in teen pregnancy, president Obama signed a bill that saw funding of programs focused on abstinence till marriage. A new initiative to prevent teen pregnancy is part of human and health services. The new programs look at innovations and shows promise to reduce teen pregnancy based on evidence of such cases rising.
References
As-sanie, S. (2004). Pregnancy Prevention in Adolescents. Retrieved from
<http://www.aafp.org/afp/2004/1015/p1517.html>
Hall, K. (2011). Abstinence-Only Education and Teen Pregnancy Rates: Why We Need
Comprehensive Sex Education in the U.S. Retrieved from
<http://www.plosone.org/article/info%3Adoi%2F10.1371%2Fjournal.pone.0024658>
Krisberg, K. (2010). Teen pregnancy prevention focusing on evidence:
Ineffective abstinence-only lessons being replaced with science. Retrieved from
<http://thenationshealth.aphapublications.org/content/40/3/1.1.full>
Schuster. (2006). Talking Parents, Healthy Teens: A Worksite-based Program for Parents to
Promote Adolescent Sexual Health. Retrieved from
<http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC1784238/>
