“My boyfriend wants us to have sex,” this is the reason that teenagers say when asked why they had an intercourse. While for the others teens, the reasons why they are abstaining from sex is because it’s against their moral or religious values, they have not met the appropriate partner yet, they fear sexually transmitted diseases, and they support teenage pregnancy prevention
According to National Campaign to Prevent Teen Pregnancy, “31% of teenage girls will get pregnant before reaching the age of 20.” This would mean that these young girls are raising babies either without financial resources or without partner support. Aside from that, they will also face difficult life-changing choices such as adoption or abortion.
Sexual Pressures
Society has hyper-sexualized images of sex without any consequences. Advertising, television, and movies give teenagers the idea that sex is equivalent to success, self-worth, and popularity.
They are also getting pressure from other kids with a false belief that ‘everyone is doing it.’ So if they are not sexually active, maybe something is wrong with them. Boys will be labeled as gay if they don’t discuss sex openly, while girls feel that they need to have sex to preserve their relationship. In addition, drug or alcohol use will impair the decision-making abilities of teens to make the right choices.
As parents, the best way for you to achieve teenage pregnancy prevention is to build an open and strong relationship with your children even before they become teens. Talk about responsible sex to them often – if you’re unsure where to start, you can use situations in movies or TV to initiate discussions.
Prevention Strategies
Susan Carney, a middle school counselor, said “Teens have a sense of ‘it will not happen to me’ attitude. They tend to think that they’re invincible and they act accordingly.” However, they still lack the capacity to anticipate consequences and predict outcomes.
As such, teenage pregnancy prevention can only be achieved in 2 ways – abstinence and contraception. If you have discovered that your teen is sexually active, and very unlikely to practice abstinence, then you should provide the right access to contraception.
You can set an appointment with a physician or visit a local health department. Alternatively, you can also find family planning clinics if you research in the internet or local yellow pages.
Parent Bonding
Sometimes, teens have nowhere to turn if they want to talk about their problems with relationships or sex. This is why parents are encouraged to bond with their children often in order to help in teenage pregnancy prevention.