| Since
the early 1990s, teen pregnancies across America declined
dramatically. However, it is a teen pregnancy fact
that 34% of teenage girls in America still get pregnant
before they turn the age of 20. This means that America
has one of the highest teen pregnancy rates in the
world. As does England; in which one in every five
births in the country is from a teenager. These are
shocking statistics and adults and teenagers alike
should be active in teen pregnancy prevention.
Talking
about sex and pregnancy
When a child reaches the age of about 13,
parents should be active in approaching their child
about their thoughts and ideas of sex and the possible
consequences of the act. Although it can initially
be embarrassing for both parties, it will pay off
in the long run as education and knowledge is the
best way to prevent teen pregnancy.
Talk to your child about the sexually transmitted
diseases and the risk of pregnancy as well as pregnancy
prevent methods such as abstinence and contraception.
Abstinence
The safest path towards
teen pregnancy prevention is abstinence. Not having
sexual intercourse will mean that you will never have
to worry about catching any diseases or unwanted pregnancies
which will ultimately change your entire life. Though
there will undoubtedly be a lot of peer pressure to
have sex, abstaining from sex now will only mean that
you will be 100% ready when you do decide to take
that step.
Contraception
The two most popular forms
of teen pregnancy prevention come in the form of the
condom and the pill. The condom is a rubber latex
glove that is placed over the penis during sex to
prevent semen from entering the vagina. The condom
will not only protect you from possible diseases that
can be transmitted through the semen but also from
teen pregnancy.
Teen pregnancy facts suggest that there
are also a large number of teens now taking the birth
control pill, and this number is increasing yearly.
The birth control pill is taken every day and releases
hormones in the body to stop your body from ovulating.
If you don’t ovulate, then no egg will be released
and therefore there will be no egg for the sperm to
fertilize. If it is taken every day, the pill is very
reliable in terms of pregnancy prevention. However,
the pill does not stop you from catching sexually
transmitted diseases and infections so you must still
be careful.
The media often portrays teens regularly
having sex. But you don’t need to buy into this. The
media isn’t real and it is perfectly normal to wait
until you are ready or for the right person to come
along before having sex. The only 100% way to prevent
teen pregnancy from occurring is to not have sex at
all. |
