Statistics on teen pregnancy

TEEN PREGNANCY 10 Teenagers Become Pregnant each Year

Teen Pregnancy - 10% Of Teenagers Become Pregnant Each Yea

Teenagers––still children themselves––who are conceiving their own children come from all walks of life. They live in urban ghettos, suburban neighborhoods, and rural communities. In the United States, one in every ten girls under the age of twenty become pregnant–almost 1,300 a day. Most will not yet have completed high school and not even reached the ninth grade. 500 of the 1300 will seek an abortion.

Teenage pregnancy is not news these days. Society’s attitudes have changed. But the problem is not going away. Single parenting has gained more acceptance, because only one-third of the teenage couples expecting a child chose marriage. The Children’s Defense Fund, a Washington, D.C.-based group working for the rights and protection of children, has found that early parenthood is most common among black and Hispanic teenagers. Their research has also shown that girls from disadvantaged homes are three to four times more likely to become mothers during their teenage years than those from middle- or upper-income homes.

A Mistaken Assumption
Many teenage girls assume, while making love, that they can do away with birth control methods and rely on their body’s monthly cycles. There are only a few days each month when the egg is available for fertilization by the sperm. Under most circumstances, this takes place approximately two weeks after menstruation. But the body is not always on schedule; a woman’s fertile period can change from month to month. Most teenage girls are under the mistaken assumption that they won’t get pregnant–but they do. Then they don’t know who to talk to or what to do. They are too embarrassed about the experience and ashamed to discuss it.

When they don’t feel prepared to do is raise a child, nor do they and their boyfriends feel ready to take the next step–marriage. That’s when they decide on the most painful decision of all: an abortion. Others feel that this decision is not right for them and with the support of close friends and some relatives, they accept motherhood.

Teen Fathers
Statistics show that many children of teenage mothers grow up without the influence of a father, though some fathers do try to take part in their child’s life. This happens more often when families encourage them to take part and even help out financially. Unfortunately, most turn their backs on fatherhood and move on.

A Price To Pay
Pregnant teenagers, young parents, and their children travel a difficult path. Babies suffer when their mothers receive inadequate prenatal care and take poor care of themselves. More than 10 percent of infants born to teenagers are addicted to drugs at birth, and many suffer from brain damage. Teen mothers often drop out of school, and many must rely on public assistance to survive. They lose their chance for education, career opportunities, and the simple, carefree times of adolescence. Society pays a high price for supporting these young adults by providing tax money that buys their rent, food, childcare, and health care.

Why Are Teenagers Getting Pregnant?
Girls get pregnant when they have sex and do not use birth control. Although more than 4 million teenagers are sexually active in the U.S., only half of them use any kind of protection. Why are these young not protecting themselves from the consequences?

Some people believe that sex education in the schools has made sex among teenagers more acceptable. Others argue that teenagers will have sex with or without sex education classes and that responsible decision making comes only with greater understanding and knowledge.

There are, however, many influences on a young person’s life. One is the mass media. Each year, television displays 20,000 scenes of suggested sexual intercourse––94% of the sexual encounters depicted on soap operas occur between unmarried couples. Teenagers are bombarded with images displaying the excitement and romance of sex each day on television, the movies, books, magazines and on the internet. Sexually explicit song lyrics don’t help either. This seems to point to a society in which sex at an early age has become accepted. Also, the media rarely presents the consequences of unprotected sex. That is, having babies. As to parents, most of them shy away from teaching their children about responsible sexual behavior.

Religion And Sex
Many parents and religious groups believe that sex before marriage is wrong, and they try to encourage teenagers to accept this view. But peer pressure and a culture that portrays sex as fun, exciting, or even a way to prove one’s maturity make abstinence difficult. Teenagers are left with conflicting messages–making it hard for them to decide what is right.

Birth Control
Some people–including parents– believe that if teenagers are going to be curious and experiment with sexual relations, they should take responsibility and protect themselves with birth control.

Birth control, or contraceptives, come in several forms. The most effective, reliable method for preventing pregnancy is abstinence, or not having sex at all. But even those who do engage in sexual activity can substantially decrease the odds of conceiving a child by using contraceptives.

Contraceptives
Several methods are available through drugstores or physicians.
For Boys:
Condoms – a rubber shealth that covers the penis and prevents sperm from entering the vagina. They also protect against AIDS, a sexually transmitted disease.
For Girls:
Inuterine Device (IUD) – a plastic or metal device that the doctor inserts into the uterus.
Diaphragms–a small rubber cup that is coated with a sperm-killing jelly and placed inside the vagina just before intercourse
Contraceptive Sponges–similar to the diaphragm but is disposable
Norplant– a device that consists of six matchstick-size tubes that are inserted by a doctor beneath the skin under the arm; the tubes release hormones that prevent pregnancy and can be left in place for five years.

Psychological Factors
There are many reasons why teenagers engage in sex and ultimately become pregnant. It may be a lack of self-esteem or peer pressure. A girl may be trying to fill an emptiness in her life. A boy may be trying to prove his masculinity. Or sexual drives may not be overcome. In al cases, the teenage couple is forced to make a significant choice: abortion, adoption, or raise the child under difficult circumstances, many ending up dependent on public assistance

Where To Get Help And Advice
The following organizations dealt with the issue of teenage pregnancy. Many offer bilingual publications and brochures on the topic.

Allan Guttmacher Institute (AGI)
111 Fifth Ave.
New York, NY 10003
Phone: 212 254-5827

Center for Population Options (CPO)
1025 Vermont Ave. NW
Washington, D.C. 20005
Phone: 202 347-5700

Children’s Defense Fund
122 C St. NW
Washington, D.C. 20001
Phone 202 628-8787

National Organization on Adolescent Pregnancy
and Parenting, Inc. (NOAPP)
4421-A East-West Highway
Bethesda, MD 20814
Phone: 301 913-0378

National Training Center for Adolescent
Sexuality and Family Life Education
350 East 88th St.
New York, NY 10128
Phone: 212 876-9716

Planned Parenthood
810 Seventh Ave.
New York, NY 10019
Phone: 212 541-7800

Project Respect
P.O. Box 97
Golf, IL 60029

Teens Against Pre-marital Sex (TAPS)
P.O. Box 19662
Cincinnati, Ohio 45219
Phone: 513 861-TAPS
513 861-8277