Teen Pregnancy Prevention
Children Have No Business Having Children
What Do You Know About Teen Pregnancy?
- Just 38% of teenage mothers who have a child before 18 get a high school diploma. (National Campaign to Prevent Teen and Unplanned Pregnancy)
- In 2010, it cost U.S taxpayers $9.4 billion to compensate for increased public assistance, health & foster care, and criminal justice services for teenage pregnancy and childbirth. (National Campaign to Prevent Teen and Unplanned Pregnancy, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services)
Just Don't Do It, Dude.
1. You think sex equals love.
2. You don't understand how birth control works.
3. It goes against your moral/religious beliefs.
4. You'll regret it in the morning.
5. You're doing it to prove something.
6. You can't support a child/yourself.
7. You think it will make your partner love you.
8. You think HIV/aids/STD's can't happen to you.
9. You're drunk or your partner's drunk.
10. You think it's not OK to be a virgin.
The list goes on and on....but the main point is that it is OK to wait. Nobody should be stopping you from practicing abstinence until you're ready. By ready, I don't just mean emotionally, physically, or mentally. Being ready means being prepared for the any mishaps, the prevention, knowing which birth control method works for you, knowing how diseases work and how to avoid getting caught up in its web. Keep in mind, that abstinence is always a number one option to choose; it will not go away.
Leading a Safe and Healthy Sex Life
Truth of the matter is, it isn't enough to just know or be informed of these things. That's of course, the first step in protection, but you start it by actually practicing it. Here is a list of birth control methods Kaiser Permanente has conveniently published online into a pdf: https://mydoctor.kaiserpermanente.org/ncal/Images/Birth%20Control%20%20Which%20Option%20is%20best_tcm75-196887.pdf Happy picking which one fits you the most! And remember, if so far into your reading you become uncomfortable, consider further reading to at least be aware of it. It doesn't hurt to know, even if you are not ready for sex yet.
You are most likely familiar with the term "STD" (Sexually Transmitted Disease). But did you know that a subcategory of std's has been "STI's" (Sexually Transmitted Infections)? It is important to be knowledgeable about these things, especially if it is your first time and merely testing the waters. It is important to first cultivate knowledge of birth control methods and protection from STD's, so before you think you got it all figured out, check CDC's say in STD prevention: http://www.cdc.gov/std/prevention/
Effects of Teen Pregnancy
- If you drop out of high school, you will most likely end up leeching on the government and people's taxes. The other alternative is if you look for work and try to get a job to support not only your needs and especially the baby's needs.
- No matter how much you idealize yourself as a good parent, your decision to have an unwanted, or unprepared pregnancy speaks in volumes much louder than what you say you will be/want to do. So before you lie to yourself and pretend you can be a "good" parent, grow up first.
- If you don't have income or means to support your own baby, it is NOT okay to put the weight of both you and your baby on your parents. Chances are, they will end up supporting you with forced open arms - to the baby, not you.
- When the friends you thought were going to be there until you die and marry of your husbands in the future leave you, if will appear as if you had nobody there in the first place. You may start to lose respect from people you thought would support you or would back you up through ups or downs. This could lead to depression and other emotional problems, that could affect not only you, but your child as well.
- If you are a constant substance abuser - be it cigarettes, alcohol, or various drugs, it could majorly alter the progress of your pregnancy. You are not ready to be a mother if you cannot give up things that will hurt your baby, but please you.
- If your parents choose to disown you at the news of your pregnancy, or if you grew up in an environment void of parental figure, you may end up neglecting yourself or your baby. It is important to take responsibility for you and your baby's life.
- You will end up sacrificing a lot from yourself for the sake of your baby. Whereas before, you are the center of your world, now revolves around your baby.
The Choice is Yours
Eunice Fernandez
Class of 2016
Sheldon High SchoolEGUSD
Email: efern925@gmail.com
Website: sheldonhuskies.com
Location: 8333 Kingsbridge Drive, Sacramento, CA, United States
Phone: 916-681-7500