Teen Pregnancy

Essay by brandybunker75College, UndergraduateA, August 2014

download word file, 8 pages 0.0

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Running head: FINAL PAPER

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FINAL PAPER

Final Paper

Brandy Bunker

HD 312A Mid-Child & Adolescent Development

Kristi White

Warner Pacific College

April 8, 2014 Final Paper

The United States has a higher rate of teen pregnancies than most other countries. In my opinion, a key factor in our high teen pregnancy rates is the lack of education. I was a teen parent myself. I was living on my own at the age of sixteen, had no parental guidance, and lacked the education to protect myself and prevent pregnancy. The education system has come a long way since I was pregnant in the 90's. There are many resources out there for teens and many states offer privacy rights for teens in the case of birth control. I feel that if more teens were aware of the programs designed to help them, they would be more likely to utilize those programs.

Whether it is for sex education or birth control, our teens need our help (Ventura, et al, 2012).

Teen pregnancy is just another result of Chap Clark's "abandonment" as discussed in his book Hurt 2.0 (2004). Adolescents are not receiving enough education about sex and pregnancy prevention and over half of teens do not speak with their parents about either (U.S. National Library of Medicine, 2011). If we, as parents, are not educating our children about sex and pregnancy prevention and they are not learning it in school, then how are they supposed to know? According to a survey performed by the CDC (Center for Disease Control) mentioned in an article by AAP News, almost one-third of pregnant teen moms did not think that they could get pregnant (2012).

Adding to this already alarming situation is the media of today's society. There is sex everywhere we turn. Commercials aimed...