Teen Pregnancy in Warren County - Case Study Example

Teen Pregnancy in Warren County, Kentucky Problem A national survey in reveled that while 46 per cent of teenagers in the United States are actively involved in some form of sex, in Kentucky it is 48 per cent of the teenagers. These statistics indicate the fact that the issue of teen pregnancy is an issue bigger in Kentucky than it is in the country. The United States is conservative in sexual matters and this has compounded the problem. Parents are reserved in discussing sexual matters with their teenage children (Mink, 2012). The high rates of teenage pregnancy is associated with higher abortion rates thus addressing the problem of teenage pregnancy will lead to finding solutions for the high abortion rates. Other problems resulting from teenage pregnancy include drop-out from school and increase in sexually transmitted illnesses. Schools in Kentucky introduce sex education to the curriculum in the sixth grade and continue through to the twelfth grade. The county lacks state law regarding sex education and students rely on personal and physical health education to learn how to make proper decisions on sexual behavior (SIECUS, 2010). No specific curriculum is necessary for sex education in Kentucky. Teenage motherhood is exhausting for the teenage mother thus it reduces productivity in school and other economic endeavors. Mink(2012) uses the example of Amber Gibson who had her child when she was seventeen years old. Amber describes other hood as an overwhelming experience involving loss of countless hours of sleep and constant worry for her child. Situational Analysis In 2010, the teen birth rate in Kentucky ranked 7th in the United States with an average rate of 55.6 births per 1000 young women aged between 15 and 19 years (SIECUS, 2010). In a 2013 study, trends for teen pregnancy indicated that pregnancy rates for teenagers aged between 15 and 19 years to be worse than the benchmark. The statistics for this age bracket are increased by the high number of teenage pregnancies for those between 18 and 19 years old ( Adirondack Rural Health Network, 2013). There has been some hope for changing statistics since the latter category has been showing a slight decline in the number of pregnancies, but the level still remains worse than the benchmark. For the younger teen populations, the rates are better than the benchmarks and it is going to require concerted efforts from all stakeholders to maintain, or better yet reduce the figure. The situation has been worsened by the fact that majority of the parents are not hel[ing teachers in educating teenagers o he effects of engaging in early sex, or the effects of teenage pregnancy. Most of today’s parents imitate their parents when it comes to matters concerning sex an pregnancy. Most of these parents are uncomfortable and uneducated about sex education thus the stance of avoiding it altogether (Mink, 2012). These parents have the false belief that talking about sex with teenagers is tantamount to encouraging them to think about and engage in sex. Those affected The teenagers are the most affected by the problem in issue. Peer pressure to engage in sex is rife in high school since teenagers at a developmental stage where they are experimenting with their bodies. As sexuality increases with adolescence, teenagers may engage in sex as part of the experimentation process (Hay, Levin, Deterding, & Abzug, 2014). Those who do not experiment are made to feel as though they do not belong or they are left out on something important. Generally more male teenagers engage in sex while in their teenage as compare to the girls. Some even engage in sex before they attain thirteen years (SIECUS, 2010). The experimentation in most cases involves multiple sexual partners since they are seeking pleasure and not serious relationships. Certain health behaviors place teenagers at a risk of getting pregnant. Mink (2012) gives an account of one teenage mother, Kelsey Elrod who at the age of seventeen had a one-year son, having become pregnant during her freshman year. Kelsey admits that many teenage girls desire to become pregnant. Most girls do not understand the risks of engaging in early sexual behavior, and much less, the implications of early parenthood. The teenagers do not pay attention to their sex education classes, and some do not get any sex education at home. For most of the teenagers, sex usually occurs in an environment laden with alcohol and drugs, and mostly in parties. Social functions involve consumption of alcohol, cigarettes and other social drugs. While these drugs relax the person, they also lower inhibitions and impair mental judgment. Another health behavior that promotes teenage pregnancy is the early introduction of contraceptives to teenagers by their parents. Some parents have resorted to taking the initiative to try and prevent their teenagers from getting pregnant by putting them on contraceptives. Parents are also affected by the problem since once the teenagers become young parents. These parents in most cases are forced to take care of their now grandchildren as well as their young parents. The advocacy of contraceptive use by parents is misunderstood by some teenagers that sex is alright. Kentucky’s economy is also placed at risk because of the increase in teenage mothers in the county. 2010 census survey data revealed that while the national poverty level was 15.3 per cent, that of Kentucky was 19 per cent. Additionally, the census indicated that the county ranked 3rdnationally for poverty level (Decker, 2013). A retired professor of public health at the Western Kentucky University, Steve Nagy, posits that the society has been forced to pick up the slack with effects of teenage pregnancy because parents are not being responsible (Mink, 2012). Possible Solutions and Rationale The parents of Warren County have been proactive in trying to reduce the number of teenage pregnancies in their locality. In conjunction with schools, several workshops have been organized for two main reasons. The first set of workshops involves parents and educators discussing how they can improve the effectiveness of sex education to the teenagers. The second set of workshops involves educators and the teenagers in order to emphasize the importance avoiding pregnancy through either abstinence form sex or through the regular use of conception. However, these methods have had minimal success since the teenagers repeatedly confess to the information going into one ear and out through the other (Mink, 2012). These workshops, however, agree that parents should be the main sex educators. Parents have failed to successfully implement their role as sex educators mainly due to religious limitations. Most parents, believing that their children are not thinking about sex, put off the talk and before they realize their teenage children are on the way to becoming parents. Some say they do not know how to initiate the conversation because according to their religious persuasions, sex is only for the adults. However, the church together with parents should break the silence on sex and teenage pregnancies in order to get the teenagers to listen and understand. In school, the teacher plays the role of sex educator but the impact is not substantial because students tend to think that their teachers are a bother. However, when every member of the society can openly talk about sex, the subject becomes easier to discuss to the level that teenagers who are thinking about having sex can openly seek counsel from parents, teachers and leaders without the fear of being stigmatized or judged harshly. Potential outcomes Healthy teenagers make better learners and potentially better adults. Promoting sex education in Kentucky is thus securing its future. However, it is crucial that parents take an active role in sex education. When both parents and teachers actively engage teenagers in sex education, they become better positioned to notice behavioral changes. Such changes may point to interest in sex, or an already active sex life. The advice given by parents and teachers can thus be adjusted to meet the specific needs of each teenager. Having the church teaming up with parents to educate teenagers on sex also emphasizes the importance of sex education received in school. The problem with prevailing situation in Warren County, is that teenagers learn all there is to learn about sex from the media, that Internet and from their peers. The first two sources are not interactive enough and do not exhaustively discuss sex issues with these teenagers. The friends also pose the risk of misguiding a teenager since they are also relying on another secondary source. It is only when parents and the church can engage the teenagers in sex education that a platform will be created for youth to have all their questions on sex addressed. Using a workshop setting would make it easier for parents to initiate the discussion which most admit is challenging (Mink, 2012). Initiating the sex conversation is, however, limited by the notions that the church and other religious bodies have about sex and sex education. Conclusion Teenage pregnancy is a nationwide problem in the United States. However, the problem is higher in Kentucky where the incidences of teenage pregnancy are higher than nation’s levels. The rates between 2008 and 2011 indicated a decline, but more still needs to be done to reduce further teenage pregnancy and teen birth rates. The teen birth rates declined by 17.5 per cent, from 41.6 per cent to 31.3 per cent. The levels in Kentucky for the same period fell by 22.8 per cent. Despite the decline, more strategies should be implemented to bring the value further down. Teenage pregnancy is a nationwide problem because its effects are felt across the board. The social costs of teen pregnancy in Kentucky include drop out of school, increase in poverty levels in the county, the increased likelihood of children born to become teenage parents. Teens are getting pregnant because of their disregard for sex education. Some teenagers admire being pregnant and knowingly engage in sex with the intention of becoming pregnant. Teen pregnancy is associated with increased levels of abortion and parents should be more proactive to educate their children on the effects of teenage pregnancy. As a means of reducing the levels, parents and the church should strive to promote abstinence and openness in discussing sex issues with teenagers. References Adirondack Rural Health Network. (2013). Warren County. Retrieved from Community Health Needs Assessment: http://www.warrencountyny.gov/healthservices/docs/2013comm-assess.pdf Decker, B. (2013). Teen Pregnancy: PREP, Abstinence, and other TPP Programs. Retrieved from Kentucky Public Health: http://chfs.ky.gov/nr/rdonlyres/c2d70ca4-2273-4692-be0a-79d6762431a0/0/teenpregnancycdptpppresentation020613.pdf Department for Public Health - Kentucky. (2010). Adolescent Health Initiatives. Retrieved from Kentucky Cabinet for Health and Family Services: http://chfs.ky.gov/dph/info/dwh/teenpregnancy.htm Hay, W., Levin, M., Deterding, R., & Abzug, M. (2014). CURRENT Diagnosis and Treatment Pediatrics, Twenty-Second Edition. New York: McGraw Hill Professional. Kentucky Department for Public Health. (2013). State Health Assessment: A Compilation on Health Status. Frankfort, KC: Kentucky Department for Public Health. Mink, J. (2012, May 13). Sex ed: Some experts fear adults are failing children. Retrieved from Bowling Green Daily News: http://www.bgdailynews.com/news/sex-ed-some-experts-fear-adults-are-failing-children/article_afd9a8ee-9cb4-11e1-b912-001a4bcf887a.html SIECUS. (2010). Kentucky State Profile Fiscal Year 2010. Retrieved from Sexuality Information and Education Council of the United States : http://www.siecus.org/index.cfm?fuseaction=Page.ViewPage&PageID=1300 Read More