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When we think of teen pregnancy, some of us may think it is a problem that is under control, especially in the United States in the 21st century. The reality is that teen pregnancy continues to be a health problem in our society today.
The National Campaign to Prevent Teen Pregnancy and Unplanned Pregnancy states there has been a decline in the teen pregnancy rates in the past 20 years. This is good news, but the latest statistic given by StayTeen.org is that 3 in 10 girls get pregnant by the age of 20, equaling 745,000 teen pregnancies each year.
The Centers for Disease Control indicates that the teen pregnancy rate in the U.S. is “substantially higher than those of other western industrialized nations”. What can be done to help improve these numbers and give teens the opportunity to choose the future they want?
There are several different levels to teen pregnancy prevention. The best outcomes are from a collaborative effort between teens, parents, and health educators. There are many different programs and efforts in Cortland County work to reduce teen pregnancy. The Jacobus Center provides programs in schools and the community covering relationships, decision-making and sexuality topics.
Local agencies and groups for youth provide services, such as case management and positive activities for at-risk teens. The Cortland Area Communities that Care Coalition began in 2001 as a collaboration of community agencies whose mission is “To reduce adolescent alcohol and other drug abuse, teen pregnancy, delinquency, school drop-outs rates, and teen violence in our community”. The CACTC connects community partners with funding sources to address the key issues in their mission statement using science based programs.
What can parents do to help? One way for parents to help their teen avoid pregnancy is to talk openly about sex and share your values with your child. Parents have a very powerful influence on their children’s attitudes toward sex and pregnancy.
If children from a young age know that they can talk to their parents about any issue, children are more likely to continue this trend when the topic of sex and birth control comes up.
Programs to help parents communicate with their teens about sex are available through the Jacobus Center. Another resource for parents, called “10 Tips for Parents to Help Their Children Avoid Teen Pregnancy,” can be found on the National Campaign’s web site at www.thenationalcampaign.org .
Teens have resources as well. The Jacobus Center for Reproductive Health is one resource teens can make use of in Cortland. The Jacobus Center offers reproductive health services and has an incredible amount of resources on a wide range of topics from abstinence, family planning and contraceptive choices to HIV, and other sexually transmitted diseases.
An online resource to help teens think about pregnancy in real-life situations is the StayTeen.org quiz that will be available throughout May. This quiz will be promoted in the local high schools and is appropriate for teens 13 and up.
Approaching the teen pregnancy issue from a holistic and comprehensive approach seems to be the best way to continue to reduce the rates of teen pregnancy. When community education and prevention programs are combined with parental guidance, open communication and accurate information and resources for teens, they all contribute to a continued downward trend in the teen pregnancy rates locally and nationwide.
For more information or if you have questions, contact the Jacobus Center Health Educator at 607-753-5088.
Malinda Rees is a senior at SUNY Cortland. She worked at CAPCO Head Start for ten years before going back to school to earn a Bachelors Degree in Human Services with a minor in Sociology. Immediately following graduation she will begin a Masters in Community Health at SUNY Cortland.
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