Why prevent teenage pregnancy

They know the mistakes and disadvantages, and can help you to avoid making the same mistakes. Listen and learn from your parents about their life experiences. If they put restrictions on you, it is not necessarily because they want to make you suffer. Usually, it is because they want the best for you, so they do it to help and protect you. There are various contraceptives that work in different ways, but they are all designed to prevent pregnancy.

Take someone you trust with you and visit the Clinic to start antenatal care at 8 weeks 2 months of pregnancy [rather — "miss one period and go to your nearest clinic and check if you are pregnant or not" and start ANC] Why is this necessary? After taking the abstinence curriculum, the studies found that from these students, a significantly higher percentage of them remained virgins than those who did not go through the program 2.

With results like this, it becomes evident that abstinence courses in schools are a sure way to get teens to realize the responsibility that comes with becoming sexually active, and to get them thinking about choosing to remain abstinent.

The more information teenagers are given on the subject, the higher the chances that they will make this decision. For this reason, it is important that teenagers be taught the health benefits of choosing to remain abstinent.

Another form of teenage pregnancy prevention that is being taught in schools is various contraceptive techniques. Although abstinence remains the best way to prevent pregnancy among teens, it is a fact that there are still a large number of them who will be involved in sexual relations.

For this reason, it is important that teens be provided with broad information on how to do so responsibly using various contraceptive techniques. Most of the sex education in schools consists of one message: "Don't have sex--but if you do, use a condom" Khouzam 3. The problem that rises from this is that teenagers are not being exposed to extensive information on the various forms of birth control, condoms, and other methods of prevention that are available.

According to Helen Lippman, contraceptives are talked about in sex education classes, but only as being ineffective in preventing pregnancy and diseases 1. Also, these classes on contraceptives should include information on how to obtain the different methods of birth control.

Jocelyn Elders has also advocated school-based health clinics nationwide with the purpose of reducing teen pregnancy with the availability of contraceptives Khouzam 3. This is a way to ensure contraceptive use for many young teens who, rather than going to their parents for help in obtaining birth control, choose to have sex without protection simply because that protection is not made available to them. For most teenagers, the real consequences of having a child at such a young age are unknown.

Teens need to be aware of the harsh reality of raising a baby and the negative effects that an unplanned pregnancy can cause in both the mother and the child's lives. Fagan talks about the effects of having a child out of wedlock at a very young age.

He states that the mother's new offspring can experience the following: "Lowered health for newborns and increased risk of early infant death; Retarded cognitive, especially verbal, development; Lowered educational achievement; Lowered job attainment: Increased behavior problems; Lowered impulse control; Warped social development; Increased Welfare dependency" 1.

Teenage mothers must be aware of the tremendous effect their offspring will have on society in the future, and the high risk of the cycle repeating once this child becomes a teen. Teens must also be aware of the fact that an unplanned pregnancy will take a toll on other aspects of their lives.

For example, as Fagan points out, less than one-third of teen moms who have a baby before they are eighteen finish high school 2. When exposed to such information about the results of an unplanned pregnancy, teens are forced to analyze whether sex is worth the risk of forever changing their lives, and those of their future children.

Make sure your doctor knows about any over-the-counter OTC medicines you are taking. In the last months of your pregnancy, you may see your doctor every other week, ending with weekly visits in your final month.

These visits are to make sure you and your baby are healthy. As your baby develops, the doctor will feel its position and listen for its heartbeat. According to a study published in the journal PLoS One , an abstinence-only sex education was positively correlated with an increase in teen pregnancies.

Some programs offer peer counseling, since it might feel more comfortable talking to someone your own age. Contact your health department for information on programs in your area. An intrauterine device IUD is a device a doctor implants in your uterus.

The IUD prevents pregnancy by various mechanisms. It has a 99 percent rate of effectiveness, according to Planned Parenthood. The most effective is a birth control implant , also called Nexplanon. Implants stay in place for up to three years.

They have a 99 percent rate of effectiveness. Birth control pills , shots , and patches also affect your hormone levels. They have an effectiveness rate of 91 to 94 percent. Examples of available brands include:. They block sperm from entering your uterus. The effectiveness of these devices is 71 to 88 percent. You can also buy over-the-counter OTC birth control at a drugstore and some supermarkets. These methods are not as effective as prescription birth control, but they do reduce your chance of getting pregnant.

Teen pregnancy rates have been dropping in the United States for at least 25 years. Experts think this is because more sexually active teens use condoms. Proper use of a condom can keep you from getting pregnant. When used correctly, condoms also protect you from many sexually transmitted infections STIs. The effectiveness of condoms is 85 percent.

Sponges treated with spermicide also block sperm from entering your uterus. Used properly, these methods prevent pregnancy with an effectiveness of 76 to 88 percent. The brand of sponge sold in the United States is called the Today Sponge. Available from the brands Plan B One-Step, Ella, and Next Choice, this medicine contains hormones that prevent your body from releasing eggs into your uterus and cause the lining of the uterus to shed, inhibiting implantation.

Eggs have to come into contact with sperm for you to get pregnant and need to implant in order to start developing properly.

Women 17 and older do not need a prescription for the morning-after pill. The effectiveness of the morning-after pills such as Plan B One-Step and Next Choice is 75 to 89 percent if taken within three days of having unprotected sex, according to Planned Parenthood. The effectiveness of the Ella morning-after pill is 85 percent if you take it within five days of having unprotected sex. Although teens can often safely deliver healthy babies, there are possible health concerns for both mother and child.

If you become pregnant, you should see your doctor as soon as possible to discuss your pregnancy. There are many methods available to help prevent pregnancy, including IUDs, birth control pills, and condoms.

You should also be sure to look for regional groups in your state or city.