Teen_Pregnancy

The Facts About Teen Pregnancy Remember the pregnancy boom at Gloucester High School, where 17 girls made a pregnancy pact. All these girls were younger than 16 and only wanted to have a baby so they can feel unconditional love. This may be one reason to have a baby but pregnancy should not be used for only that purpose. Despite this problem in Boston, teen pregnancy rates overall has plummeted. This could be for a number of reasons but more teens are taking notice that pregnancy can wait. Even though teen pregnancy has its supporters, teen pregnancy has decreased in numbers because of greater access to birth control and to increasing knowledge about the difficulties in being a teen parent. Cons are an important thing when considering teen pregnancy. According to the March of Dimes (2009) teen mothers are more likely to have premature babies and babies who are born premature may have organs that are not fully developed. Other serious problems can occur like respiratory distress, bleeding in the brain and vision loss. Hurley (2000) argues that pregnancy harms teens’ lives. Teens are more likely to not finish high school. She also states that approximately 30% of girls who become pregnant before age 18 will earn a high school diploma or GED by the age of 30. Hurley (2000) states that many teen moms face parenthood alone as the boyfriend abandons his family. A teen mom named Robyn told her story about her now ex-boyfriend and she recalls,” I dated John for about a year. He always told me that if anything happened he would take care of me. When I told him I was pregnant he said that it wasn't his baby. He dropped me and started dating my best friend. It was hard for me to accept that he didn't care as much as Teen Pregnancy 3 he said he did before I got pregnant.” Hurley (2000) also states that 80% of pregnant teens do not marry the father of their children, and that teen fathers does not offer much of financial or emotional support. One study also found that fewer than 10% of teen fathers visit their children more than once a week. Hurley finally says that teens miss out on their childhood. She says that teen mothers miss out on their own childhood because they are too busy taking care of their child. One teen mother recalls, “I've missed out on a lot of teenage things like dances, parties, or just having fun. I have three jobs now, and spend most of my money on food, diapers, and child needs.... To all teens thinking about having sex, don't make the same mistake I did." Hurley (2000) made an argument that states, “Most teen parents would give anything to have the carefree lifestyle of an ordinary teen, but unfortunately, they can never turn back”. However, Planned Parenthood (2009) does say that adoption is readily available to teens that do not want to take on parenthood. This website reads, “Some teens who experience an unintended pregnancy choose adoption. A teen can choose either open adoption, in which she helps choose the adoptive parents and can stay in touch with the child, or closed adoption, in which the names of the birth mother and adoptive parents are kept secret from one another. There are a few pros that are associated with teen pregnancy. Phillips (2001) makes an argument stating that there are pros of becoming a teen parent. Teen moms work more Teen Pregnancy 4 hours than moms who wait to have a child. For example when teenage mother get in there twenties they work roughly 1,000 hours a year. That is approximately 100 to 200 hours more than a woman who delayed childbearing. Teen moms salary is higher too. Teen moms make about 2,500 a year. However, when they reach their twenties they make about 5,000 more than a woman who delayed having a child. In a study it showed that teen moms could make an average of 11,000 a year when they reach 25 and about 19,000 by the age of 30. In order to prevent the cons of teen pregnancy many believe that we should enforce statutory rape laws because many of the fathers are older than the mothers. However studies has shown that enforcing statutory rape laws will not prevent teen pregnancy. Studies indicate that an adult man fathers at least half of all babies born to minor women. In result policymakers are setting the notion that adolescent pregnancy rates can be lowered if states more rigorously enforce statutory rape laws prohibiting sexual intercourse between adults and minors. However, it has been shown that 74% of women who had intercourse before age 14 and 60% of those who had sex before age 15 report having had a forced sexual experience. So policymakers said that enforcing statutory rape laws prevent the exploitation and abuse of young women. According to additional studies most counties do not even count statutory rape in a case unless the age difference is more than 5 years. A study shows that black women Teen Pregnancy 5 partners were 2-3 years older while white women partners were 4 years older. So in many cases statutory rape laws will not be involved. It was also shown that many young girls do not report statuary rape to anyone because many are afraid something might happen to the father and the financial support will be cut off. Even though statutory rape laws cannot prevent teen pregnancy, pregnancies have gone down over the years. According to Guttmacher.org (2009) teenage pregnancy rates has gone done when it comes to whites, blacks and Hispanics. During the year of 2001 whites had a high amount of teen pregnancies but overall pregnancy rate is still decelerating. (As seen on Guttmacher.org 2009) According to Guttmacher (2009) teens are also waiting longer to have intercourse thus decreasing early teen pregnancies. Teen Pregnancy 6 (As seen on Guttmacher.org 2009) The graph above shows that teens, males and females, are waiting to have sexual intercourse. This website also gives facts of sexual activities of teens. One fact says nearly half (46%) of all 15-19-year-olds in the United States have had sex at least once. Guttmacher also tells a fact that shows enforcing statutory rape laws will not help because the majority (59%) of sexually experienced teen females had a first sexual partner who was 1-3 years older than them. Only 8% had first partners who were six or more years older. For a male who is 1-3 years older than the female a statutory rape law will not be applied because the partner has to be at least 5 years older. Another important fact is more than three-quarters of teen females report that their first sexual experience was with a steady boyfriend, a fiancé, a husband or a cohabiting partner. Guttmacher.org gives facts for contraceptive use and the access to contraceptive services. One fact for contraceptive use is the majority of sexually experienced teens (74% of females and 82% of males) used contraceptives the first time they had sex. At Teen Pregnancy 7 the most recent sex, 83% of teen females and 91% of teen males used contraceptives. These statistics represent a marked improvement since 1995, when only 71% of teen females and 82% of teen males had used a contraceptive method at last sex. A fact for the access to contraceptive use is among parents who do not know that their child is sexually active, 70% would not use the clinic for prescription contraception if the law required that their parents be notified. Another fact is 21 states and the District of Columbia allows all minors to consent to contraceptive services without a parent's involvement. In order to prevent teen pregnancies regardless of their pros or cons, there are plenty of birth control methods available for teens. According to womenshealth.gov (2009) abstinence is the number 1 way to prevent pregnancy. However, if one is not abstinent then other birth control methods are available. The first type of birth control that is called Rhythm method. This method is used so couples avoid intercourse during the time of the month that the woman is most likely to conceive. In order to have success with this method the female has to keep an accurate record of her period and document the days of when their period is heavy and light. This method also involves checking for cervical mucus discharge from the vagina and the rise of her body temperature. The body temperature will go up 0.4 to 0.8 if one is ovulating. The next method of birth control is barrier methods, and they consist of a contraceptive sponge, cervical cap, diaphragm, cervical shield, female condom, and male condom. The most commonly used barrier method is the male condom. Additionally a male or female Teen Pregnancy 8 condom can prevent against STD’s. Another birth control method is the hormonal methods. This method consists of birth control pills, progestin only pill, the patch, shot or injection and the vaginal ring. Birth control pills are the most commonly used in the hormonal methods. The next method is implantable devices, and they are named the implantable rod and Intrauterine Devices. These implantable devices prevent pregnancy anywhere from 5 to 10 years. There are also permanent birth control methods such as sterilization implant and surgical sterilization. These methods are not recommended to teens at such a young age because teens mind might change about wanted to bear a child in the future. The last form is emergency contraceptive also know as Plan B. This is not a form of birth control its just a hormonal pill that is taken after a condom breaks or if the woman forgets to take her birth control pill. If every teen uses a birth control method effectively at every sexual intercourse, teen pregnancy rates will drop again. Method Failure rate (the number of pregnancies expected per 100 women) Some side effects and risks Sterilization surgery for women Less than 1 • Pain • Bleeding • Complications from surgery • Ectopic (tubal) pregnancy Sterilization implant for women (Essure) Less than 1 • Pain • Ectopic (tubal) pregnancy Sterilization surgery for men Less than 1 • Pain • Bleeding • Complications from surgery Implantable rod (Implanon) Less than 1 Might not work as well for women who are overweight or obese. • Acne • Weight gain • Ovarian cysts • Mood changes • Depression • Hair loss • Headache • Upset stomach • Dizziness • Sore breasts • Changes in period • Lower interest in sex Intrauterine device (ParaGard, Mirena) Less than 1 • Cramps • Bleeding between periods • Pelvic inflammatory disease • Infertility • Tear or hole in the uterus Shot/Injection (Depo-Provera) Less than 1 • Bleeding between periods • Weight gain • Sore breasts • Headaches • Bone loss with long-term use Oral Contraceptives (combination pill, or “the pill”) 5 Being overweight may increase the chance of getting pregnant while using the pill. • Dizziness • Upset stomach • Changes in your period • Changes in mood • Weight gain • High blood pressure • Blood clots • Heart attack • Stroke • New vision problems Oral contraceptives (continuous/extended use, or “no-period pill”) 5 Being overweight may increase the chance of getting pregnant while using the pill. • Same as combination pill • Spotting or bleeding between periods • Hard to know if pregnant Oral contraceptives (progestin-only pill, or “mini-pill”) 5 Being overweight may increase the chance of getting pregnant while using the pill. • Spotting or bleeding between periods • Weight gain • Sore breasts Skin patch (Ortho Evra) 5 May not work as well in women weighing more than 198 pounds. • Similar to side effects for the combination pill • Greater exposure to estrogen than with other methods Vaginal ring (NuvaRing) 5 • Similar to side effects for the combination pill • Swelling of the vagina • Irritation • Vaginal discharge Male condom 11–16 • Allergic reactions Diaphragm with spermicide 15 • Irritation • Allergic reactions • Urinary tract infection • Toxic shock if left in too long Sponge with spermicide (Today Sponge) 16–32 • Irritation • Allergic reactions • Hard time taking it out • Toxic shock if left in too long Cervical cap with spermicide 17-23 • Irritation • Allergic reactions • Abnormal Pap smear • Toxic shock if left in too long Female condom (Reality condom) 20 • Irritation • Allergic reactions Natural family planning (rhythm method) 25 None Spermicide alone 30 It works best if used along with a barrier method, such as a condom. • Irritation • Allergic reactions • Urinary tract infection Emergency contraception (Plan B, also called “morning-after pill”) 15, if used within 72 hours of having unprotected sex. Should not be used as regular birth control; only in emergencies. • Upset stomach • Vomiting • Stomach pain • Fatigue • Headache Womenshealth.gov (2009) Teen Pregnancy 12 Above explain all methods of birth control, the failure rate and some common side effects. Teen pregnancies can be avoided if precautionary measures were taken at every sexual intercourse. Teen pregnancy has gone down because of the consequences of becoming a teen parent, a longer wait to have sexual intercourse and the greater access to birth control. In one gets pregnant accidentally, adoption is readily available and adopting a child can be a blessing to another family. Remember, protection is the best prevention. Teen Pregnancy 13 References Birth control methods. (2009). Womenhealth.gov. Retrieved June 26 2009, from http://www.womenshealth.gov/faq/birth-control-methods.cfm#natfam Donovan, P. (1997). Enforcing statutory rape laws will not prevent teenage pregnancy. Retrieved June 26, 2009, from Gale database Facts on american teens' sexual and reproductive health. (2006). Guttmacher Institute. Retrieved June 26,2009, from http://www.guttmacher.org/pubs/fb_ATSRH.html Hurley, J. (2000). Pregnancy harms teens’ lives. Retrieved July 3, 2009, from Gale database Phillips, K. (2001). Pregnancy improves some teen lives. Retrieved June 26, 2009, from Gale Database. Planned parenthood teens and adoptions. (2009). Planned Parenthood. Retrieved June 26,2009, from http://www.plannedparenthood.org/teen-talk/teen-pregnancy/teens- adoption-25083.htm Teen pregnancy 14 Teenage pregnancy fact sheet. (2009). March of dimes. Retrieved June 26, 2009, from http://www.marchofdimes.com/professionals/14332_1159.asp