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Teen pregnancy has been escalating since the 1970s and this has been mostly attributed to the lifestyle of the teenagers and their ambitions of being grown up. The lax attention given to children as well as the increase in the independence of the teenagers nowadays has made them more vulnerable to issues like teen pregnancy. However the rate of growth for teen pregnancies has decreased in the past few years. This has mainly been attributed to the birth control practices and the decrease in sexual activity in teenagers. The African Americans have shown the highest rate of decrease, about 42 percent related to teen pregnancies.
Despite the change in the statistics and the growth of the teenage pregnancies in the region, the biggest issue that is faced by teenagers remains teen pregnancy. This is mostly due to the out of wed lock births for teens which is threatening to cripple the nation in the long run. Approximately every year about one million of American teens become pregnant. Aside form this cost of the teenage pregnancy is also quite steep. The teenagers at their age do not earn much and are usually supported by their parents. However a teenage pregnancy brings problems in the form of restricted opportunities available for education in the future, constraint financial standing as well as increased anxiety and frustrations amongst the teens. The teen pregnancy is also closely related to the increase of lost tax revenues, increased spending n public assistance as well as money spent for foster care and the criminal justice system. Juvenile crimes also increase as teen [parents strive to support their children. However the most important affect of a teen pregnancy is that it tends to rob the teens of their childhood, forcing them to grow up. This can have complications in the future life of these teens when they are dealing with children themselves.
The paper actually discusses the importance of birth control prevention programs and education of prevention for teenagers and how it can actually help them in avoiding teen pregnancy altogether. This is because, due to the analysis of the information and statistics available on teen pregnancy it was identified that the main reason that can be seen which can improve the situation for teen pregnancy in the region is educating the children about prevention of pregnancies and the use of contraceptives. The following paper is focused on the aspect of teen pregnancy and how education for the teenagers can reduce the risk of young pregnancy for them.
The rationale for this position is mostly based on the fact that teen pregnancy tends to create more complex problems in the future pertaining to the education and literacy rate of the population, the increase in the crime rate and the moral ethicality of the population as a whole. Moreover the reason as to why the teenage pregnancy is apparent in the society is due to the stance taken by the media and the entertainment industry about sexual activity. It is depicted to be promising by the media and with certain programs directly targeted at the teens. These teens that are already anxious, going through puberty and feeling resentment and frustrations towards their friends and family tend to avoid interacting with them and listen to their advice. As a result there is a high risk for them to go ahead and conduct acts of impulse which can result in teenage pregnancies. Moreover the responsibility taken by teens for the teenage pregnancy is also very low which results in usually two options for the female, to either carry the baby to full term and or ton get an abortion.
However, now with the use of contraceptives it is possible for the teens to avoid pregnancy altogether. As a result the students in schools as well as the teens at home need to be educated about the use and the importance of contraceptive and other preventions methods. Such programs can be initiated by many parties, the schools can start these programs to reduce the teen pregnancy rate for their students and promote a healthier life. The communities on the other hand can initiate awareness and prevention programs for the youth targeting them and proving facilities for the teens that are currently pregnant in the society. The government can also initiate social welfare and specific prevention and sex education to teenagers all over the state and the country. This will put a strong stress on the issue and the solutions for addressing the problems will be uncovered through group discussions.
Aside from this the parents can also play a major role in educating their children about prevention. This can be done by openly discussing the topics with the children and inviting any inquiries and questions that may have. Mover the parents would also need to provide justifications for the reasons as to why contraceptives and safe sex should be employed, and for this they should have specific prevention education material which they can provide to their children. In this manner it would be possible for the community as well as tall those interacting with the teenagers to help reduce the rate of teenage pregnancy by providing them specific education pertaining to the use of contraceptives and other prevention methods.
A study by Goldwin & Katz in 2002 pertained to the power of the pill and other oral contraceptives as a main contributor in the decision made by females for their careers and their marriages. The study conducted a “descriptive time series and formal econometric evidence that exploit cross-state and cross-cohort variation in pill availability to young, unmarried women, establishing the “power of the pill” in lowering the costs of long-duration professional education for women and raising the age at first marriage” (Goldwin & Katz, 2002). The oral contraceptive was passed by the FDA in the 60s however the popularity of the pill was established in the 1970s with the independent lifestyle enjoy by the people and especially the teenagers. As mentioned earlier this study conducted a time series analysis as well as an econometric analysis as to how the oral contraceptive and has contributed and effected the choice of the careers and, marriages decision for the females. The time series analysis provided that the number of high school teenagers going on to take college degrees and bachelors increased with the use of the pill. These college entrants also started taking complex courses and degrees like medicine, law, business and hospitality. “The percentage of all lawyers and judges who are women more than doubled in the 1970s (from 5.1 percent in 1970 to 13.6 percent in 1980) and was 29.7 percent in 2000. The share of female physicians increased from 9.1 percent in 1970 to 14.1 percent in 1980 and was 27.9 percent in 2000.” (Goldwin & Katz, 2002) Aside form this the age at first marriage also increased. The econometric analysis showed that the economic activity in the country increased and the contribution of the female population to the economic growth in the region also increased after the 1960s as compared to the time prior to the introduction of oral contraceptives.
Another study by Angeles, Guilkey, & Mroz in 2005 focused o the effects of education and family planning programs on the Indonesian women. This study was able to research on the family developmental outcomes and the schooling of the children. This depicted that a strong relation was present between the education of the mother and the benefits that are available to her children. They study concluded that “programs to increase women’s educational attainments might be the most effective way to stimulate reductions in fertility and improve children’s lives in developing countries. The presence of family planning programs in a young woman’s village when she is making her school attendance decisions increases substantially her educational attainment.” (Angeles, Guilkey, & Mroz, 2005) Although this study was not relevant to the population of America however the issue being targeted was the same as in that which is currently present in the United States and as a result the conclusion of this study can be taken onto account.
There is also evidence present through these studies that the current sex education and pregnancy prevention education programs are a main factor contributing to the increase in the sexual activity and the awareness amongst the children, however they are not completely successful in abating teenage pregnancy. For this formal prevention programs as stated above need to be established. Moreover the media also has to be monitored as in t2003 it was recorded that the tope 20 programs ruining on the TV focused on the teenagers had sexual intercourse depicted while 80% of them favored sexual activity in the teenagers. Therefore it is important to restrict the viewer ship of such programs and such content by the underage teens specially those who are 15years or younger. Moreover the family should also provide the basics of a prevention education by establishing that sexual activity should be abstained form until the child goes on to get married or has completed his/ her college education in the least.
The position against active sexual activity amongst tends and the establishment of sex education and prevention programs is also indirectly important for the healthcare professionals. This is because these are the people who can provide the teenagers and their parents on realistic and most effective advice on the matter. They can provide the teenagers with methods of prevention and motivation for abstinence in the short term as well. Aside from this the health care professionals themselves can start education programs in hospitals and shelter homes where those teenagers who are under privileged and do not have access to prevention education can be educated about the use of contraceptives and the benefits of abstaining form sexual activity until a later date. They can also inform the audience about the criticalities of a teenage pregnancy and as well as the health risks for both the mother and the child associated with it. These professional bear a credible influence on these audience and can effectively motivate them to change their lifestyle.
All in all the bottom line for this paper is that sex education and prevention based programs can support the fight against teenage pregnancy however the best solution for tacking the issue of teenage pregnancy is to abstain form sexual activity until the child has graduated with a college degree or has decided to get married.
References
(2007), Pregnancy-prevention program turns uninformed boys into ‘Wise Guys.’, AHA News, Vol. 43 Issue 2, p7-7.
Angeles, G., Guilkey, D., Mroz, T., (2005), The Effects of Education and Family Planning Programs on Fertility in Indonesia, Economic Development & Cultural Change, , Vol. 54 Issue 1, p165-201.
Dryfoos, J., (1985), A Time for New Thinking about Teenage Pregnancy, American Journal of Public Health, Vol. 75 Issue 1, p13-14.
Goldin, C., Katz, L., (2002), The Power of the Pill: Oral Contraceptives and Women’s Career and Marriage Decisions, Journal of Political Economy, , Vol. 110 Issue 4, p730-770.
Pezzini, S., (2005), The Effect of Women’s Rights on Women’s Welfare: Evidence from a Natural Experiment, Economic Journal, , Vol. 115 Issue 502, p208-C227.
Sember, R., Kropf, A., Mauro, D., (2006), Images Against Teen Pregnancy.
Authors, American Journal of Public Health, Vol. 96 Issue 9, p1561-1561.
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