Teen pregnancies
Don't let more teenagers become statistics
Teen pregnancies: Don't let more teenagers become statistics

By Gary L. Rose, M.D.

Published: May 21, 2008

In December, the nation was galvanized by the news that 16-year old Jamie Lynn Spears, sister of pop star Britney Spears, was pregnant. The media buzzed with commentary on the problem of teen pregnancy, who should be blamed and how to fix it. Less than six months later, the buzz has quieted and life has moved on… right?

After years of declining teen birth rates, The Associated Press reported that Oklahoma's State Health Department says the teen birth rate jumped nearly 7 percent from 2005 to 2006 for females ages 15 to 19. This comes after the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's report showing that, for the first time in 14 years, teen birth rates increased by 3 percent across the nation. The cause and long-term effect of this rise is yet to be determined, but one thing is sure: Steps must be made to help and protect young people.

In Oklahoma and the rest of the nation, the best place to begin is before there is a problem. Teens need to receive a clear risk avoidance message. Research shows that half of all U.S. high school teens are not sexually active and that the majority of parents (93 percent) want their children to receive a strong abstinence message.

Independent studies have affirmed the effectiveness of abstinence programs. Notable examples include research in Denmark, South Carolina and Monroe County, N.Y.

In 2008, the Institute for Research and Evaluation studied the Virginia Department of Health's Virginia Abstinence Education Initiative. The study showed that students receiving abstinence education were 45.7 percent (about half) as likely to initiate sexual activity as students who did not receive abstinence education.

Correct, consistent use of condoms can reduce the risk of unplanned pregnancies and sexually transmitted infection. However, only about 45 percent of sexually active 15- to 19-year-old males report using condoms consistently over a one-year period — even fewer use them correctly. Teens must understand that the risks are real and be armed with every skill possible to avoid, not just reduce, the risk.

The National Campaign to Prevent Teen Pregnancy estimated that $9.1 billion in public funding was expended on teenage childbearing in 2004. More than half of teen mothers begin receiving welfare within five years of giving birth to their first child. One-third of those beginning their family before 18 do not earn a high school diploma, making poverty difficult to escape.

In the days ahead, the buzz about Oklahoma's increase in teen birth rates will inevitably grow quieter. But for a girl whose life has been changed by a teen pregnancy, the struggle will continue.

Beating the odds will require the support of family, friends and community. For the rest of Oklahoma's teens, now is the time to challenge them to wait.

Rose is president and CEO of the Medical Institute for Sexual Health of Austin, Texas ( www.medinstitute.org).

Comments