Additional studies presented data that could also be taken into consideration concerning the causes and the effects of teenage pregnancies, both positive and negative in nature. Many of the studies found that poverty and race both had impacts on the teenage pregnancy and birth rates, and that consideration of such factors might be conducive in attacking the problem. A 2004 study showed that teenage pregnancies were 2.8 times more common among Blacks than among non-Hispanic Whites in 2000" (Alan Guttmacher, 2004).
It would make sense then to concentrate on African-American teenage girls or to provide programs in those neighborhoods where African-American girls reside. A fact sheet produced by teenpregnancy.org asks the question: "What are the chances of a child growing up in poverty if 1) the mother gives birth as a teen, 2) the parents were unmarried when the child was born, and 3) the mother did not receive a high school diploma or GED" (Why it matters, 2006). The fact sheet provides the answer; 27% if one event occurs, 42% if two events take place and 64% will grow up in poverty in all three events unfold. However, "if none of these things happen, a child's chance of growing up in poverty is 7%" (Zill, O'Donnell, 2004).
With the economy in its current doldrums, the effects of poverty is being felt by more individuals and families, and measures taken to help alleviate the situation will go a long way towards helping the community become stronger.
Poverty can be a debilitating force and considering the wealth generating capabilities of the United States and its citizens, it should be a problem that can be addressed and overcome. Oftentimes, the young are more adversely affected by poverty's force than those who are older, wiser and more stable. If the young are bearing young, then the affects can be even more devastating as they struggle to not only care for themselves, but for a child as well. Concerning teenage pregnancies, one group of researchers concluded; "Our study suggests that levels of relative deprivation may be an underlying cause" (Mookherjee, Pickett, Wilkinson, 2005, p. 1181).
Another author made the point that uneducated sex is "intrinsically linked to poverty, social disadvantage, and poor education" (Why I'm glad, p. 8). The same author touts the opinion that "Keeping kids in the dark about sex is no answer. It is ignorance rather than knowledge which leads to unwanted pregnancies and sexual diseases." (Why I'm glad, 2004, p. 7). Literary opinions such as these seem to send the wrong message. The author of this article was actually happy that her daughter had underage sex. The author wanted everyone to know that all society has to do to combat teenage pregnancies is to educate our children in how to have sex safely.
The proposed study would take a far less cynical approach than the one being espoused by the above article. Since it has been shown that the only sure way of not becoming pregnant is by abstaining from having sexual intercourse, the study will focus on teaching teenagers the benefits of abstinence.
The study could also approach the more liberal philosophy of allowing sexual intercourse at earlier ages, as some would suggest, but in this case it would be much better to concentrate on one simple method, rather than complicating that method by introducing another. The proposed approach can be especially effective in schools where students already have a preconception of the moral right or wrong of certain actions including sexual activities before marriage. This preconception is evident in some schools as presented by a 2007 study.
The study discovered evidence of "endogenous social interactions (social multipliers), where the propensity of an individual choosing to have sex varies with the average behavior in his or her school" (Fletcher, 2007, p. 373). The study results open a door of opportunity for teaching and collaboration in areas in Georgia. If it is true that students are swayed by their peers as Fletcher's study suggests, then it would become easier to teach students about the benefits of abstinence as more students accepted the philosophy as a course they would choose. The potential for an ever-expanding circle of influence seems to be a highly likely event. Fletcher's...
Abortion trends varied widely by state as well. "Teenage abortion rates were highest in New York (41 per 1,000), New Jersey, Nevada, Delaware and Connecticut. By contrast, teenagers in South Dakota (6 per 1,000), Utah, Kentucky, Nebraska and North Dakota all had abortion rates of eight or fewer per 1,000 women aged 15 -- 19. More than half of teenage pregnancies ended in abortion in New Jersey, New York and
This large number was selected to ensure that the power of statistical tests used in the study is of sufficient power to draw valid conclusions. It is expected that given the sensitive nature of the subject, there will be large numbers of selected participants who will decide not to participate, will drop out, or whose parents will not sign the consent form. All participants selected will be taken from
The result of this, as seen above, is that these mothers lack job skills, making it difficult not only to find employment that could adequately support themselves and their children, but also to retain these jobs once they find them. The result is that about 64% of children born under such conditions live in poverty, compared to 7% of children born to married women older than 20 and who
Typically, class does have an effect upon teen pregnency for a variety of reasons. The urban poor tend to have less access to some of the opportunities and activities of middle and upper class girls; they are often alone longer during the day because their mother or grandmother is working; they often do not have access to the same amount of information about birth control and/or abstinance that other children;
Moreover, an 'abstinence-only' education program is sometimes perceived by teenagers as providing one-sided and medically inaccurate information. (Studies by Kirby, 1997 and Huberman, quoted in "Reducing Teenage Pregnancy" 2006) shift in attitudes towards teenage sexuality must occur in the U.S. To facilitate the development of appropriate policies and programs to reduce teenage pregnancy. Presently, sexual activity, rather than the pregnancies that can result from it, is seen as the
According to Tamara Kreinin, president of the Sexuality Information and Education Council of the U.S., "Manipulating facts about condoms is using a scare tactic to try and get kids not to be sexually active" (Morse, 2002). One of the consequences of a lack of full and complete information to youth actually causes self-imposed ignorance of their own safety. If adolescents do not get the proper education on protecting themselves from
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