TEEN Pregnancy and Unprotected SEX PDF

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TEEN PREGNANCY and UNPROTECTED SEX *Even though the teen pregnancy rate has declined over the past few decades, the United States has the highest teen pregnancy rate of the Western industrialized world. *Although the teen pregnancy and birth rate was much higher prior to 1980 (and especially in the 1950s and 1960s), at the time young women were getting married and having children before the age of 20. *Most of the teen pregnancies occurring before 1980 were to married women; now most of today's teen mothers are unwed. *Unprotected sex is a risky teen behavior that can lead to teen pregnancy and sexually transmitted diseases (STDs). *Avoiding unprotected sex means abstaining from sex or using a male condom correctly every time a teen has sex, but according to the Center for Disease Control, 34 % of sexually active teens reported having unprotected sex. WHY DO TEENS HAVE UNPROTECTED SEX?     

They feel like pregnancy and STDs are things that only happen to other people, although each year 1 million teen girls get pregnant and nearly 10 million teen boys and girls get STDs from unprotected sex. One or both teens use drugs or alcohol before sex. They don't know the risks of unprotected teen sex. They don't know where to get condoms or think they are too expensive. They feel pressured by their partner to do so, though a caring partner will never pressure a teen to have unprotected sex.

*The younger a teen is when he or she first has sex, the more likely he or she is to have unprotected sex resulting in an STD or pregnancy. *Teens who feel pressured to have sex because "everyone is doing it" should know that more than half of teens wait until they are older to have sex. *There is no "safe" time to have unprotected sex, when there is not a chance that it will result in pregnancy or transmit an STD, and only abstaining from sex is guaranteed to prevent pregnancy or STDs. *Teen pregnancy due to unprotected sex can have serious consequences: *Teen boys and girls involved in a pregnancy can face negative social and emotional consequences.

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*Teen pregnancy is a financial challenge, especially for teen girls, who are more likely to drop out of school and live in poverty if they become pregnant. *Teen girls' health usually suffers if she becomes pregnant, since most teens' bodies are not developed enough to handle pregnancy. *Babies born to teen girls are more likely to have health problems and, if not given up for adoption, to be economically and educationally disadvantaged. *One in four teens in the United States gets an STD each year, and by age 25, 50% of all sexually active young adults have an STD.

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*STDs can be transmitted through all types of sexual contact, including intercourse, oral sex, anal sex, and sometimes even deep kissing; some STDs can be treated antibiotics, but others have no cure and in some cases are deadly.

HOW MANY TEENS ARE BECOMING PREGNANT?       

In the U.S., about 820,000 teens (about one third of teens) become pregnant each year. 79 % of teenagers who become pregnant are unmarried and most will remain unmarried. Utah's teen pregnancy rate is high, as well as Southern teen pregnancy, but these are areas where women still get married prior to the age of 20 with some regularity (although this is changing). 80 % of teenage pregnancies are unintentional. Nearly 40% of teenage girls whose first intercourse experience happened at 13 or 14 report that the sex was unwanted or involuntary. The biggest rise in the teen pregnancy rate is among girls younger than 15. Close to 25 % of teen mothers have a second child within two years of their first.

SOCIAL, EDUCATIONAL AND FINANCIAL COSTS OF TEEN PREGNANCY     

The United State spends $7 billion each year due to the costs of teen pregnancy. Over $18 billion is spent each year on state and federal government assistance programs for teen mothers. Only one-third of teenage mothers finish high school. By age 30, only 1.5 % of women who were pregnant as a teenager have a college degree. Within the first year of becoming teenage unwed mothers, one-half of the mothers end up on welfare; eventually, 80 % of unmarried teen mothers end up on welfare

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The daughters of teenage mothers are 22 % more likely than their peers to become teen mothers. Sons of teenaged mothers have a 13 % greater chance of ending up in prison as compared to their peers.

U.S. TEEN PREGNANCY RATE VS. OTHER COUNTRIES?  

Greater teen pregnancy rates lead to higher abortion rates in the United States for the industrialized world. The U.S. has twice the teen pregnancy rate of Canada, four times the rate of Germany and France, and eight times higher than Japan.

WHAT DO TEENS THINK OF SEXUAL ACTIVITY?      

82 % feel that teens should not be sexually active. 72 % agreed that teens that are sexually active should have access to birth control. 73 % feel that being a virgin should not be embarrassing. 58 % feel that high-school aged teens should not be sexually active. Fewer than half of teens in high school have had sex 67 % of teens who have had sex wish that they had waited (60 % of boys and 77 % of girls).

WHY DO TEENS BECOME PREGNANT? *Some teens actually want to have babies; however, most teen pregnancies are unintentional, and most of them occur to unwed teen mothers. *This means that even though most teens do not want to become pregnant, they are still becoming so as a result of becoming sexually active and not using birth control. *While it is rare that young girls are actually forced to have sex, many teenage girls (especially those under the age of 15) feel pressured to have sex. *The more sexually active a teenager is, the more likely it is that she will eventually get pregnant. *Reasons girls become pregnant: *Unwanted sexual intercourse: *Rape does happen (by boyfriends, family members, and even strangers) and is one of the reasons that teen pregnancies occur.

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*However, many teenagers feel pressured into having sex.

*Most teenage girls who engage in sexual activity, and especially those who do so before the age of 15, admit that they wish they had waited.

*But often they feel pressure from their boyfriends; 75 % report that the reason they have sex is because their boyfriends want them to.

*Most of these teens regret it later, whether or not they become pregnant.

*Inconsistent use of birth control: *Even though the use of contraceptives has increased among teenagers, they do not use contraceptives consistently, although erratic use is better than none. *A sexually active teen who does not use any birth control has a 90 % chance of becoming pregnant within a year. *Some of the reasons that birth control is not used are that teens are uneducated about birth control, are embarrassed to talk about birth control, are uncomfortable using birth control methods, and don’t have access to reliable birth control. *Abstinence-only sex education: *Despite recent government efforts to fund abstinence-only sex education, the vast majority of teenaged boys and girls (62 % boys and 70 % girls) have initiated vaginal sex by the age of 18.

*These programs have never been shown to actually reduce the incidence of teen pregnancy because, by their very nature, abstinence-only programs leave out educational information on birth control.

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*However, they are the programs that receive the most funding from the government.

*There are state governments that forbid any sort of teen sex education in schools at all.

*This means that teens that experiment may not have information on birth control and are more likely to engage in activity that results in teen pregnancy.

*Despite governmental focus on abstinence-only education, a majority of parents feel that sex education in schools should include information about contraceptives in addition to abstinence.

*89 % of parents feel that in addition to education about the benefits of teen abstinence, teenagers should also receive education on condoms and other birth control methods.

*Only 15 % of American adults feel that abstinence-only education should be taught in schools.

*Most medical organizations and practitioners support comprehensive sex education.

Options for teen pregnancy: *Making a decision as to how a teen pregnancy will end is not easy; when a teenager becomes pregnant, she has three main options: keep the child, give the child up for adoption, or have an abortion.

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*Before she decides what she wants to do with regard to the teen pregnancy, it is important to carefully consider the options and to get as much information possible about what is available.

*Keeping the child: *Even though the statistical data is against them, there are teen mothers who decide to keep their child. *However, it is hard work, and a good support system is necessary if the teen mother wishes to raise her child successfully and complete her life goals. *There are many possibilities that allow a teen mother to keep her child, although the final outcome varies. 1. She can marry her partner and start a family; of course, chances are that her boyfriend is also a teenager, and getting married usually means that he will have to quit school and get a job to support his new family. *However, without a high school degree, he is very limited in the kinds of jobs that he can obtain; if he gets a job making minimum wage (which is extremely likely), he will not make enough money for his family to live above the poverty line. *In addition, children of teen parents are more susceptible to poverty, abuse, developmental issues and health problems. 2. She can live as a single mother (usually on welfare); many parents will reject the pregnant teen and leave her to take care of herself. *If she has dropped out of high school, she is also limited in the kinds of jobs she can obtain.

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*Making minimum wage, it is almost impossible for her to work and earn enough to pay for child care; like 80% of teen mothers, probably end up on welfare.

3. She can live with her parents and receive help caring for the child. *While some parents will gladly take in their daughter and her child, this puts emotional pressure on the family. *Families have their own routines, and adding two people to the household disrupts that routine.

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*Supporting two additional people could create a huge financial burden for the parents, especially if they are already or disabled.

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*It could also create a problem in terms of space, especially if the parents’ home is not large enough to allow room for daughter and her child.

*If there are other children still living at home, this means that those children will, by necessity, receive less time and attention, from their parents; they may be forced to give up their rooms for the pregnant teen, and they may no longer be able to afford all of the things they did before their sister came home. *If the teen goes back to school or gets a job, that usually leaves her mother to take care of her child while she is away, and while some grandmothers will happily take on the role of caregiver, others may resent having to take care of another child at their age. *With proper support and help, many teens eventually manage to finish high school (getting a diploma or GED), although only 1.5 % go on to get a college degree. *However, in some instances keeping the child can lead to happiness in the family circle, as some teens want to have children. *Another option is the maternity group home where teen parents can receive education, services, and help with childcare; these homes are designed to help teen mothers eventually gain the skills necessary to become independent. *Before deciding what to do with her baby, a teen mother should consider which options are available if she wants to keep the baby and figure out which is most feasible and will give her the greatest chance of success. *Adoption: *In adoption, the baby is carried to term and then given to another family to legally care for. *Few teens choose to put their babies up for adoption.

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* Many birthmothers feel relieved that they have done the right thing in providing a "better life" for their babies while others feel a profound sense of loss because, while they know they made the right decision, they keep the baby but were unable to.

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There are two types of adoption: 1. Open in which the birth mother remains a part of the baby's life; she may be allowed to visit or keep in contact with her child. *Some teens find that an open adoption helps them cope better as it still allows them to be a part of their child’s life, and it can held children understand their teen mothers better. 2. Closed in which the birth mother's identity is hidden, and there is no relationship with the child. *Some teens feel that a closed adoption is the best way to break ties with the past and move on, and their children react well, relying on their adoptive parents for love and support. *In any case, it is important to carefully choose an agency to work through; if the teen gets to choose the family her baby goes to, she should choose the family that she feels will give her child the best chance of success.

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*However, despite her desire to remain a part of her child’s life, many adoptive families prefer a closed adoption where the mother has no contact whatsoever with child.

*Adoptive parents may want to bond with their children without the interference of the birth mothers, the confusion of the children as to why their birth mothers gave them away, or fear that the birth mothers will someday try to reclaim custody of their children. *Affects on the child: *Many children who are adopted grow up to be happy, well-adjusted adults who, nevertheless, feel an interest in finding out who they are. *Many also feel a sense of loss and displacement. *Others have a hard time coping with intimacy and showing love due to feelings of rejection because they feel their birthmothers "didn't want them." *Most children, however, end up in better positions with regard to health, emotional support, and education than they would have if their teen mothers had kept them.

*Abortion:

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*An abortion ends a pregnancy before a fetus can live outside the mother’s body. *If a pregnancy ends less than 24 weeks in, through spontaneous means, it is called a miscarriage. *A deliberately ended pregnancy is known as an abortion. *The main reasons given for abortion are as follows: 1. Concern over how the baby would change life 2. Level of maturity concerns 3. Financial concerns *Nearly 40 % of teen pregnancies end in abortion. *While there are health risks involved that could end in death, for the most part abortions performed by healthcare professionals are fairly safe. *Most of the consequences associated with teen pregnancy ending in abortion have to do with a teen's attitudes and beliefs. *Teens who believe that a fetus is an extension of their bodies (and not a life) do not usually suffer long-term emotional consequences from an abortion. *Many of them feel a sense of relief that the ordeal is over. *They realize that it is possible to continue with life without their peers even knowing that they were pregnant. *However, many teenagers find themselves disturbed later on in life as they are plagued by feelings of shame, guilt, remorse, and clinical depression. *The idea that a life was terminated at the teen's discretion can be an emotionally traumatic experience. *It is important for teens to understand their state's laws (some states require that a parent be notified prior to an abortion) and to understand the medical implications of having an abortion. TEEN PREGNANCY RISK: *What puts teenagers in the U.S. more at risk for teen pregnancy? The answer to risk factors for teen pregnancy involve a variety of complex and intertwined reasons for early sexual activity and the likelihood that one is to become pregnant.

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1. Age of sexual activity: *One of the risk factors of a teen becoming pregnant includes how early that teen becomes sexually active. *More teens are becoming sexually active at younger ages, and pregnancy rates among girls under the age of 15 are on the rise. *A substantial portion of these teen girls had an unwanted or non-voluntary sexual experience their first time; however, these teens are more likely to go remain sexually active and, as a result, more likely to become pregnant. *Among ethnic groups, Black and Hispanic teens become sexually active at an earlier age than White teens, meaning that these ethnic groups are more likely to experience teen pregnancy.

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*Additionally, teen girls who experience their first period earlier (some as young as 9 years old) are more susceptible to teen pregnancy since have a longer time period in which to become pregnant.

*However, the likelihood that teens will have sex is reduced if they watch less than 2 hours of television on school nights, attend religious services, and come from a family with both parents.

2. Attitudes about birth control: *Teens who do not use birth control are, obviously, at higher risk for teen pregnancy. *Many teenagers find it difficult to obtain birth control, and others are embarrassed to use it, especially condoms. *Teens who do not have the dexterity or practice with condoms are more likely to avoid using them and, therefore, more likely to become involved in a teen pregnancy. *Cultural differences also play a part; Hispanics are the least likely to use birth control, followed by Blacks, which contributes to their higher teen pregnancy rates. 3. Socioeconomic factors in teen pregnancy risk: *The socioeconomic status of a teenager's family can present further risk of teen pregnancy.

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*Risky sexual behaviors in teens are more likely to occur in poor families and among those with single parents. *Teens girls whose fathers are not present in the home are more likely to become pregnant than those who had regular contact and good relationships with their fathers. *Parents' educational level also contributed to the risk of teen pregnancy; teens whose parents have lower levels of education are more likely to engage in risky sexual behavior and more likely to become pregnant. 4. Teen religious and educational involvement: *Teenagers who have a low occurrence of involvement in religious and educational activities are more likely to experience teen pregnancy. *Involvement in religious activities is one of the strongest factors related to later sexual activity (including waiting until marriage). *Teens that focus on school activity are less likely to engage in intercourse and are more likely to use birth control when they do.

TEEN PREGNANCY PREVENTION: *One of the biggest influences as to whether or not a teenager becomes sexually active and, as a consequence, becomes pregnant has to do with the parental relationship. *Most teenagers actually rate their parents high on the list of people they trust to give them accurate information about birth control and sex, so a parent can help the teen to understand the risks of teen pregnancy by speaking with him or her about how they feel. *Here are ten things The National Campaign to Prevent Teen Pregnancy recommends that a parent can do to help prevent teen pregnancy: 1. Talk to your teenager about your own sexual values and attitudes. Openly telling a teen how the parent feels about sexual activity can help guide the teen into thinking about these issues for herself or himself. It can be especially helpful for parents to make known their sentiments about the importance of birth control.

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