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Every year in Canada and the United States,
thousands of young women between 10 and 19 become pregnant. Although some teen
pregnancies are planned, many are unplanned and therefore mean that difficult
decisions must be made.
A
high percentage of young women who don't use birth control get pregnant the
first month they are sexually active. Some young women don't use birth control
because they want to become pregnant. But, many are not trying to become
pregnant. Maybe they don't have accurate information to help them choose a good
method of birth control, or how to use it properly. Or maybe they don't know
where to get it. Others might be afraid or embarrassed to go to their doctor or
a clinic, or to buy it in a drug store, especially if they think that they will
get a lecture about being sexually active.
Some might not admit to themselves that they are
likely to have sexual intercourse and do not prepare for it, or they think, "It
can't happen to me." Some feel that planning for sex takes away the romance.
Some think that you can't pregnant at certain times of the month, or the first
time you have sexual intercourse. Or, they might think the guy will take care of
everything.
They may not
realize that there are safe and effective methods of birth control. Many methods
are actually safer than pregnancy for young women. The chance of problems during
pregnancy, such as toxemia and anemia, are higher for a young woman because she
hasn't yet completed her own growth period. It takes twenty years to
grow!
For many young women,
the biggest result of early childbearing may be cutting short their education.
Pregnancy is the number one reason that young women drop out of school; it is
often difficult to continue or go back. Although most teenage mothers do not
marry, those who do face a high chance of divorce within 5 years, often after
having a second or third child.
Like women of any age, teenage women who have strong supports around
them tend to face fewer problems during and after pregnancy. National studies
have shown that teen mothers and their children do much better when they receive
economic and emotional support from parents and other relatives. They tend to
get better medical care, are more likely to finish school and find work, and are
less likely to rely on welfare.
These issues are very complex. There are no easy answers, but there are
some ways to help get answers:
? Get information and encourage education about sexuality and birth
control at home and in school.
? Teens and parents can try to talk to each other more often about
sex.
? Young people need
accurate, clear information about all birth control methods, sexually
transmitted diseases, the Morning After Pill, and the three choices a woman has
if she finds out she's pregnant: keeping the baby, giving the baby up for
adoption and having an abortion.
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