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Youths and Adults Tackle Teen Pregnancy
By Sam Yospe, 18, SEX, ETC.
Stephani, 17, of Oregon, is due to give birth to a baby this June. Prior to becoming pregnant, Stephani was a typical teenager. She spent her free time hanging out with her friends, saw her boyfriend on weekends, and had aspirations of going to college after graduating high school.
Stephani and her boyfriend were in the midst of a serious relationship. She felt that she was ready to take the next step, and the two began having sex. They used condoms occasionally, but the couple often practiced the "pulling-out" method (removing the penis prior to ejaculation), which is one of the least effective methods of birth control and does absolutely nothing to protect against sexually transmitted diseases (STDs).
When Stephani missed her period one month, she began to suspect that she was pregnant; a home pregnancy test and a visit to the doctor later confirmed this.
"I am living proof that pulling out doesn't work," says Stephani.
Stephani is just one of the 900,000 American teens who become pregnant each year. Approximately 78 percent of these pregnancies are unintended, according to the National Campaign to Prevent Teen Pregnancy, in Washington, D.C. The United States has the highest rate of teen pregnancy in the industrialized world, nearly double that of Great Britain and four times that of France and Germany.
As in Stephani's case, unintended pregnancy forces many young people to make a tough decision - have an abortion, carry a pregnancy to term and become a young parent, or give the baby up for adoption. More than half of teen pregnancies result in births. And 79 percent of these births are out-of-wedlock, meaning that the mother is often left alone to care for her child. Another 30 percent of pregnant teens opt for an abortion, while the remainder results in adoption, according to the Campaign.
Stephani and her boyfriend decided against abortion and adoption and will raise the baby themselves.
"I think that we can support our child just as well as an older couple," she says. "Before we made our decision, we went over the pros and cons of each choice. We decided that there was no reason why we couldn't care for our child, even though it would be difficult."
Stephani's mother became pregnant with her daughter when she was 18, and her parents dealt with her pregnancy better than many others might have.
"My parents and his parents took the news rather well," she says. "All four gave us advice and a lecture on responsibility and how our lives were going to change forever."
Stephani waited about four months to tell her friends that she was pregnant. She found that her friends were generally supportive, but often distant. She also experienced many changes in her life since becoming pregnant. For example, she is now home schooled and does not have much time for friends.
"My priorities in life have changed a lot from the average teenager's," she says. "Instead of the usual involvement in guys, parties, and school events, my interests are based more around what kind of mother I'm going to be and what brand of diapers would be best."
As with many teen parents, challenges lie ahead for Stephani. The Campaign states that teen moms are less likely to finish high school and more likely to end up on welfare. Eight out of ten teen fathers do not marry the woman they impregnate. And children who don't live with their fathers are five times more likely to be poor than those who live with both parents, according to the Campaign.
Teen parents, struggling to make ends meet, must face the high cost of raising a child-purchasing everything from diapers and baby food to clothing and toys. Venus Gonzalez, 18, of New York City, intimately understands the struggles of teen parenting. She is the daughter of a teen mom.
Venus's mother became pregnant with her when she was 17; she thought that she was in love with the father, but the relationship didn't last. Venus's father eventually left, and his family didn't help raise her until she was much older. Venus's mother relied on the help of other relatives.
"It's hard to say that my mom raised me in the beginning, because my grandparents and aunts were around to help," says Venus.
Venus says that being the child of a teen mom has been a difficult experience.
"It's extremely hard on me, because I have to make sure I don't end up like her," she says. "And she's so afraid that I might be like her. It upsets me, but I know that she just cares and that's why she acts so afraid."
Venus says that as a result of her experience, she plans to ensure that she doesn't have a baby until she is ready to provide for one.
"I know I'll be less likely to have a child as a teen," she says. "When I'm sexually active, I'll use contraception. I have to. You can never be too safe or too sure, and I don't want to get pregnant or get any STDs."
Stephani has a positive outlook on her future, but words of caution for other young people, too.
"You have to be careful with any sexual act," she says. "Always use protection, even if you don't think you can get pregnant. And to those teens who want to have a baby: it's definitely best to wait. It would be easier for you and your child if you at least have a good job, stable partner, and home of your own. You don't want to depend on your parents to take care of your baby!"
The good news is that the U.S. teen pregnancy rate has been declining, and young people are responsible. More and more youths are choosing abstinence or forms of contraception more reliable than pulling-out, like Depo-Provera. But organizations like the National Campaign to Prevent Teen Pregnancy believe work still needs to be done to continue lowering the rate, according to Marisa Nightingale, the Campaign's director of media programs.
"Teens, parents, and the media cannot start to believe that the teen pregnancy problem has been solved," she says. "The U.S. still has higher rates than other Western industrialized nations - rates that are double, triple, even ten times those of other comparable nations. This comes with high human and financial costs: Each year the federal government alone spends about $40 billion to help families that began with a teenage birth."
To combat teen pregnancy, the Campaign works both with local communities, through grassroots efforts, and the national media. It also involves many young people in its prevention efforts and is responsible for the National Day to Prevent Teen Pregnancy, which was on May 7. May is also National Teen Pregnancy Prevention Month and all young people are encouraged to get involved.
"Too many people still think that teen pregnancy is an issue that's only of concern to girls," adds Nightingale. "But the nearly one million girls who got pregnant last year didn't do it alone! We all need to make a bigger effort to involve teen guys in preventing teen pregnancy."
To learn more about teen pregnancy prevention and take the National Day to Prevent Teen Pregnancy Quiz, log on to the Campaign's Web site www.teenpregnancy.org.
Additional reporting by SEX, ETC. national correspondent Stephanie Nolasco, 17, of New York, NY.
Sam Yospe, 18, of Edison, NJ, is an editor for SEX, ETC., the national newsletter and Web site written by teens, for teens, on sexual health issues, published by the Network for Family Life Education at Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey.
 Visit SEX, ETC. at www.sexetc.org
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