Since the early 1990s, teen pregnancies across America declined dramatically. However, it is a teen pregnancy fact that 34% of teenage girls in America still get pregnant before they turn the age of 20. This means that America has one of the highest teen pregnancy rates in the world. As does England; in which one in every five births in the country is from a teenager. These are shocking statistics and adults and teenagers alike should be active in teen pregnancy prevention.
Talking about sex and pregnancy
When a child reaches the age of about 13, parents should be active in approaching their child about their thoughts and ideas of sex and the possible consequences of the act. Although it can initially be embarrassing for both parties, it will pay off in the long run as education and knowledge is the best way to prevent teen pregnancy. Talk to your child about the sexually transmitted diseases and the risk of pregnancy as well as pregnancy prevent methods such as abstinence and contraception.
Abstinence
The safest path towards teen pregnancy prevention is abstinence. Not having sexual intercourse will mean that you will never have to worry about catching any diseases or unwanted pregnancies which will ultimately change your entire life. Though there will undoubtedly be a lot of peer pressure to have sex, abstaining from sex now will only mean that you will be 100% ready when you do decide to take that step.
Contraception
The two most popular forms of teen pregnancy prevention come in the form of the condom and the pill. The condom is a rubber latex glove that is placed over the penis during sex to prevent semen from entering the vagina. The condom will not only protect you from possible diseases that can be transmitted through the semen but also from teen pregnancy. Teen pregnancy facts suggest that there are also a large number of teens now taking the birth control pill, and this number is increasing yearly. The birth control pill is taken every day and releases hormones in the body to stop your body from ovulating. If you don’t ovulate, then no egg will be released and therefore there will be no egg for the sperm to fertilize. If it is taken every day, the pill is very reliable in terms of pregnancy prevention. However, the pill does not stop you from catching sexually transmitted diseases and infections so you must still be careful.
The media often portrays teens regularly having sex. But you don’t need to buy into this. The media isn’t real and it is perfectly normal to wait until you are ready or for the right person to come along before having sex. The only 100% way to prevent teen pregnancy from occurring is to not have sex at all.