May is teen pregnancy prevention month. While there has been a slight decline over the last several years, in 2017, nearly 200,000 babies were born to teen women. The United States has the highest teen pregnancy rate amongst westernized nations. Here at Crossroads, we are privileged to come alongside families as they face an unplanned teen pregnancy. A pregnant 16-year-old may face different challenges than a 30-year-old. What do they do about finishing school? Where will their baby go during the day? What about the relationship with the baby’s father? Is he going to be involved or did he already “take off?”
Maybe you are a parent, family member, or educator/community leader. Are you struggling to begin the conversation about avoiding teen pregnancy? We want to give you some resources on where to begin. The most important thing you can do- be honest without oversharing as you communicate your family values. Talking about sex with your child won’t make them have sex or push them into having sex, but it can prevent unwanted consequences if they know what could happen.
At Crossroads Pregnancy Care, we follow the sexual risk avoidance approach, which uses research-based, data-driven strategies to promote optimal health and reduce the negative consequences associated with risky behavior such as being involved with early sexual activity, drugs, or alcohol. When you give adolescents the tools for healthy decision-making, they are better equipped to examine the risks involved and make positive life decisions. Sexual risk avoidance is relationship-focused, wants what’s best for each individual without scaring them, teaches teens to make good choices, and gives tools for lifelong healthy living. If you have any questions about sexual risk avoidance or are interested in learning more from one of our team members, please feel free to reach out to us.
Click on the links below to learn more about teen pregnancy, how to help your child avoid teen pregnancy, and things we as a community can do to prevent teen pregnancy.
RESOURCES:
https://www.cdc.gov/teenpregnancy/about/index.htm
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/25620306/
https://www.lonestar.edu/18156.htm
https://www.udel.edu/canr/cooperative-extension/fact-sheets/avoid-teen-pregnancy-parenting-tip/