Teen Pregnancy on the Rise...Again

In the article, "Teenage Birth Rate Increase for Second Consecutive Year," it is reported that the, "Nationally, the birth rate among 15-to-19-year-olds rose 1.4 percent from 2006 to 2007, continuing a climb that began a year earlier. The rate jumped 3.4 percent from 2005 to 2006, reversing what had been a 14-year decline." Although the reason for the increase is unknown, they speculate that, ".. it could be a result of growing complacency about AIDS and teen pregnancy, among other factors. The rise may also reflect a broader trend that affects all age groups, because birth rates have also increased among women in their 20s, 30s and 40s and older unmarried women." The article also suggests that the economic downturn may contribute to the rise in teen pregnancies because, "When families are stressed by economic forces, parental communication and supervision may decline, which in turn may have an effect..." So, can we assume then that parental communication and supervision the previous years were better, or is it safe to say that parental communication and supervision has been lacking for years.

Today, unlike in the past, most households are two-income with both parents working long hours and away from home for long periods. A recent poll estimated that 34% of teens and parents blame parental work on the reason they don't spend more time together (http://clinton4.nara.gov/WH/EOP/First_Lady/html/teens/survey.html). And if parents aren't spending time with their teens, then they're not talking to them about sex or other issues. The article, however, doesn't list a decline in parental communication or supervision as an underlying problem to teen pregnancy. Instead, the article notes failed policies and governmental programs. "But opponents said the findings provide new evidence that the approach (abstinence education) is ineffective and that the money should be shifted to programs that include educating young people about contraceptives -- efforts that have been shown to be highly effective." The article also reports that, "...other experts said the two-year data probably represent a trend and fit with other research showing a stall in the long drop in sexual activity among teenagers, as well as a decrease in condom use."

Is it the job of the government to primarily plan programs to reduce teen pregnancy, or does some of the responsible lie with the parents, too? Is it ethically sound to make the government primarily responsible for educating our children and talking to them about issues like sex, drugs, and alcohol? According to the National Campaign to Prevent Teen and Unplanned Pregnancy (NCPTUP), “There are many different solutions to the widespread problems of teen and unplanned pregnancy, at the individual and societal level, and public policy certainly plays a key role.” However, it does not play the primary key role. The NCPTUP reports that, “Teens consistently say that parents most influence their decisions about sex. However, the vast majority of parents (82%) agree that when it comes to talking about sex, they often don’t know what to say, how to say it, or when to start the conversation. Investments should be made to help parents—through a variety of innovative and user-friendly resources—communicate their values on sex, love, and relationships to the next generation.”

Yes, I agree that policies and programs implemented by the government are necessary, but is it not the job of the community and the parents to educate teens on this issue to improve quality of life, not only for the teen, but the child they would have? According to NCPTUP, “A child’s chance of growing up in poverty is nine times greater if the mother gave birth as a teen, if the parents were unmarried when the child was born, and if the mother did not receive a high school diploma than if none of these circumstances are present.” In addition, “Teen childbearing cost taxpayers $9.1 billion nationally in 2004 and the one-third decline in teen childbearing between 1991 and 2004 saved taxpayers $6.7 billion in 2004 alone.” If the numbers reported by NCPTUP that, “three in ten teen girls gets pregnant at least once before the age of 20, resulting in well over 400,000 teen births each year, and the United States still has the highest teen pregnancy and birth rates in the industrialized world,” then that is a number of children living in poverty.

To combat this problem, not only do we need to implement more policies and programs to educate teens, but we also need to educate parents on talking to their kids. It is the job of the government, the community, and the parents to provide assistance to the nationwide problem. If not to reduce the amount of money spent, but to reduce poverty and improve quality of life for teens and babies born into these situations.