Introduction
For a long time now teenage pregnancy has been a situation of concern with some people referring to it as both public health and a social problem.
The teenage pregnancy problem requires a change of culture so that a more holistic approach can be adapted to contain the teenager’s sexual health and recognize everyone’s contribution towards reducing cases of teenage pregnancy.
In the past, there has been a shift of the public and policy concern over the marital status of the mothers to be to their age.
This shift may have been caused by several reasons which include:
- the growing cohabitation among the middle classes (which has made childbearing a difficult behavior to condemn),
- the extension of adolescence,
- the subsequent dependence of young people on their families for economic support.
This has rendered youthful parenthood an increasingly problematic event (Arai, 2009).
Although teen pregnancy is a problem it can be reduced with good education, parental support and embracing of birth control methods and thus there is the need for more e convoluted transitions into education, employment, and family formation which has to be fuelled by the structural changes occurring in our economy (Arai, 2009).
The goal of this research paper is to inform the general public of how teenage pregnancies can be reduced through good education, parental support and embracing birth control methods.
Thesis
Although teen pregnancy is an ongoing problem, it can be reduced with good education, parental support, and birth control
Literature Review
Over the last couple of years, the United States of America has woken up to the highest teenage pregnancy rates among the developed economies and thus, there is a need for we as parents to ensure that cases of teenage pregnancies are reduced.
It is a fact that sex and relationships education needs to be more positive and often augmented by more open attitudes between parents, teachers, and young people.
To make sex education more acceptable for all the stakeholders involved, school policy on sex and relationships education should ensure the inclusion within the school curriculum of a well-informed approach to preventing occurrences of teenage pregnancies.
There have been arguments by teenagers that sex education comes rather when its already too late and the teenagers know it all, and thus many do not concentrate. Thus, there is a need to introduce sex education earlier before the teenagers have already practiced all there is about sex.
Another way of making sex education work is to change the approach in that rather than basing sex education on the mechanics of sex and contraception; the education should be based on relationships and social skills.
Most students prefer the visit of teenage mothers in the school to describe the reality of life with a baby to understand the reality and the seriousness of the matter.
Sex and relationships education should also include accurate information about where and when local contraception and sexual health services for young people are available.
Most of the times, students complain that their teachers are not confident when discussing sex matters in class and this creates tension in the class whenever the topic is discussed.
Thus, there is a need to ensure that teachers are confident and accurate about the information they provide to teenagers during the sessions of sex education.
With all the campaigns and forums, networking is another aspect through which teenagers can be taught on how to prevent early pregnancies, for example, through community development officers or youth workers who work alongside young people should teach them about the quality of good relationships and motivate them to achieve and feel more confident (Chambers& Wakley, 2001).
Parental support is another key channel through which instances of teenage pregnancy can be reduced. Parents should support their children by offering their personal experiences.
The importance of their children dressing nicely and explaining to them that sex does not necessarily start with the intercourse; rather it is an attitude in one’s mind.
They should also make it known to their kids that sex is an important part of a committed marital relationship and the beginning of families; it is a special unit which has to be treasured and not a prize to be won and when the teenagers will focus on the value of sex rather than on the negative repercussions pregnancy rates will decline (Thompson, 2008).
Birth control is another channel through which cases of teenage pregnancies can be reduced.
With more than half of pregnancies occurring in the United States of America being unintended, there are several safe and highly effective methods of birth control, which can prevent unintended pregnancies.
There exist several methods of birth control through which our teenagers can use to prevent the early pregnancies these methods are classified either as a reversible, barrier, and permanent methods and they include oral contraceptive, female sterilization, male and female condoms, insertion of Intra Uterine Devices and vasectomy.
These methods, if used correctly, can prevent and reduce cases of teenage pregnancies as it has been happening in the USA (Mosher, Martinez, Chandra, Abma & Wilson, 2004).
Conclusion
Cases of teenage pregnancies in the United States of America are higher than in any other developed country in the world.
To reduce the occurrence of teenage pregnancies, several measures need to be taken beginning with introduction and improvement of sex education during the early years of our teenagers as well as parental support and use of correct birth control methods to ensure cases of teenage pregnancy are reduced.
References List
Arai, L. (2009). Teenage Pregnancy: The Making and Unmaking Of a Problem. New York: The Policy Press.
Chambers, S. and Wakley, G. (2001). Tackling teenage pregnancy: sex, culture and need. New York: Radcliffe Publishing.
Mosher, W. D., Martinez, G. M., Chandra, A., Abma, C. J., and Wilson, J. S. (2004). Use of Contraception and Use of Family Planning Services in the United States: 1982–2002. Web.
Thompson, E. (2008). Reducing teen pregnancy: Neighborhood influences overlooked by PRWORA: Washington & Lee University. Web.