Welcome to Pregnancy Guide
Increase In Teenage Pregnancies Article
. For a permanent link to this article, or to bookmark it for further reading, click here.
You may also listen to this article by using the following controls.
Teenage Pregnancy – Don’t Blame the Victim
from:Teenage pregnancy, also referred to as adolescent pregnancy, is defined as pregnancy occurring in women up to 19 years old. Teenage pregnancy is a significant social issue in many nations, though in some it is natural for adolescents to marry young and have children at a young age. In nations where this is not the case, though, teenage pregnancy is an extremely difficult experience for young women; though teenage girls are technically able to give birth physically, they are not ready emotionally or financially to raise children.
Statistics say that about 34% of young women become pregnant at least once before reaching 20 years old (about 820,000). As is the case around the world, experts agree that behind the phenomenon of teenage pregnancy lies a lack of sexual education. Girls may not know how to prevent pregnancy and they often believe myths regarding pregnancy prevention (like douching after sex using Pepsi or Coke).
Whatever the view as to why girls get pregnant, all agree that a teenage girl’s life changes upon finding out she is pregnant. Because of this, there are a number of programs worldwide to help prevent teenage pregnancy and opinions differ as to how to structure these programs and what their focus should be.
A big debate concerns whether abstinence-only programs are valid methods of dealing with the teenage pregnancy phenomenon; many researchers believe that sex education, including information regarding contraception, is essential to equip teenagers in the battle against teen pregnancy. Supporters of abstinence-only programs argue that including information about contraception is a sign to adolescents to be sexually active; studies, however, seem to show that there is no increase of sexual activity among students who receive information regarding birth control. Supporters of sex education claim that abstinence-only programs do nothing to help adolescents feel more comfortable talking about their sexuality and so teens will be most likely to avoid seeking adults for advice in confusing situations.
Many girls do not know that there are various birth control methods available. Depo-Provera is injected into a woman’s arm muscle or buttocks every 3 months in order to prevent ovulation, alter cervical mucus and prevent implantation. Norplant is an implant made of 6 matchstick-sized rubber rods which is inserted under the skin by a doctor and is effective for 5 years. Low-dose birth control pills, condoms, contraceptive jelly, and emergency contraceptive pills are also available.
Within 72 hours of having sex, a girl can take an emergency contraceptive pill. If it is already late for that, the girl will have to decide between keeping the child, putting it up for adoption (which can be closed or open), putting it in foster care, or having an abortion.
Once a girl is pregnant, she needs to know that she has choices, and she must choose what is best for her. Even if girls are ashamed at talking with their family members, there are a number of doctors and clinics open which offer counseling services, like Planned Parenthood.
Increase In Teenage Pregnancies Specific links
Increase In Teenage Pregnancies News
Teen pregnancy Officials puzzled, worried by rise in rate (Montgomery Advertiser)
Increases in teenage pregnancies have Alabama officials worried and wondering what's gone wrong.
Read more...Brit govt's move to push contraceptive jabs, implants evokes protests (New Kerala)
London, Nov 16 : British Government's move to push contraceptive jabs and implants, which can make girls infertile for up to three months, in a bid to bring down teenage pregnancies, has evoked a strong response from different quarters of the society.
Read more...Teen contraception 'not compulsory' (Channel 4)
Teenage girls will not be "forced" into having the contraceptive injection, the Department of Health said.
Read more...Govt: No 'forced' contraceptive injection for teen girls (The Herald)
Teenage girls will not be "forced" into having the contraceptive injection, the Department of Health said today.
Read more...Parenting educator offers reassurance, reality (Wilton Bulletin)
The challenging title of Debra Haffner’s talk at Trackside last Tuesday morning, Nov. 11, “Parenting In the 21st Century,” drew a roomful of moms and a couple of dads, who were congratulated by Ms. Haffner for attending.
Read more...Girls as young as 13 to get contraceptive jabs to cut pregnancy rates in UK (New Kerala)
London, Nov 16 : Under new Government plans to urgently bring down teenage pregnancy rates in the UK, girls as young as 13 will be pushed to have contraceptive jabs.
Read more...Pelvic Inflammation Puts Girls at Risk for Repeat STIs (HealthDay via Yahoo! News)
THURSDAY, Nov. 13 (HealthDay News) -- Teenage girls treated for pelvic inflammatory disease (PID) become highly vulnerable to sexually transmitted infections (STIs), sometimes just weeks or months after treatment, researchers at Johns Hopkins Children's Center report.
Read more...