4 Best ways to prevent Teenage Pregnancy

Teenage Pregnancy happens to 750,000 girls in the U.S. yearly according to Pregnant Teen Help and there are ways to help make those numbers decrease. There needs to be that one minute, before a teen gets heated up in action, to think about the consequences about not using some type of prevention. Some people think that teen pregnancy is unavoidable but here are 4 great ways to prove it wrong.

Pregnant Girl- Photo by: Mahalie

1. Keep A Media Diet

Many times we are influenced by the media that we see, as in TV shows that portray racy acts like sex and unconsciously we seem to do the same thing in our life. So to fix this problem try to limit yourself from watching so many shows that give you an idea about those kinds of things so that you could lower your risk from doing the same thing, that eventually could lead to unwanted pregnancy. Studies show that what you see on TV influences many people to do the same according to Mindy M. Mowers from Northwestern University.

2. You got 99 issues but a baby shouldn’t be one

It has been said that the reason why teen get pregnant is because they are going through some emotional issues with someone they care such as a parent or boyfriend and to fix that they go off to have sex to feel loved and wanted. But this doesn’t fix anything. If a teen like you is having a problem, don’t try to solve it by getting pregnant: talk to someone. Try to work and think things through before you end up thinking about which brand of diapers to buy.

3. Birth Control Methods  

Contraception, also known as birth control, is a method to use to stop from having babies and still be able to have sex. It has effects on the women’s body in which it prevents sperm from entering the woman’s body and fertilizing the egg. Spermicidal Lubrication, condoms for female and male, and birth control pills are some examples of the many things teens could use to prevent from having babies at such a young age. These products are fairly easy to use and are 99.9% effective as well as available for a small cost at the local drugstore. So why not use them and live your teenage years to the fullest?

4. Keep the Legs Closed Ladies!

The only 100% way to be able to prevent the number of teen pregnancy from rising is to practice abstinence. Does it really work? Abstaining from sex is the absolute best way to prevent from having babies and it allows the teen girl and boy one less thing to worry about, what with band practice and piano lessons to attend why add another priority?

Teen Mom Rebecca Barrera says,” Wait to have sex because once you have a baby everything completely changes and you don’t get to act like a normal teen and do things you could at this age. Your parents always tell you to wait to have sex but until you have a kid that is when you realize you should have listened. ”

Sofia, Rebecca's 6 month daughter

 

Teen Mom Video

Check out this video I made about teen pregnancy and what it is like to be a teen mom. Hope you get a lot out of it and use the advice wisely !

Places to take your child

Check out this great slide show to find out more about places to take your child! It really gets you to think of places to go out and enjoy the day with your precious little one. It not only provides quality time but gets the child to learn which is always great. Some of the places include the art museum, the store, the park and many more! Hope you get a lot of it !

Photos by:

• Beaukiss
• aloxe
• hoyasmeg
• pawpaw67
• babasteve
• villaamor
• ssmallfry
• noquarter
• NASA Goddard Space Flight Center
• Bandita
• tammylo

3 Effects of Teen Pregnancy on Mothers

We all know that teen pregnancy shouldn’t be on you top list of things to do but when it does happen there are after-effects on the mother that are hard to deal with, especially at a young age, that people don’t realize.

The Trouble that comes with Teen Pregnancy

Money Problem

When the baby is due soon the financial stress starts to build up on the teen mother. The baby needs things like:

• Diapers
• Bottles
• Pacifier
• Crib
• Baby clothes
• Bibs
• Wash cloths
• Lotion
• Shampoo

All these things to do not come cheap so then the mother needs a job or some way to be able to earn money for all the things that the baby needs. But when your belly so big that you can’t see your feet and your back hurt, how is that supposed to happen? 80% of teen mothers will be on welfare at some point. Many of the babies’ fathers are not present or stay with the mothers. Therefore, the teen girl is left to fend for herself with a child on the way.  The family of the teen sometimes is present in the process of support for the teen but many disown them.       Photo by:Polina Sergeeva

Emotional Outrage  

Of course when finding out that your pregnant it isn’t the best time when you have composed yourself. There are several factors that come with teen pregnancy like the fact that a teen might not finish high school to take care of the baby. Only one third of teen mothers get a high school diploma. That’s something that she might regret when she’s older and trying to find a job. Also, all the emotions that come with pregnancy: scared, stressed, over emotional crying, and happiness, not to mention the stress that comes with tying to make things work with the baby’s daddy and with your parents. It really adds on to the mother when there is a possibility that the baby could be sick or come abnormal in some way due to the fact that you’re only 16 and still maturing physically.

Too Much for one young body

At the age of 15-18, a girl’s body is ready to bear children but it isn’t fully matured to do so at that age. Other factors like:

• alcohol drinking
• smoking marijuana or other drugs
• lack of sleep
• wrong eating patterns…

can affect the way the baby develops so it is important to see a doctor and take care of yourself. Most likely when you are a teen in this situation, you may feel fine to go about your regular schedule but you may find that it is hard to do certain things like sports and activities that require more physical attention.

Trying to keep up with daily life as a Pregnant Teen

Photo by: Ed Yourdon

Media Influence on Teenage Pregnancy

Teen Pregnancy is starting to rise more and more but could it all have to do with the media influence that it has on the teens?

T.V. shows like MTV’s “16 and Pregnant” and “Teen Mom” show the hardships of teen pregnancy but other influences like Jamie Lynn Spears and Bristol Palin make it seem manageable but that’s not always the reality.

The media shows how teens learn from examples like Bristol in the limelight. Teens that have high exposure to television that contain sexual content are twice as likely to be involved in a pregnancy over the years.

That is why teens need to have their morals and values straight and clear.

Check out this video and click around !

Photos by:

• madeunderground
• cloudzilla
• vicky
• masja3
• ABC Family/Criag sjodin
• flickr.com
• jakewasdin
• ed your don
• memekode
• luisvilla
• flickr.com
• er3465

Options for Pregnant Teens

Fetus at 20 weeks.

So what is the process when a girl becomes pregnant? Well there are decisions to make like whether she will keep the baby or not, or whether she will terminate the pregnancy in an abortion.

These are some of the options that a teen has when faced with this life changing situation.

Photo by: cehwiedel.com

1) Adoption

If and when a teen chooses to go with adoption there are a few things that she must consider.

a)      Is it what’s best for the child or the pregnant teen?

b)      Can she live with this decision?

c)      What factors are making the teen want to do adoption?

Baby that could be raised in a great environment

Adoption allows for teens to give their babies a better life than what the teen mom would give them. The people who will adopt will be ready to raise a child where as the teen would not. There are several factors that indicate that the teen should chose adoption:

Not ready yet in any way- financially, mentally, physically

1. School motives for the future
2. Social life- not ready to give it up

Photo by: flickr.com

There is open adoption where the parents are allowed to have contact with the child trough phone calls, letters, etc. The child is later able to find out who they are and develop a relationship if desired.

2) Abortions

Abortion is an issue in which many people don’t agree with based on the fact that many people as if it is like killing a human life, which technically it is. Nevertheless, it is an available option for teens who feel that that is the way they would like to deal with the situation.

The process for abortion is heart-breaking but many girls still go through with it despite all of this. There are two possible ways for this, the abortion pill and the in-clinic abortion.

Abortion is much more common than people think. 1 in 3 women in the U.S. get an abortion before the age of 45 according to Planned Parenthood. Abortion serves as a way to get rid of the baby before it develops more into full growth inside the mother’s womb. Women of all ages chose this procedure for different reasons but being a teen mom isn’t something that teens look for so they go with abortion. This happens all over the U.S. even though in some states there needs to be parental consent for those younger than 18 years old.

In the end the decision should be based on what’s best for the baby and the teen mother. It isn’t the easiest thing a teen a will do but it is what has to be done.

A Day in the life of a Teen Mom

This video gives a little insight into the day in the life of a Teen Mom, all including from when she wakes up to when she falls asleep.

Stats and Facts!

So everyone knows that there is an occurring epidemic of growing numbers of teenagers having children but what can be the reason behind these statistics? Could it be the fact that many don’t know the options? Or know the consequences of having sex? Maybe it’s the fact that teens see how “popular” being a teen mom is based on all the shows that there is like “16 and Pregnant” on MTV and “The Secret Life of the American Teenager” on ABC Family.

One of the changes that happens with Pregnancy

Statistics show that:

• The number of births to teens in the U.S. aged 15-19 was 41.2 out of a 1,000.
• Every year 750,000 teens will get pregnant.
• More than 2/3 of teens that have a baby will not graduate from High School.

These are some scary facts! This leads to the question; who is responsible for informing teens about prevention and protection against pregnancy or abstinence in that case?

There are many ways to prevent teens from becoming mothers, for example:

• Talking about abstinence
• If having sex, then to use a condom
• Going on birth control

Many Teens feel that they could “easily” use the “pull-out” method but in reality that doesn’t work quite as often as they think. Parents serve a HUGE role in this. They should be able to take incentive and have that dreaded talk that every teen hates to have for how awkward it may be.

Of course there’s the morning after pill but how effective is it really??

Baby sleeping- cutest responsibility

Teens don’t realize the consequences and all the work that it takes to raise a baby, much less do it alone if the baby’s father backs out. After that, it’s the all the emotional, mental, physical, and financial stress that it puts on the teen mom. There’s the diapers, money to buy diapers , then it comes down to getting a job to pay for diapers , but then you need a babysitter to watch the baby which is more money  which the teen mom does not have in the first place.

For some teens, they are fortunate enough to have families to help out with the precious responsibility but this is not always the case. There are programs and options in which a teen can take advantage of. Adoption is one such option for those who would like to give their child to a better family and a life better than the one that the baby was born in.

Make sure you make the right choice!

Now it is all up to the million plus teens in the world to make the right decision when it comes to sex, but is it really all enough to prevent such high numbers?

Here’s My Personal Welcome !

Hey Everyone!

What could be more peaceful ?

My name is Vivian and my blog is about teenage pregnancy and all the side things that come with it. I chose to write about it because of the reoccurring times that it has happened to people I know and care about. I just want to let people know what is going on, although many of you probably already know. I will eventually expand more into different strands of this topic and let you know more about this.

Photo by: peasap

Thanks ! 🙂