If you are a pregnant teen, the parent of a pregnant teen or are concerned about a pregnant teen and need help and/or resouces contact:
Teenage Pregnancy Prevention Task Force
1300 Commerce Dr.
Decatur, GA 30030
(404) 371-2889
The Alliance’s philosophy on teen pregnancy is that abstinence is the best prevention. However, youth who choose not to be abstinent must be educated on how to reduce their risks for unintended pregnancies and sexually transmitted diseases (STDs) by correctly and consistently using a latex condom.
According to the Centers for Disease Control & Prevention (CDC), annually more than 900,000 adolescents become pregnant. The majority of teen pregnancies are unintended, accounting for one-fourth of all unintended pregnancies each year. Unintended pregnancies and sexually transmitted diseases (STDs), including infection with the human immunodeficiency virus that causes AIDS, result from unprotected sexual behaviors. Abstinence is the only method of complete protection. Condoms, if used correctly and consistently, can help prevent both unintended pregnancy and STDs. 1
In 1999, according to the Centers for Disease Control & Prevention (CDC), 85 percent of adolescents abstained from sexual intercourse or used condoms if they were sexually active. 2 Teen pregnancy rates are much higher in the U.S. than in many other developed countries, and girls ages 10-14 are the only segment of our population for which the pregnancy rate is increasing.
The consequences of unintended pregnancy for teen mothers include: unintended births, reduced educational attainment, fewer employment opportunities, increased likelihood of public assistance and less likely to receive adequate and timely prenatal care resulting in poorer health and developmental outcomes among their infants. About one-fourth of unintended pregnancies end in abortion.
Additional consequences to adolescents who give birth include:
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Many do not complete high school.· Moms more likely to smoke.
· A child born to an unmarried, teenage high school dropout is 10 times more likely to be living in poverty.
· Are more likely to repeat the cycle (e.g., school drop out, become a teen mother, to divorce or separate). 3
There are many reasons why young people engage in sexual activity prematurely and have babies. Many of the pregnancies may result from non-voluntary sex and many times the fathers of these babies are in their 20s and older. 4
In addition, research has identified four conditions that are associated with teenage childbearing. Teens most likely to have a child are those:
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From economically disadvantaged families and communities.· Not doing well in school and having low aspirations for their own educational achievement.
· From dysfunctional families.
· With substance abuse and behavioral problems 5 .
The more risk factors that young people are exposed to in their lives, the higher the probability that they will experience one or more negative outcomes (i.e., school dropout, substance abuse, or having a baby). To be most effective, The Alliance promotes comprehensive prevention programs that include a focus on abstinence and safer sexual behaviors (condoms usage)
Research shows that parents should talk to their children honestly about sex and responsibility before their children become sexually active. If parents wait too long, too often the result will be a teenage pregnancy. A comprehensive approach to teen pregnancy prevention that teaches both abstinence and prevention is necessary. Repeated studies indicate that comprehensive sexual education programs lower the rate of pregnancy among teens. In 2001, the Atlanta-based Centers for Disease Control & Prevention released figures showing the teen pregnancy rate falling to its lowest level since the agency begun measuring it in 1976. While this was very good news, the number of teenage females having children is still too high – we have a lot of work ahead of us.
In DeKalb
According to the 2003 Status of Health in DeKalb report produced by the DeKalb County Board of Health:
·
Between 1994 and 2002, the total teen pregnancy rate of females aged 10 to 19 years declined 31% from 55.1 pregnancies per 1,000 live births to 38.2 pregnancies in 2002. The total live birth rate for teens decreased 22%, and the abortion rate decreased 42%.· On average, teen pregnancy rates are the highest for Hispanic/Latino and Black teens. Hispanic/Latino teen pregnancies increased 37% from 1994 to 2002; Black teen pregnancies decreased 42% during the same time period.
· The decline in DeKalb County rates are representative of the trend seen at the state and national levels.
· Teens who are having sex are also at risk of getting a sexually transmitted disease, such as gonorrhea, Chlamydia, syphilis and HIV. In 2003, there were 1,495 cases of Chlamydia and 545 cases of gonorrhea among teens aged 10-19.
· Compared to high school students nationally, DeKalb County high school students are more sexually active and start having sex at a younger age, putting them at risk for getting pregnant. Among DeKalb County high school students, 53% have had sexual intercourse, and 35% were sexually active within the previous three months. Fifteen percent of students began sexual activity before the age of 13 years, and 21% have had sex with four or more persons.
2002 data from the Georgia Department of Human Resources for DeKalb County show:
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1,044 females aged 10-19 gave birth· 484 of these births were repeat pregnancies
· 121 of these babies were born with low birth weights
· 269 of these females had late or no prenatal care
· 688 of these mothers had less than a high school education
Our teen pregnancy prevention program outcomes include:
· Gender-specific prevention messages and products.
· Peer workshops and group support.
· Enhanced knowledge and skills development.
· Reduced numbers of pregnancies
· Reduced numbers of second pregnancies
Sources:
1 U.S. Dept. of Health & Human Services. Healthy People 2010, Volume 1, p, 34.
November 2000.
2 Centers for Disease Control & Prevention. Youth Risk Behavior Surveillance System, 1999.
3 Garfinkel, I. And McLanahan, S. Single Mothers and Their Children. The Urban Institute, Washington, D.C. 1986. pp. 1-2.
4 Boyer, D. and Fine, D. Sexual Abuse as a Factor in Adolescent Pregnancy and Child Maltreatment. Family Planning Perspectives, Vol. 24., No. 1, 1992.
5 Moore, K., Miller, B, et al. Beginning Too Soon: Adolescent Sexual Behavior, Pregnancy and Parenthood. Child rends, Inc., Washington, D. C. 1995.
For additional information and/or resources on Teenage Pregnancy Prevention, please visit:
Teen Pregnancy Prevention Task Force at
CRKalka@co.dekalb.ga.us
DeKalb County Board of Health Adolescent Health Program at
www.dekalbhealth.net
DeKalb County Extension Services at
www.dekalbextension.com
Georgia Campaign for Adolescent Pregnancy Prevention (G-CAPP)
