9 ways to prevent teenage pregnancy
(2010). And using birth control (including condoms) every time you have penis-in-vagina sex helps prevent pregnancy. The US teen birth rate (births per 1,000 females aged 15 to 19 years) has been declining since 1991. Were you sexually active as a teen? The most common methods used were condoms and birth control pills. Let each child know he/she is one of a kindand priceless. Communicating with parents is a foundation to build a stronger relationship between their children or teenagers. How do you feel about that now? Newark, DE 19716, 10 Tips for Parents to Help Their Children Avoid Teen Pregnancy, Expanded Food and Nutrition Education Program (EFNEP), Chilled Asparagus Salad with Lemon-Dijon Vinaigrette, Silk Stage Sweet Corn - Action Thresholds, Commercial Fruit & Vegetable Crop Pest Management, Research and Extension Demonstration Results, Brown Marmorated Stink Bug (BMSB) Management, Research, and Resources, Legal Resources for the Delaware Agriculture Community, Personal Financial Management Initiatives, General Information on what, how, why and where soil is tested, Continuing Education for Nutrient Management, Delaware Climate Change Coordination Initiative (DECCCI). Newark, DE: Cooperative Extension, University of Delaware. Abstaining from sexual activities is a great way to prevent teen pregnancy, and the risk of getting a disease. The societal cost of caring for these mothers and their children, including medical expenses, food and housing support, employment training, and foster care, is estimated at $7 billion per year.20. Be clear about your own sexual values and attitudes. Most teenagers decide to delay having sex until they are older. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. 5. Help them see how becoming a parent can derail the best of plans. The most important thing you can do is to say the first few words. Be clear about your own sexual values and attitudes. They will understand their responsibilities and social values. Encourage adolescent boys to use condoms to prevent pregnancies and diseases. Offer sexually active teens a broad range of contraceptive methods and encourage them to use the most effective methods. Why is it essential to prevent teenage pregnancy? Less than 5% of teens on birth control use LARC. Providers may lack training on insertion and removal. Power differences can lead into risky situationsincluding unwanted and unprotected sex. Teach communication skills necessary to avoid social pressures that may influence sexual activity. Title X-funded centers have used the latest clinical guidelines on LARC, trained providers on LARC insertion and removal, and secured low- or no-cost options for birth control. Healthfinder.gov also has helpful strategies and tips for parents and caregivers on how they can start and maintain conversations with teens about relationships and sexual decisions. 5. How will you negotiate all this? A person viewing it online may make one printout of the material and may use that printout only for his or her personal, non-commercial reference. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has an, Locate continuing education opportunities and find teaching tools/curricula, current clinical practice references, and other helpful resources from the, Implement an evidence-based teen pregnancy prevention program in your area. Studies of other abstinence-only programs also have failed to show significant improvement in self-reported rates of intercourse or pregnancy.29 However, the evidence is inconclusive because most of the published studies have major design weaknesses (e.g., small sample size, no comparison group, nonrandom assignment, high attrition rate, inadequate follow-up). Early marriage leads to early pregnancy and poor reproductive health. Inform clients about the reproductive health services that you offer. PDF REDUCING TEENAGE PREGNANCY - Planned Parenthood Condom use should be encouraged in all sexually active teenagers, regardless of whether another contraceptive method is used. Although the pregnancy rate in adolescents has declined steadily in the past 10 years, it remains a major public health problem with lasting repercussions for the teenage mothers, their infants and families, and society as a whole. As a parent, your responsibility is to monitor their activities closely. The law expands health insurance coverage for adolescents, and offers new support for preventive services, innovative models of care, and clinical training, all of which have implications for teen pregnancy in the United States.1,2. Abstinence is not a crime, as most teenagers and their peers seem to think. Fact, Title X Guidance: Frequently Asked Questions, Fact Sheet: Final Title X Rule Detailing Family Planning Grant Program, Comparison of 2000 and 2019 Title X Regulations, Current TPP Research & Evaluation Grantees, Making Proud Choices! Education helps them take care of their families in a better way and positively impact society (, Encourage teenagers to focus on their career goals and stay away from distractions (. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) cannot attest to the accuracy of a non-federal website. SOURCE: Trussell J., Contraception, May 2011. In fact, many programs were shown to significantly improve these outcomes. Physicians are encouraged to engage all young peopleboys and girlsin open, nonjudgmental, and confidential discussions during regular office visits. Encourage sexually active teens to consider the most effective reversible methods of birth control. All information these cookies collect is aggregated and therefore anonymous. Talk about using condoms correctly every time during sex to prevent sexually transmitted diseases, including HIV/AIDS, even if another birth control method is used. Only 38% of teens who gave birth at age 17 or younger earned high school diplomas by their 22nd birthday versus 60% of teen who were 18 or older when they gave birth. Follow-up of 79 percent of participants at three years showed that the girls in the intervention group had lower odds of being sexually active (odds ratio [OR], 0.5; P < .05) and of having been pregnant (OR, 0.3; P < .05). GTO Guide for Teen Pregnancy Prevention iv Introduction A ll of us working to prevent teen pregnancy ask ourselves: Are we making a difference? Many effective contraceptive methods are available (Table 3).3941 Discussing common misconceptions, side effects, and other benefits of contraceptives in simple, age-appropriate terms may improve adherence to a chosen contraceptive plan.42 A history, pregnancy test (if indicated), and blood pressure reading are adequate to begin hormonal contraception. (2020, August 13). These courses of action may appear obvious to those who have to fund and deal with the outcomes of teenage sexual behaviour. One of the largest and most rigorous studies of abstinence-only programs evaluated the Postponing Sexual Involvement (PSI) program in 31 California counties.28 PSI is a five-session program taught by trained adults or teenagers. http://www.cdc.gov/condomeffectiveness/docs/condoms_and_stds.pdf back to top. Will having sex make me more popular? Talk with their parents about curfews, common rules and expectations. Specialty: Masters of Tropical Pediatrics, Dr. Dur Afshar Agha is a consultant pediatrician with around 26 years of experience in various medical facilities both in Pakistan and Saudi Arabia. What are the causes of teenage pregnancy? Supporting states in efforts to reduce pregnancies, births, and abortions among teens. U.S. Department of Health & Human Services, Children's Home Society of North Carolina, South Carolina Campaign to Prevent Teen Pregnancy, The University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio, TPP Innovation Grants Show Positive Results, Michigan Department of Health and Human Services, Missouri Department of Elementary and Secondary Education, New Jersey Department of Children and Families, Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction, Title X Final Rule Compliance and Enforcement: Myth vs. Giving birth during the teen years has been linked with increased medical risks and emotional, social, and financial costs to the mother and her children. More can be done to prevent younger teens from becoming pregnant, particularly in health care. Will sex bring me closer to my boyfriend? Monitor the type of content children watch, read, or listen. However, since 1991, the teen pregnancy rate has fallen by 25% (1). School failure is one of the key risk factors for teen parenthood. Birth Control Methods. Help teenage boys understand their responsibilities as a partner (. How do I tell my girlfriend/boyfriend that I dont want to have sexwithout losing him/her or hurting his/her feelings? Counsel teens about the importance of condom use to prevent pregnancy and sexually transmitted diseases, including HIV/AIDS. Supporting efforts to prevent teen pregnancy by providing affordable family planning services. Cookies used to track the effectiveness of CDC public health campaigns through clickthrough data. Having sex is not the price you should pay for having a close relationship. Our references consist of resources established by authorities in their respective fields. From injury to infections, several factors may trigger this pain, which may require treatment. Stay updated about the activities of your children. Contraception should be easily accessible to teenagers. Teen use of LARC has increased from less than 1% in 2005 to 7% in 2013. What do you think about teens using contraceptives? Try to have at least one family meal together each day. Newark, DE 19716 Teens today find themselves in many sexually charged situations. Condoms are the only type of birth control that helps prevent pregnancy and STDs at the same time. Boost their self-esteem and help them grow confident (. What are they doing? : A Collection of Youth-Created Content, Physical Health in Developing Adolescents, Youth with Chronic Conditions and Disabilities, Efforts are currently under way to explore strategies to reduce teen childbearing and its associated challenges for parents, children, and society. Adolescent pregnancy is a global phenomenon with clearly known causes and serious health, social and economic consequences to individuals, families and communities. All information these cookies collect is aggregated and therefore anonymous. As a writer at Dr. Jennifer Ashton, an OB-GYN and chief medical correspondent for ABC News, has 16 years of experience. Teenage Pregnancy Prevention: What Can We Do? | AAFP Be a parent with a point of view. Evidence-Based Teen Pregnancy Prevention Programs - CDC 32 Shocking Facts And Statistics About Teen Pregnancy, https://www.aafp.org/afp/2004/1015/p1517.html, https://www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/adolescent-pregnancy, http://apps.who.int/iris/bitstream/handle/10665/70813/WHO_FWC_MCA_12_02_eng.pdf;jsessionid=20DE9FE270FA0317253BF6DBEB782FED?sequence=1, https://www.plannedparenthood.org/learn/for-educators/what-are-goals-sex-education-youth, https://www.udel.edu/canr/cooperative-extension/fact-sheets/avoid-teen-pregnancy-parenting-tip/, https://www.plannedparenthood.org/uploads/filer_public/94/d7/94d748c6-5be0-4765-9d38-b1b90d16a254/reducing_teen_pregnancy.pdf, https://www.povertyactionlab.org/blog/10-9-20/dayofthegirlchild-preventing-surge-teenage-pregnancies-due-covid-19, http://cega.berkeley.edu/assets/cega_research_projects/57/Do_Labor_Market_Opportunities_Affect_Young_Women_s_Work_and_Family_Decisions_Experimental_Evidence_from_India.pdf, https://www.michigan.gov/tppi/0,3811,7-317-66539_66548-312473,00.html, https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4206259/, https://www.unfpa.org/sites/default/files/pub-pdf/Girlhood_not_motherhood_final_web.pdf, https://www.innovating-education.org/2016/04/using-bedsider-teaching-tool/, https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/12268855/, Columbia University Vagelos College of Physicians and Surgeons. Recent sexual activity 2. Many girls marry early because of their poor economic conditions. There are effective ways to prevent pregnancy among younger teens ages 15-17. National Adolescent Health Information and Innovation Center. STDs, Birth Control, and Pregnancy | Advice For Teens - Planned Parenthood About 8 in 10 (83%) teens did not receive sex education before they first had sex. 10. Be kind and courteous to your children, and let them know you expect the same in return. Overall, however, only 69 percent of teenage males used condoms consistently.49 Knowledge about condoms and contraceptives does not appear to encourage initial or consistent use.51 For an adolescent boy, the primary motivating factors for condom use include not only pregnancy and STD prevention, but also partner desires, his perception of his ability to use condoms (condom use self-efficacy), and peer perceptions about condoms.52, Several medical organizations endorse efforts to prevent teenage pregnancy and STDs. This content is owned by the AAFP. 12 Practical Ways To Prevent Teenage Pregnancy - MomJunction The parents must have "bonding moments" with their kids to foster trust and confidence among themselves. Contraception, or birth control, helps prevent pregnancies and plan the number and spacing of children. Washington, DC: Power to Decide (formerly The National Campaign to Prevent Teen and Unplanned Pregnancy). A model for talking to teenagers about responsible sexual behavior is summarized in Table 2.34, Family members are encouraged to be actively involved in sex education efforts, because an adolescents values and sense of sexual responsibility are influenced by family norms and expectations. Preventing Teen Pregnancy | VitalSigns | CDC How to avoid pregnancy: 15 ways - Medical News Today The following two tabs change content below. See a health care provider to learn about the most effective types of birth control and use it and condoms correctly every time. Teen births in the US have declined, but still more than 273,000 infants were born to teens ages 15 to 19 in 2013. Pay attention to what they do. (302) 831-2501. If found guilty, pregnant women could face up to 15 years in prison and lose custody of their child. College of Agriculture & Natural Resources, 531 South College Avenue However, most adolescents are either unable to buy contraceptives or are unaware of the ways to use them (3). Saving Lives, Protecting People, Vital Signs Issue details: Births to Teens Aged 1517 Years United States, 19912012, Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report (MMWR), CDC Feature Breaking the Cycle of Teen Pregnancy, Vital Signs Preventing Pregnancy in Younger Teens [PODCAST 1:15 minutes], Vital Signs Preventing Pregnancy in Younger Teens PSA [PSA 0:60 seconds], Vital Signs Preventing Repeat Teen Births [PODCAST 1:15 minutes], Vital Signs Preventing Repeat Teen Births [PSA 0:60 seconds], Public Health Ground Rounds on Reducing Teen Pregnancy in the US, National Center for Chronic Disease Prevention and Health Promotion, U.S. Department of Health & Human Services. Gender ideologies influence how young men and women behave and decide about contraception. Have a plan. Spend fun, pleasant time with your children daily, if possible. Preventing teenage pregnancy is important because research shows that it can have adverse long-term consequences on society, health, and the economy. If you need to go back and make any changes, you can always do so by going to our Privacy Policy page. Less than 5% of teens on birth control use LARC. Research shows that watching television programs depicting sexual behavior causes teens to indulge in non-marital sexual activity from an early age (6). In the To the Contrary teen pregnancy episode, Sarah Brown from the National Campaign to Prevent Teen Pregnancy says that . ) or University of Delaware Newark, DE 19716 USA. For copies of the complete report, contact APCW, 1316 3rd Street Promenade, Suite B-5, Santa Monica, CA: 90401 (310)395-0098. She graduated as an obstetrician and gynecologist from the, Infographic: Preventing Teenage Pregnancies Through Awareness. Long before your child asks you if he or she can date a certain person, make it clear that one-on-one dating before 16 can lead to trouble. In order to avoid becoming pregnant, take one cup of this combination every day. 10 Tips for Parents: Teen Pregnancy Prevention Lock Teenage boys typically experience first intercourse at a younger age and have more sex partners than teenage girls, yet they seek care for reproductive concerns less frequently.48,49 Most adolescent health clinics and education programs target the health of girls, with fewer interventions aimed at boys. March 2016. call-to-action.pdf (213.17 KB) Child Welfare and Juvenile Justice. In general, these programs aim to improve the use of contraception and to modify the high-risk behaviors associated with teenage pregnancy and STDs. Provide confidential, respectful, and culturally appropriate services that meet the needs of teen clients. means youve safely connected to the .gov website. Supervise and monitor your childrens activities. The good news is that more teens are waiting to have sex, and for sexually active teens, nearly 90% used birth control the last time they had sex. Remind teens that LARC by itself does not protect against sexually transmitted diseases and that condoms should also be used every time they have sex. Help them learn to use their free time in constructive waysbeing sure they set aside time to do their homework. Teenage pregnancy can lead to missed classes, lower grades, and a lack of focus on schoolwork. More than 7 in 10 (76%) spoke to their parents about birth control or about not having sex. Encourage group activities. Protect your family, friends and community. Keep track of your childrens grades and meet with teachers. Emphasize how much you value education. 1,2 Birth rates fell 7% for females aged . Method 1 Preventing Pregnancy as a Teen Download Article 1 Educate yourself about pregnancy. Teenage pregnancy poses a substantial financial burden to society, estimated at $10.9 billion annually in lost tax revenues, public assistance, child health care, foster care, and involvement with the criminal justice system (NCPTUP, 2011). You can review and change the way we collect information below. Why Do Teens Binge Drink & What Are The Consequences? Male and female condoms are the only. Encourage teens who are not sexually active to continue to wait. Do your best to be an askable parent. Compared with nonpregnant adolescents, teenage mothers are less likely to graduate from high school and are more likely to score below average in language and reading skills.7,8 These teenagers also are more likely to have low self-esteem and symptoms of depression.9,10 Many of them have behavior and substance-abuse problems and lack the resources to fully foster the emotional development and enrichment of their childrens lives.1113, Children of adolescent mothers are at greater risk of preterm birth, low birth weight, child abuse, neglect, poverty, and death.1417 They are more likely to have behavior disorders and difficulties in school, and to engage in substance abuse.18,19 In 1996, the poverty rate among children born to teenage mothers was 42 percent, twice that of the overall rate in children.20 The infant mortality rate (i.e., deaths in infants younger than one year per 1,000 live births) is higher in children of teenage mothers than in other children.21, All Americans are affected by adolescent pregnancy. Engage adolescents in confidential, open, and nonjudgmental discussions independent of caregivers. ( Comprehensive sex-education curricula present abstinence as the most effective method of preventing pregnancy and STDs but also discuss contraception as the appropriate strategy for persons who are sexually active. The WHO defines adolescence as the period between the ages of 10 and 19 years. Pregnancy Prevention | Youth.gov For adolescents who are sexually active, using effective contraceptives (such as condoms, birth control pills, the patch, the vaginal ring, the intrauterine device or IUD, and/or injectable birth control methods) every time they have sexual intercourse will reduce chances of unwanted pregnancy.3 In addition to using a contraceptive method that protects against pregnancy, using condoms correctly will reduce the risk of HIV and other sexually transmitted infections (STIs) for everyone.4 STIs are also called sexually transmitted diseases, or STDs. Copyright 2004 by the American Academy of Family Physicians. MomJunction provides content for informational purposes only. Promote gender equality to encourage a rise in contraceptive usage. A 1993 survey of publicly funded family planning clinics indicated that only 6 percent of patients were male.50 Adolescent boys desire information about STDs, contraception, pregnancy, and sexual health, but as few as 32 percent of sexually active boys receive this information from their health care providers.50 Decreasing the incidence of teenage pregnancy will require focused attention on male adolescents, including establishing avenues for routine sexual health services and targeted educational programs. Program characteristics that are important in reducing risky sexual behaviors by teenagers are summarized in Table 1.29, Health care professionals can play a key role in improving contraception use and STD prevention. Make efforts to change social norms and attitudes towards forced sex and sexual violence prevailing in society (, Send girls to school, so they are less likely to get married early. Know what your kids are watching, reading and listening to. The Seattle Social Development Project24 is a program designed to increase students social skills and attachment to school and family. 13 Positive And Negative Influences Of Media On Teenagers, 21 Essential Life Skills For Teens To Learn. Use the time together to talknot to argue. 2. Each year in the United States, approximately 1 million adolescents, or 10 percent of females 15 to 19 years of age, become pregnant.1 These pregnancies, which account for 13 percent of all births, usually are unintended and occur outside of marriage.2 Since 1991, the adolescent pregnancy rate in the United States has fallen by 25 percent, from 116 to 87 per 1,000 females 15 to 19 years of age.3 This decline has been attributed to delayed initiation of sexual intercourse, increased use of contraception, and education about human immunodeficiency virus transmission and pregnancy prevention.4,5 Despite the decline, adolescent pregnancy remains a major public health problem with lasting repercussions. How do I know Im in love? https://www.cdc.gov/reproductivehealth/contraception/index.htm back to top, 4 Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Know where your children are at all times. Will you use contraceptives? Inform male adolescents about sexual health, risky behaviors, and STIs. Grade Levels: 9-12. These cookies allow us to count visits and traffic sources so we can measure and improve the performance of our site. How will I know when Im ready to get married? Most teens use birth control pills and condoms, methods which are less effective at preventing pregnancy when not used properly. Present accurate, age-appropriate, and culturally sensitive information about the risks associated with unprotected sexual activity, use of contraceptives, and strategies for prevention of pregnancy and sexually transmitted infections. An official website of the United States government Pregnancy Prevention in Adolescents | AAFP Know where their teens are and what they are doing, particularly after school. Be media literate about what you and your family are watching and reading. LARC use among teens ages 15-19 seeking birth control at Title X-funded centers. Preventing Teenage Pregnancy - KZN HEALTH Raise immediate concern if you find something worrying (. If you do not allow these cookies we will not know when you have visited our site, and will not be able to monitor its performance. Many of these strategies are implemented at the family and community level. Results of larger, more rigorous studies are expected. Research has shown that evidence-based programs (EBPs) designed for teen pregnancy prevention (TPP) can impact one or more of the following outcomes: 1. Research suggests that implementing evidence-based. You can use condoms for vaginal sex, anal sex, and oral sex on a penis. For adolescents who are sexually active, using effective contraceptives (such as condoms, birth control pills, the patch, the vaginal ring, the intrauterine device or IUD, and/or injectable birth control methods) every time they have sexual intercourse will reduce chances of unwanted pregnancy. A total of 7,340 students with varied racial backgrounds were assigned randomly to intervention or control groups and were followed for up to 17 months. Think ahead about how you will handle this. Results showing the impact on teenage pregnancy rates are expected in 2005. These first nine tips for helping your children avoid teen pregnancy work best when they occur as part of strong, close relationships with your children that are built from early age. They include: 1. If you need to go back and make any changes, you can always do so by going to our Privacy Policy page. If you do not allow these cookies we will not know when you have visited our site, and will not be able to monitor its performance. She has also completed her Post Pragya Bhargavi has been in the field of content research, writing and editing for over six years. Visit a health care provider with the teen to learn about various types of birth control, including LARC. Extension Family & Human Development Specialist
