Adolescent pregnancy is a global issue that affects high-, middle-, and low-income countries. However, the likelihood of teenage pregnancies is more elevated in marginalized groups and is often due to poverty, lack of education, and job opportunities. According to Texas Health and Human Services, approximately 3,150 pregnancies among adolescents aged 13 to 17 were reported in 2017 (“Table 14B reported,” 2018). Early pregnancy among teenagers has severe outcomes for the health of young mothers and their children. Complications of pregnancy and childbirth are the leading cause of death among girls aged 13-17 years around the world. According to sources, infant mortality in Bowie County has increased up to 18 children per 1000 live births (“County health rankings,” 2018).
Measures aimed to reduce teenage pregnancy in Bowie County have contributed to the involvement of the organizational plan outcomes. The first example of the organizational plan result relates to the information system. The data system should be able to compile the necessary reports, the quality, and timeliness of which depends on the system’s ability to process efficient data. Another organizational plan outcome includes the promptness of the processed information. The latter plays a crucial role in activities aimed at preventing teenage pregnancy and infant mortality, implementing innovative projects in Bowie County. The wider the information system is, the more effective methods of solving problems related to the health of pregnant teens are.
The second example refers to the money allocated to health programs, in particular, for the prevention of early teenage pregnancy. Health expenses are the most common cost item in Bowie County. Due to the growth of cash resources for health care, it is becoming increasingly difficult for Bowie County to invest in education, social services, housing, and other areas that contribute to the well-being of the population. Nevertheless, financial support programs are being developed for pregnant adolescents to continue education after giving birth. Funding is provided through charitable projects and expense items laid down in the planning of the county budget.
The outputs of the service utilization plan imply the integration of the Healthy Texas Women program in Bowie County, offering free health care and family planning for women in Texas. In particular, the program is designed to draw attention to the problems of adolescents. Expanded evidence includes preparing health structures to prevent early pregnancy and adverse outcomes in adolescents. Evaluation activities are aimed at developing tools and building capacity to reduce the mortality of children born to teenage mothers.
Social marketing is a tool to improve the lives of both individuals and the community as a whole. Researchers note that social marketing includes four main types: product, price, place, and promotion (Issel and Wells, 2017). The most productive element of social marketing in preventing teenage pregnancy in Bowie County is promotion. It implies events on the use of social networks as promotion channels content that causes more confidence among adolescents at risk. The main reason for early pregnancy is the lack of information in adolescents. Therefore, attention needs to be paid to clarifying certain aspects of sexuality and contraception in the county.
Adolescent pregnancy occurs against the background of vague ideas about the process of conception. The myth that it is impossible to get pregnant at the first sexual contact is quite popular. A special place is occupied by the frivolous attitude of young people to this process. Development of a promotion strategy in social networks and local media includes an analysis of the current situation and determination of the goal. Engaging and exciting content related to unwanted pregnancy determines the effectiveness of actions to develop a concept for communication with users.
Health programs implemented to reduce the risk of adolescent pregnancy in Bowie County include the approaches to minimize underinclusion or overinclusion. Overinclusion is characterized by the inability to distinguish between age-related aspects as part of the promotion of targeted health programs. That is why overinclusion minimization is the individual adaptation of targeted programs in Bowie County. In particular, the selection of optimal contraceptive options for adolescents also involves the provision of content only to those program participants for whom the intervention is provided. Therefore, excessive inclusion must be controlled to avoid confusing information on supporting and preventive measures in a targeted manner.
Underinclusion involves the direct promotion of adolescent pregnancy prevention content among disadvantaged families. The solution to the problem of unwanted pregnancy depends on the situation at home and parenting. If the psychological contact with the mother is broken, and the girl does not find understanding on the part of the parents, then she strives to lead a risky lifestyle. Thus, minimization of underinclusion from a psychological point of view should contribute to the development of emotional – volitional sphere and value orientations on the formation of sexual and maternal behavior
In conclusion, many parents prefer not to delve into the basics of their children’s sexual education. Mothers place responsibility on the media and the Internet. The lack of information included is offset by interpersonal communication between adolescents, which further exacerbates the situation. Therefore, the prevention of early pregnancy will be most effective when all services of information systems interact with the family playing a crucial role.
References
Issel, L. M., & Wells, R. (2017). Health program planning and evaluation. A practical, systematic approach for community health, Third edition. Burlington, MA: Jones & Bartlett Learning.
County health rankings and roadmaps. (2018). Web.
Table 14B reported pregnancies for women age 13-17 – Updated. (2018). Web.