Why Teen Pregnancy Rates Are Going Up

Why Teen Pregnancy Rates Are Going Up

According to Prevention's National Center for Health "the teen birth rates increased in more than half of all the fifty states in 2006" (Abstinence Education is to Blame). Schools mainly teach about abstinence only health classes. While in these classes students are usually misinformed about contraceptives. Teen pregnancy rates in the United States have increased in the past year. Many teens do not understand how to prevent pregnancy from happening. Schools need to step in and inform students about contraceptives, not just abstinence to help the teen pregnancy rate go down.

Many teens who watch the show "Teen Mom" think that being a teen mom would be glamorous. The show gives off the vibe that it is easy raising a baby as a teenager. Viewers only see part of what the moms go through. MTV only shows part of the obstacles that the teen moms go through. The show "Teen Mom" began as a cautionary show, showing viewers the difficulties of young motherhood, but soon turned into a show that gives celebrity status to the teen moms. Teens who watch the show think that becoming a teen mom will result in becoming famous and getting money. But in reality the show is showing situations that most teen moms would not face. Viewers of the show argue that the show helps parents and teens talk more openly about sex and pregnancy. This may be the case for certain families, but for others it opens up the door to teens showing them that having sex while still being a teenager in common and acceptable. Many teens do not know what it is like raising a baby at such a young age. Having a child at such a young age can cause health problems for the baby. Babies born from teen mothers are at a higher risk for low birth weights, dying as infants, developing blindness, mental and respiratory problems. Teen moms do not realize that less than two percent of teen moms earn a college degree before the age of thirty. Many teens are being misinformed about how hard raising a child is from this watching this show.

Even if teens choose the route to stay abstinent, they still need to be aware of contraceptives. Being informed about contraceptives will help teens in the long run. Teens in abstinent only education are less likely to receive accurate information about birth control, which puts them even more at risk. The Family Research Council explained, "Abstinence programs teach relationship skills; goal setting; self-control; decision making; healthy personal and sexual boundaries..." (Update: Teen Pregnancy). This shows that they only teach about relationships and the positive sides about choosing abstinence and that they are ignoring the fact that some teens are always going to make the choice to have sex. People who choose abstinence do not understand why they need to be more aware of how to properly use contraceptives. "The federal government emphasis on abstinence education has left teens without the information they need to make responsible decision about contraception" (Sun). The group of teens that choose to stay abstinent was significantly