Essay on Effective Approaches to Prevent Teen Pregnancy

The teenagers and children of today read about, listen to and watch all sorts of information about sex. While most adults have had some form of sex education, we must ask if this new generation is learning anything new or helpful from their sex education classes. The American culture and way of living is so absorbed in sex that children should be taught about it, people just can not agree on how to teach them. In her article New Sex ed Funding Ends Decade of Abstinence-Only, Kelli Kennedy proves that abstinence-only sex education classes and programs are not as good as regular sex education classes better than Shari Roan does in her article Teen pregnancy rates rises. Are abstinent-only programs to blame?

Multiple factors influence the rate of teen pregnancy. Some of the most important factors influencing pregnancy rates are socioeconomic status, education, and family income. With low socioeconomic status and income, parents may not always be present in their children’s lives in order to educate them on sex. School districts, then, take on the responsibility to educate teenagers on sexual intercourse and safe practices, but some fail. Stanger-Hall, K. F., & Hall, D. W. provided statistics showing that while many schools push abstinence-only programs, they show little to no positive impact on preventing teen pregnancies (Stanger-Hall, K. F., & Hall, D. W. (n.d.)). While abstinence may work for some, it is not realistic to believe that all teens will abide by it. Teens need a comprehensive sexual education with emphasis on safe sex practices, which is where Be Safe, Not Sorry comes into play. The comprehensive program will cover all

One major problem in America’s society today is teen pregnancy rates. In fact, “teen sexual activity, pregnancy, and childbearing are associated with substantial social, economic, and health costs” (Sedgwick). However, this problem is not one without a solution. The rise of teen pregnancy rates can be prevented and reversed by providing better access to birth control for teens, eliminating the negative connotation that accompanies abstinence, and implementing more efficient sex education in public schools.

Clemmitt (2010) states that currently the most effective approach to prevent teenage pregnancy is evidence-based sex education programs. The primary debate about the best method of preventing teenage pregnancy is between abstinence-only courses and comprehensive sex education. The author says that after operating comprehensive sex education, the Obama approach, many communities and county areas have drastically reduced the rate of teenage pregnancy. Studies and statistics suggested that abstinence-only courses have not contributed to reduce teenage pregnancy rates. The author points out that the abstinence-only courses also include sexually transmitted diseases classes and discussions of unhealthy relationship and making decisions, and abstinence

Even though sex education has been proven to lower pregnancy and abortion rates among teens, for years people have argued that comprehensive or safe-sex education encourages early sexual activity instead of steering the thought away. However, the main issue is not education about sex but specifically what kind of education. In 1986 Planned Parenthood commissioned a poll to determine how comprehensive sex education which teaches about abstinence as the best method for avoiding STDs and unintended pregnancy, when affected behavior. Much to the agency’s disappointment, the study showed that kids exposed to such a program had a 47% higher rate of sexual activity than those who’d had no sex education at all. In contrast, a 1996 study on “Project

Teen pregnancy and the risk of it remains a serious issue for today’s adolescents. In 2015, there were 229,715 babies born to women from the ages of 15 to 19 (Martin). Accidental teen pregnancies could be prevented if more comprehensive sex education was taught at school and birth control was more accessible and affordable for teens. Guttmacher Institute lead a study on the issue of birth control and teens. The results showed that an 8% increase in use of contraceptives related to a 42% drop in pregnant teenagers over the course of seven years (Spadafino). Even though birth control has been proven to lower the risk of unwanted pregnancies, our society still views it as a taboo topic.

The healthy people are apart of the foundation for many federal prevention initiatives. I decided to look at the federal teen pregnancy prevention initiative. This initiative provides grant funding to support teen pregnancy prevention approaches and demonstration projects to test innovative strategies. Their goals for this program include reducing the rates of pregnancies and births to youth in the target areas, increasing youth access to evidence-based and evidence-informed programs to prevent teen pregnancy, increasing connections to community-based clinical services, and educating stakeholders about effective strategies to reduce teen pregnancy (healthypeople.gov). There are three government offices that are connected to the teen pregnancy

The controversial topic of whether or not sex education curriculum should teach contraceptive use or abstinence-only is heavily debated. In 2013, the U.S. totaled 273,105 babies born by teenagers, ages from 15 to 19 (“About Teen Pregnancy”). This raises the question: why is the number of pregnancies so high? Is the reason for that unsettling high, number because abstinence-only is being taught or contraceptive use is being taught? Students who are taught abstinence-only are more likely to wait to have sex, which results in the lowering of teen pregnancy. The abstinence-only curriculum also reduces students sexual activity.The sex education curriculum in the U.S. should consist of abstinence-only education.

According to the Journal of Adolescent Health, “when comparing adolescents who reported receiving a comprehensive sex education with those who received an abstinence-only education, comprehensive sex education was associated with a 50% lower risk of teen pregnancy;” and “abstinence-only education did not reduce the likelihood of engaging in vaginal intercourse.” A sexually active teenaged girl that does not utilize contraception has a ninety percent chance of becoming pregnant within a year. Three out of ten American girls will get pregnant at least once by the age of twenty with nearly 750,000 teen pregnancies each year (Do Something). A great percent of these annual pregnancies are not the fault of the students directly involved, but rather the ignorance placed onto them by an abstinence only curriculum. According to Columbia University researchers, virginity pledge platforms increase pledge-takers’ risk of pregnancy. The study determined that 88 percent of pledge-takers instigated sex prior to marriage. Pledge-takers were less expected to use contraception when they did commence in sex (McKeon). If these young adults do not know how to protect themselves, while being taught that sex is a wrongful act out of wedlock and going against basic human nature, then they cannot protect

This study compared students who participated in one of programs designed to mitigate adolescent pregnancy with a control group. Participants were chosen randomly in order to assure the integrity of the research. Data was collected anonymously on each research protocol. No indication is given as to whether or not parental consent to participate in the survey was sought.

A big part of our society believes that women, especially poor women, should act responsibly and delay parenthood until they can financially afford it. In fact, for a good part of our society poor women should find the way to be able to support their children without government help. And here is the question that a good amount of people ask: Why do these women continue to bring more children to this world if they don’t have the means to support them?

How many pregnant teens have there been? Over the years more girls are becoming teen moms. In Oklahoma teen pregnancy has become a problem. Recently Oklahoma has had a pregnancy rate of 47.5% (Tulsa World). Not only is it an issue in Oklahoma but an issue in the United States as a whole. The lack of awareness and how to prevent pregnancy is a reason to blame for the increasing numbers. The more we don’t make people aware of the increasing teen pregnancy rate and how to prevent then the numbers will continue to rise into an astonishing amount. Helping teens know of the different ways to prevent pregnancy can make an enormous difference in teen pregnancy. The issues that have an effect on teen pregnancy rates have been to the use of

Many teenagers are now becoming parents these days. In fact, from the ages of 15-19, there were 249,078 babies born in the United States. (1) Many of these unwanted pregnancies can be prevented with the help sexual education. Yes, in some schools there is sexual education. But, if it was in every school many of these could have possibly been prevented. At the school I attend, sexual education is not offered. We are faced with several unwanted pregnancies, and with sexual education, I think these could be prevented.

I was a senior in high school. My boyfriend and I had been together for almost 2 years. We attempted to practice safe sex but that cost money and neither of us had a job since we both played sports and didn’t have the time. I didn’t feel comfortable talking to my mom about sex or birth control. I came from a Christian family and sex was not something we talked about out loud, it was just expected that I would wait till I was married. So instead my boyfriend and I tried other methods we thought would keep us from getting pregnant. I was 17 years old when I got pregnant. We both thought we would be able to prevent pregnancy without using any form of contraceptives. I wasn’t alone in getting pregnant in high school, out of my small group of friends in high school 3 out of the 7 of us became pregnant before graduation. We all came from good family's and lived in nice homes is a nice suburb of Arizona. Teen pregnancy is a serious problem in the United states. 3 in 10 teen American girls will get pregnant at least once before age 20. (11 facts about teen pregnancy)

"Teen pregnancy in the United States: In 2015, a total of 229,715 babies were born to women aged 15-19 years old, for a birth rate of 22.3 per 1,000 women in this age group. This is another record for U.S. teens and a drop of 8% from 2014. Although reasons for the declines are not totally clear, evidence suggests these declines are due to more teens abstaining from sexual activity, and more teens who are sexually active using birth control than in previous years. Still, the U.S. teen pregnancy rate is substantially higher than in other western industrialized nations, and racial/ethnic and geographic disparities in teen birth rates persist (cdc.gov)." As teenagers (in the United States), we are peer pressured or tempted to try new things. Some teens tend to try out drugs, and alcohol. However, some are having unprotected sex in which, is leads to having babies. This is called, teenage pregnancy. This has caused the United States to create records based off of the statistics and facts given from, researchers across the United States. In order to help prevent teenage pregnancy in the United States, teenagers must understand why, having a baby now isn’t such a smart move on their part.