Background
The problem of protecting the reproductive health of the population, especially adolescents and young people, is of particular medical and social significance for the world community in modern conditions. First of all, the importance of the health of adolescents and children is due to their role as a reserve of society in all spheres of life of the state. However, teenage pregnancies are on the rise these days, leading to negative consequences for both children and the quality of life of social groups in general. It is necessary to look at this phenomenon from several points of view, and also to find out what the health system can do to reduce the number of such cases.
Background of Problem
Adolescence is a critical period in which knowledge and skills are acquired, as well as values ​​that can last a lifetime. In order to ensure their well-being and be able to actively participate in the development of their country, they must acquire a profession and life skills, as well as receive knowledge and services in the field of their own health. The formation of the current generation takes place in the conditions of information and communication technologies and globalization (Nanda, 2020). Also, young people are one of the population groups with a high prevalence of HIV infection. Almost a quarter of HIV-infected people are under 25 years, and this age is particularly vulnerable and limited.
Economic and Political Factors
The problem of early pregnancy is relevant because in the current socio-economic conditions of the country, the number of early pregnancy and childbirth among adolescents is increasing every year. One of the downsides of early pregnancy is that it harms the health of the teenage mother and her baby (Akella, 2018). Early pregnancy is considered to be a girl who has not reached the age of majority, which is established by medical indicators. It is important to note that the body is considered to be finally formed to perform the reproductive function only after 18 years. It follows from this that early pregnancy is a dangerous condition for an organism that is in the developmental stage. The negative aspects of early pregnancy include the fact that 70% of pregnancies in adolescents end in abortions, and about 15% are miscarriages (Akella, 2018, p. 44). At the same time, only 15% of girls can safely bear and give birth to babies (Akella, 2018, p. 45). This trend is explained by the political and economic situation in the country, which adversely affects adolescents.
First, it is worth noting the vital role of parents in the upbringing and control of the child. However, in the current environment, parents are passionate about career growth and earnings that will help support the family (Akella, 2018). In turn, the prices for the necessary rentals are growing, which means that the need for work is increasing. At the same time, the child is often alone, interacting with the outside world independently. As a result, there is no possibility of timely response and consultations from parents.
Communication
The early start of sexual relations is a consequence of the low level of knowledge in the field, poor awareness of the means and methods of contraception. Separately, it is worth highlighting the insufficient use of condoms, which leads to an increase in the number of pregnancies among adolescents (Odland, 2018). The rate of use of methods and means of contraception is higher than 20 years ago, but low from a whole society perspective. It is especially necessary to emphasize the first sexual contact, which is characterized by a lack of experience and knowledge, as well as the inability to control the emotional aspect (Montemayor, 2018). According to a study conducted in 2009, only 44% of respondents aged 15-24 used any methods and means of contraception at the first sexual contact (Montemayor, 2018, p. 116). The main patterns of reproductive behavior of adolescent girls include, first of all, behavioral habits, such as a large number of sexual partners or an irregular sex life. However, the negative contribution of peers in the form of fear of parents, erroneous advice about contraception or short-term use of contraceptives should also be highlighted.
Lack of knowledge about contraceptives is a high risk of unwanted pregnancy. Moreover, the younger the age of adolescents, the more often they have abortions. The Universal Declaration of Human Rights states that adolescents have the right to:
- Be informed about reproductive health and its components;
- Access to safe and effective methods of contraception (Montemayor, 2018);
- A conscious decision about the pace and timing of self-reproduction.
Abortion, especially the first one, is fraught with various complications, up to infertility. The so-called “secondary infertility” occurs in almost every second girl who has had an abortion (Montemayor, 2018). No matter how successfully the operation is performed, it is a hormonal disruption of the cycle, severe stress. There is a possibility of a negative impact of abortion on the reproductive health of a particular individual in the future.
Leadership and Collaboration
In addition to the medical aspect of this problem, there is a social aspect that takes into account the interpersonal relationship and interaction of family members. Only in some cases, the family patiently and calmly processes the news of a teenager’s pregnancy without serious conflicts (Ball, 2019). However, privately adult family members relate to what happened with a negative, aggravating the psychological situation for a child who is in a state of stress. As a result of such pressure, complexes and psychological traumas are created in adolescents, a distorted concept of family and sex. Pregnancy in adolescent girls aged 13-17, from a psychological point of view, has a destructive effect on the development of their emotional-volitional sphere, value orientations, and the formation of sexual and maternal behavior (Ball, 2019). This applies to both dysfunctional and healthy teen pregnancies.
Therefore, it must be emphasized that the elders and the close environment of the child, as well as nurses, should take a different position. Such people should be in the role of a leader who can help in this situation, as well as intelligibly explain the whole situation to a child who is in confusion and emotional instability (Ball, 2019). The fact is that such communication and interaction should take on the character of cooperation. This is explained by the fact that the main goal of both nurses and families should be to maximize the health of a teenager in any of its manifestations, both psychological and reproductive (Ball, 2019). That is why a specialist or a parent should work calmly and impartially with a teenager in such a way that the child does not feel condemnation or pressure.
Planning and Share Findings
To date, the situation is characterized by a low level of awareness of adolescents about family planning, sexuality, sexually transmitted diseases, methods of effective complex contraception. Adolescents prefer to receive information from the media, in particular the Internet, from friends and peers. They also do not try to discuss relationship issues, intimate problems with their parents, and parents, in turn, believe that there is no need for sexual education. A huge role in reducing the level of teenage pregnancies and abortions belongs to educational work (Nanda, 2020). It is important to note that this method is the most effective with high-quality and correct implementation. It includes, first of all, the availability of information, regardless of any natural or social criteria of individuals. (Nanda, 2020). Therefore, the main step in planning to combat early teenage pregnancy should be the introduction of sexuality education.
Sex education can help avoid the problems associated with teenage sexuality. The question is not to protect from knowledge about sexuality or to inform about the possibilities of contracting STIs (Nanda, 2020). Most researchers in sex education see not only information on biology and contraception. The main thing is to bring up positive standards in the rising generations and to give the foundations of morality. This includes the formation of the values ​​of a healthy lifestyle, the self-worth of children, a conscious attitude towards parenthood, positive marriage and family attitudes, and a culture of gender relations.
At the same time, it is necessary to introduce a criterion for evaluating the effectiveness of implemented systems. Thus, it makes sense to develop anonymous surveys for adolescents, aimed at both testing the knowledge they receive and assessing the quality of their sex life. The results obtained must be processed and included in a single database. Thanks to a comparative analysis, specialists will be able to identify regions or social groups that are most difficult to learn (Nanda, 2020). Such data will help to develop additional educational mechanisms in such a way that a separate risk group of adolescents is not formed in society. At the same time, the exchange of results will help to attract an outsider’s eye, which can objectively assess the merits and demerits of the work being done.
It is worth noting that additional specialists are required to perform such a task so as not to overload the nurses. To this end, the network of social institutions that deal with the problems of the family and children is currently expanding. These are centers friendly to teenagers, centers of social assistance to the population, a center for supporting families and children. Such institutions are located mainly in large cities, they are gradually opening in less populated areas (Nanda, 2020). Consequently, it is necessary to introduce a system based on such institutions in order not to overload the hospitals. However, the database should be implemented in such a way that nurses and doctors have access to them and provide the population with contraceptives and everything necessary in a timely manner.
References
Akella, D. (2018). Socio-cultural influences on teenage pregnancy and contemporary prevention measures. (D., Akella, Ed.). IGI Global.
Ball, S. J. (2019). Foucault and education. Putting theory to work. (S. J. Ball, Ed.). Taylor & Francis.
Montemayor, R. (2018). Sexuality in adolescence and emerging adulthood. Guilford Publications.
Nanda, S. (2020). Evaluation and management of high-risk pregnancies. Emerging research and opportunities. (S. Nanda, Ed.). IGI Global.
Odland, J. Y. (2018). Teenage reproductive health. Pregnancy, contraception, unsafe abortion, fertility. (J. Y. Odland, Ed.). MDPI AG.