Teen Pregnancy??!!! Gees….Does that still go on??!!! The Importance of Teen’s Turning the Tables, and how YOU can HELP!!!!

When I was gathering information for my project and blog, this very thought was running through my mind. I, thinking all of the information that ever needed to be dispersed about teen pregnancy had already been done so, and therefore, there probably wasn’t much need for more information to be put out there. After all, teenage pregnancy rarely occurs anymore with the amount of education and awareness we put out there, right?! WRONG!!! According to www.teenpregnancy.org, “The United States has the highest rates of teen pregnancy and births in the western industrialized world. Teen pregnancy costs the United States at least $9 billion annually.” Not only are the teen birth rates the highest, they are on the rise, according to HealthDay News. In the United States, Texas is the state with the highest teenage pregnancy rate, with many others following quickly behind.

What can be done about the rise in teenage pregnancy? We have so many resources out there, but it is important to look at how education is implemented and by whom. It seems pretty clear to me that “abstinence only” education just might not be the “magic bullet” that we have been looking for after all. I propose a revamped comprehensive sex education program that could go in all of the U.S. schools. These programs would not only be set up to be fun for the students, but would get the parents involved as well. After all, who can actually say they learned much sex education from their parents???!! (What a concept that would have been, just in general from the fear of the awkwardness of the situation) Instead we gained a plethora of knowledge from where else but the back of school buses, the locker rooms, etc., etc. I don’t know about you, but the information that I was taught was not delivered by the most properly sex educated of souls, mind you; they had good intentions at heart.

Getting information from friends is important to teens, but in order for the teens to tell their friends correct information we need to start a working relationship between teens, parents, and schools. We can achieve this everyone! The first step is to listen to what teens are saying and encourage them to be a platform to educate their peers. A great website I found was www.stayteen.org, in which teens give teens advice, in a clever witty way. Although the messages are blunt, I have to admit they stick with you.

I hope you enjoy!
Ellen

When it comes to teen pregnancy — why it happens and how to prevent it — teens get tons of advice from adults, but they aren't often asked to offer their own…and Stay Teen wants to change that. We asked teens from all over the country what they thought about sex, relationships, and pregnancy and below are their top 10 answers and opinions.

Thinking "it won't happen to me" is stupid; if you don't protect yourself, it probably will. Sex is serious. Make a plan.

Just because you think "everyone is doing it," doesn't mean they are. Some are, some aren't — and some are lying.

There are a lot of good reasons to say "no, not yet." Protecting your feelings is one of them.

You're in charge of your own life - don't let anyone pressure you into having sex.

You can always say "no" — even if you've said "yes" before.

Carrying a condom is just being smart — it doesn't mean you're pushy or easy.

If you think birth control "ruins the mood," consider what a pregnancy test will do to it.

If you're drunk or high, you can't make good decisions about sex. Don't do something you might not remember or might really regret.

Sex won't make him yours, and a baby won't make him stay.

Not ready to be someone's father? It's simple: Use protection every time or don't have sex.

References:
Website: http://www.dallasnews.com/sharedcontent/dws/news/localnews/stories/DN-teenmoms_27met.ART.West.Edition1.38302cb.html. Accessed January 29th, 2008.

Website: http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/news/fullstory_58503.html. Accessed January 29th, 2008.

Website: http://www.stayteen.org/tips/default.html. Accessed January 29th, 2008.

Teen Pregnancy. Here are some things teens are talking about when it comes to teen pregnancy. These are some listed opinions about teen pregnancy and some statistics to consider.

Teens Tell All about... Contraception/Birth Control

• Some teens don't use birth control because they don't think that they will get pregnant or they don't care if they do.
• They might not want their parents to find out what they are doing. If they bought condoms or the pill, there could be a chance of them being caught.
• They may be afraid to go to a doctor to get it. Plus some teens can't drive and if they don't want their parents to find out, then they just won't get it.
• Many teens today really and truthfully do not care about using birth control. I think maybe some of them want to get pregnant on purpose.
• Getting birth control can be expensive and hard to get for many teens. I think there should be free birth control centers all over where teens can pick them up for free without anyone knowing who they are.
• Teens simply don't think before they act and don't look at consequences. This doesn't happen only with sex, but in all aspects of a teen's life.
• Sometimes teens don't use birth control because of the influence of drugs or alcohol. When they are drunk, some teens don't even know what they are doing.
• I think that most pregnancies aren't planned. They just happen, you know. I guess they're just thinking about, at that moment, like, pleasing each other. They aren't thinking about a baby coming.
• I'm on the pill, but I'm really bad at taking it. It's hard to handle. You got to turn the thing and push it and I am not into that. So, sometimes I'll forget to take the pill and I'll go, "Oh, my god. It's been, like, three days!"
• I think condoms and all that stuff should be more readily available. A lot of people won't have a way to get to the health department to get all this free stuff. I think they should be allowed to hand it out at school.
http://www.teenpregnancy.org/resources/teens/voices/contrace.asp

Teens Tell All

• Many teens who have sex either don't use contraception at all or use it inconsistently. Nearly one-third of teen girls used no contraception the last time they had sex.
• Teens are much more likely to have unplanned and unprotected sex when they are using alcohol or drugs. You know drugs and alcohol change your perspective and that they can cause you to make really bad decisions about sex. Using alcohol, cigarettes, and/or illicit drugs significantly increases the likelihood that boys and girls will begin having sexual intercourse before age 16. Teens 15 and older who drink are seven times likelier to have sexual intercourse and twice as likely to have it with four or more partners than non-drinking teens. More than one-half of teens (53%) say the main reason teens do not use protection is because of drinking or using drugs.
• Many teens feel pressure not to use protection. More than one-half of teens (52%) surveyed recently said that one of the main reasons that teens do not use birth control is because their partners don't want to.
• The younger teens are, the less likely they are to use contraception or to use it effectively.
• Teaching teens about contraception does not make them have sex. Research is clear on this point: sex education does not increase sexual activity. In fact, in some cases, teaching teens about contraception seems to delay their sexual activity.

“If you are mature enough to have sex, then you should be mature enough to use protection.”
- Jonathan, Santa Fe, 17

“The way I look at it, birth control has saved my life. Every time I have sex I use it. I'm very careful because I can't imagine having a baby right now. I'm just glad that I learned about birth control in school because not having sex just isn't realistic.
- Tania, Newport News, 16

“We talked about sex and birth control way before we started having sex. We always use two forms of protection every time we have sex just in case one fails. And it does happen.”
- Josh, Pittsburgh, 18

“I have three kids and am 17. I worry about it still because I don't want anymore kids. I make sure I use the protection I need now. I wish I could show teens how hard it is. I don't want to see anyone go through what I have at my age.”
- Jen, Boston, 17
http://www.stayteen.org/avoid/contraception_teens.html

Survey says…

Teens aged 12-17 say their role models for “healthy relationships” are: friends 31% and parents 30%. Friends more than parents. Doesn’t this seem like a problem?? What are parents teaching their kids??1
52% of teens aged 12-17 say the best age to start talking about sex is 13-14. Don’t you think that’s a little young to be a parent??
However…85% of teens aged 12-17 have not felt pressured into romantic relationships. So this means they are making the choice to have sex willingly, which may mean they WANT to have sex!! But do they WANT a baby??
http://www.stayteen.org/relationships/kissandtell1.html