Ways to Prevent Teen Pregnancy in New Jersey

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Table of Contents

Introduction
Teenage Pregnancy Rates in New Jersey
Reasons for the Decrease of the Teen Birth Rates in New Jersey
Ways to Prevent Teen Pregnancy
Conclusion
References

Introduction

In any country, birthrate is one of the most significant measures of demographic health. One of the crucial problems of this system is teen pregnancy, which involves health, social, and economic costs for a large number of families. However, this phenomenon has an impact not only on mothers and their children but on the whole society and the general economic situation in the country. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), “the teen birth rate has declined 63 percent from 1991 to 2012”, although there remain approximately 1,700 underage girls giving birth every week (“Preventing teen pregnancy,” 2015, para. 2).

According to the official representatives of the country, the rates are still high, presenting an important public health problem with numerous consequences. There is a variety of strategies, which are suggested to help in preventing adolescent pregnancy, which can be implemented at the family and community levels, including social programs, sexual behavior education, and proper contraceptive counseling.

Teenage Pregnancy Rates in New Jersey

Teenage Birth and Pregnancy Statistics

Today, many women prefer to have children later in life. According to the statistics, birth rates among females in their 20s and under are at historic lows (Eunjung Cha, 2017). However, the problem of adolescent pregnancies remains a major one, influencing the economics of the United States. According to the CDC, the national teen birth rate has significantly decreased over the last 20 years, but the numbers are still high (“Preventing teen pregnancy,” 2015). One of the reports compared data from 1991 and 2012 and showed that 73 percent of adolescents had not yet engaged in sex, and 90 percent of those who had used birth control methods (Livio, 2019). The state of New Jersey has generally been demonstrating lower teen birth rates than the national average.

New Jersey made a serious progress regarding the problem of teen pregnancies, seriously lowering the statistics, compared to other states. Between 1991 and 2018, the birth rate among teenagers in New Jersey declined by 75% (“New Jersey data”). However, the figures are still high as, for example, in 2018, there were 2,814 births given by underage girls (“New Jersey data”). The teen pregnancy rate, including the cases which did not result in a birth, has also “fallen by 68 % between 1988 and 2013” (“New Jersey data”, para. 3). According to the information from the CDC, approximately half of pregnancies in New Jersey end with abortions (Jatlaoui et al., 2018).

The studies have also shown that there is also a significant decrease in teen birth rates for ethnic groups, although, it does not mean the end of the disparities. In addition, statistics showed that one of the districts of New Jersey, Hunterdon County, had the lowest teen birth rate, “with four births to 1,000 mothers ages 15 to 19” (Livio, 2019, para. 13). Thus, the state demonstrated serious progress in changing the situation with adolescent pregnancies.

Reasons for the Decrease of the Teen Birth Rates in New Jersey

Today, many women tend to give birth later than it was ten or twenty years ago, leading to a decrease in birth and pregnancy rates in all age groups. There are several reasons, which have an impact on this phenomenon. First of all, there is an influence of increased consciousness about difficulties in raising children. According to Brad Wilcox, director of the National Marriage Project, scholars connect TV shows about teen pregnancies with the actual decline in adolescent pregnancies as they educate young people about the challenges of raising a kid (Waldron, 2015). Another reason is that people today do not have enough money to feel secure, thus, it makes them more cautious about getting pregnant and giving birth.

The situation with pregnancy rates is also connected with the historical facts. Thus, “in the 1960s, about 5 percent of children were born out of wedlock compared to 41 percent in 2007” (Waldron, 2015, para. 5). Since that time, there has not been such an extensive increase. According to Brad Wilcox, one of the reasons for this is that today young people are “less sexually active than they were in the 1990s” (Waldron, 2015, para. 5). Another cause is the increase in usage of birth control methods by teenagers. Moreover, New Jersey developed numerous programs for helping adolescents, which have seriously contributed to the results shown in statistics.

The state put much effort into helping young citizens cope with their hesitancies by creating significant projects. There is a New Jersey Personal Responsibility Education Program (NJ PREP), a community-based school, aimed at sexual health education, including contraception and abstinence (“Teen pregnancy prevention,” n.d.). This organization presents programs, targeted at reducing risks by promoting methods of safe sex to young people of 10 to 19 years old. Another project is a New Jersey Title V Abstinence Education Program (NJ AEP), presenting a strategy of avoiding sexual risks for adolescents (“Teen pregnancy prevention,” n.d.).

This program is targeted at providing the necessary knowledge to postpone the beginning of intimate relationships and make the right choices to achieve success in future life. The project includes community service learning, summits, and special events, helping adolescents develop high self-esteem and learn how to make their own healthy decisions. Thus, the state of New Jersey made many changes to help its young citizens cope with their problems by providing them quality sexual education, assisting in creating successful future.

Ways to Prevent Teen Pregnancy

Teenage pregnancy is a crucial health issue, influencing the entire society as it creates constituent costs to taxpayers. According to the study conducted by Power to Decide, the average cost for providing medical support during pregnancy and the first year of infancy in the United States is approximately $16,000 per teen birth (“Estimating the state and national savings,” 2018). Controlling the birth rate among adolescents can save “from $3 million to $596 million annually” (“Estimating the state and national savings,” 2018, para. 2).

Moreover, there are numerous risks for teen mothers and their children, including increased infant mortality. A teen birth can also ruin young people’s future by restraining them from receiving a good education. According to the statistics, only half of teen mothers “receive a high school diploma by 22 years of age” (“About teen pregnancy,” n.d., para. 10). There are also higher risks of poverty, and fewer chances to achieve success in life for children of teenage mothers. Thus, having the situation under control and preventing teen pregnancies is one of the priorities of any country, as it allows saving national money, and raising a healthy population.

The most popular methods of preventing pregnancy among sexually active teenagers are condoms and birth control pills, which should be used consistently and correctly for them to be effective. However, the best solution for young people is intrauterine devices (IUDs) and implants, known as Long-Acting Reversible Contraception (LARC) (“Preventing teen pregnancy,” 2015). The method has proven its effectiveness and safety, and it prevents pregnancy for 3 to 10 years. However, it is important that doctors and nurses explain young people that this LARC does not protect against sexually transmitted diseases, and using a condom during sex is also important. In addition, health care providers can educate teenagers about the risks of unsafe sex, encourage them from initiating intimate relationships, and offer opportunities for birth control, including LARC.

There is also a significant role played by the federal government in managing the situation with teen pregnancy. The authorities can prevent it by providing family planning services for their population and developing special programs for young people, especially in districts with high rates of adolescent births. The US Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) TPP Evidence Review identifies evidence-based teen pregnancy prevention programs (“About teen pregnancy,” n.d.).

This project covers such programs as sexuality and abstinence education and profiles designed for diverse populations. In addition, young people require access to contraceptives and reproductive health services, and constant support from adults. Thus, governments have numerous methods for controlling the situation with adolescent pregnancy by providing educational services and psychological support, encouraging adult citizens to help young generations.

Conclusion

In conclusion, teenage pregnancy is a crucial problem for all countries, including the United States. During the last decades, the birth rates among adolescents have been decreasing, although, the numbers remain relatively high. The State of New Jersey demonstrates the most substantial lowering of the statistics, which was achieved due to the hard work of the government, which developed numerous programs for supporting its young citizens.

High pregnancy and birth rates among adolescents have a serious impact on the life of the entire society and the economics of the country, as supporting young girls is a financial responsibility of taxpayers. Preventing teen pregnancy is a good way for saving national money and having a healthy population. Control of the situation is possible with the creation of organizations, aimed at providing services of sexual educational and psychological support to young generations. The interference of the government is a major key to helping its population to have healthy and successful lives.

References

About teen pregnancy. (n.d.). Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Web.

Estimating the state and national savings associated with declines in teen childbearing. (2018). Power to Decide. Web.

Eunjung Cha, A. (2017). The U.S. fertility rate just hit a historic low. Why some demographers are freaking out. The Washington Post. Web.

Jatlaoui, T.C., Boutot, M.E., Mandel, M.G., Whiteman, M.K., Ti, A., Petersen, E. & Pazol, K. (2018). Abortion surveillance — United States, 2015. Surveillance Summaries, 67(13), 1–45. Web.

Livio S.K. (2019). U.S. teen birth rate at historic low, but girls deliver 1,700 babies every week, CDC says. True Jersey. Web.

New Jersey Data. (n.d.). Power to Decide. Web.

Preventing teen pregnancy. A key role for health care providers. (2015). Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Web.

Teen Pregnancy Prevention (TPP). (n.d.). State of New Jersey. Department of Health. Web.

Waldron, K. (2015). Teen pregnancy rate continues to fall. New Jersey 101,5. Web.

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