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Read comments (13)The health observance was established in 2002 to focus the attention of teens on the importance of avoiding pregnancy, parenthood and other serious consequences of sex.
"In 2006, Bedford County's teen pregnancy rate was 12.4 per 1,000 girls, age 10 to 17, and that's too high," said Candace Wilkes, regional coordinator for the Tennessee Adolescent Pregnancy Prevention Program.
"Babies born to teenage mothers are at higher risk for health problems and a lifetime of social disadvantages. Of the 3,552 babies born to Tennessee teens in 2006, 11.3 percent were low birth weight (less than 5 ½ pounds). Being born too small or too soon can lead to many problems for the baby, including physical and developmental disabilities or even death."
On Wednesday, teens nationwide are being asked to go to the National Campaign to Prevent Teen and Unplanned Pregnancy's new teen web site, www.stayteen.org, and take a short online quiz that asks young people what they would do in situations involving peer pressure, drinking and gossip.
The quiz, available in English and Spanish, is appropriate for teens ages 13 and older.
"Our hope is that in some modest way the quiz helps get through the 'it won't happen to me' wall of denial," said Sarah Brown, chief executive officer of the National Campaign to Prevent Teen and Unplanned Pregnancy.
State health officials say there are negative consequences for teen parents and their children:
* Children of teen parents are more likely to grow up poor, live in single-parent households, experience abuse and neglect, and enter the child welfare system.
* Teen mothers are more likely to drop out of school, remain unmarried, and live in poverty.
* Daughters of teen mothers are more likely to become teen parents themselves.
* Sons of teen mothers are more likely to be incarcerated.
* Eight of 10 teen fathers do not marry the mothers of their first children.
* Some research suggests that teen fathers have lower education levels and suffer earning losses of 10 to 15 percent annually.
Tennessee Department of Health has a variety of services available to protect and promote the health of adolescents and to prevent teen pregnancy. To learn more about available services, call Bedford County Health Department at 684-3426 or Tennessee Clearinghouse for Adolescent Pregnancy Issues at (877) 461-8277.
To find out more about Teen Pregnancy Prevention Month and the National Day to Prevent Teen Pregnancy, visit the web site for the National Campaign to Prevent Teen and Unplanned Pregnancy at www.teenpregnancy.org.
Good for you Katiebug!
Perhaps their needs to be organizations developed to help these teenagers with their different types of crisis to finish out their school years. To be quite honest I wish their was a law that does not allow children to drop out of school until they finish the 12 grade. Those that are failing because of poor grades need extra help to get them back on track. "Tutors" to help them whith what their failing in.
Those that are dropping out because of pregnancy, a special Day care for Students in school grades K-12 only, opened during school hours and a couple hours after so student can do their homework. I know that their are grants out their that will fund such an organization that helps Teen Crisis, and education. We are letting these children fall through the cracks, and drop-out rates are going up.
KatieBug
Let me be the first to commend you but you are one of the lucky few. I have noticed that when teen pregnancy occurs during the last year of school the outcome is much better than when the teenager becomes pregnant say during her Freshman or sophomore year .The drop out rate is much higher the younger the teen. I guess the stress of having a child and trying to raise the child plus go to school is more than they can bear, unless of course they have a lot of family support. (which is very unusual) Lord knows, High School is stressful enough these days without having to cope with raising a child.
Good Luck to you and yours...I hope your future is a bright one.
I would also like to add that I have beatened the statistics of a teenage mother. My husband and I married, I graduated highschool, I have good career and do not live in poverty, and hopefully through love and God, our children will not become a part of those statistics as well. I couldn't have done those things without God or the love and help of my parents.
I was a senior in highschool when I had my now 4 year old daughter. My mother would talk to me before I even thought about sex. I still did what I did. I thnk the prevention of teen pregnancy needs to start early in the home with a healthy foundation. My husband and I hope to instill in our children love and respect for themselves instead of looking for it elsewhere. We definitely make sure that bond between a father and daughter is there in her life. I am now 22 and on the way with a little boy. We hope to instill in him a respect for women and for himself. Our Christian Faith will hopefully instill in my children what I didn't have as a teenager, respect for myself and an obedience to God's laws. As someone who has torn her family apart with shame and dishonesty, I hope my children and siblings can learn from my mistake. My daughter is the most beautiful mistake I'v ever made and who has taught me the greatest lessons I will ever learn. Fathers and Mothers, love your children and through example teach them. That is something no one can take away from you. Condoms in school will not prevent teenage pregnancies.
I hope the male teenagers are well talked to as well. I know everything usually falls on the female, but the male needs to be talked to about his responsibilities of abstinence, waiting till he's out of school and finds the right person for him, protection of condoms, the consequence and responsibilities of supporting the pregnancy or child, etc.
Peer pressure is a hard thing to avoid more so with boys, I think. They feel they have to be having sex by a certain age or their freinds will think they are weak, or lame, or something. Not only sex, but cigarette smoking and drinking. I've caught my son trying to drink and smoke; his excuse (curiosity of what it was like) I told him when he gets 21 then he can find out what it is like, and grounded his butt. And lately I have noticed that when he hangs out with certain friends, he comes back with an attitude of talking back to me and telling me what he is and ain't going to do. He his no longer aloud to hang out with those friends, and I am going to have to find something more suitable and appropriate for him to do. Obviously he is learning and trying to experiment with adult things, also trying to act grown with an attitude toward me.
My freshmen/sophmore year I lived in Cleveland Ohio, and my stepdad smoked Salem Newport cigarettes. He always bought a cartoon of them, we also had a big jar in the kitchen that sat on the floor that had Home made wine in it, It had been their for years and I never payed any attention to it.
Except one day my parents where gone, my brother was outside a couple of houses down the street, My cousin from Nashville was visiting, I was bored and curiosity took over me. I took out a pack of my dads cigarettes from the carton, poured me about 1/4 a cup of the home made wine, drinked and smoked me a cigarette. I was surprised the wine reminded me of welches grape juice. I drinked some more after that little bit. I ate some Ice cream about 20 minutes after that and told my cousin I didn't feel good. She asked me what was wrong, I started crying telling her what I done, and then went through a stage of laughing and crying, saying my mama's going to kill me. I puked up half a trash can of wine; "Dry heeves, spinning room, and vomiting" After that I did not experiment with drinking nor smoking anymore until I was grown. My dad knew I took the cigarettes, when I got grown my cousin and I told them about the wine episode. Sex during high school is acheivable too, I am not in denial; Have the talk with your children and keep your motherly or fatherly instincts open and aware.
No one should fault you for thinking hard and doing what is best for your children.
This is an era when other parents have not only responded with an "anything goes" attitude but have imprisoned their children or mutilated their genitals rather than have them be sexually active.
You have taught your family that every privilege has accompanying responsibilities.
You haven't let them ignore the risks.
The "visit to the doctor" may be less embarassing if family planning,HPV vaccination,etc. are part of the routine discussion right along with menstruation and Pap smears.
(What has our world come to when a dilated hymen is designated as a disease or sign of child abuse instead of something an ob/gyn offers brides in preparation for the wedding night?)
If young men and women get the idea of getting counsel and support from trustworthy adults BEFORE they act (instead of reacting as if every "rite of passage" was a shameful act to be done on impulse and hidden) then they'll be less apt to make unfortunate choices.
We've let the world dictate too much of how our children come of age.
The media has no qualms about showing rape or promiscuity but how often do they show people saying yes to chastity without saying no to their sexuality?
Birth control,gun safety,helmets,seat belts,fire drills,life jackets,etc. should all be a part of accepting responsibility for one's own health and safety and the welfare of others who could be hurt by our mistakes.
They shouldn't be seen as ways of minimizing the consequences of being stupid.
If parents or their children think a lack of foresight and preparation is an adequate way to avoid danger,I hope they never take up skydiving.
I think you done the right thing also titansfan. They promote abstinence in school nowadays but the other partner can always lie. Better safe than sorry applies now more than ever. I remember being a teen also. But what I learned when I was, say, eighteen, kids may now know ALOT earlier. Its scary stuff.....
I agree with what has been said also. I would hate for my children to become a parent at such an early age, but would hate to see them die from some disease because I didn't talk to them and tell them about all the consequences. I also tell each of my children about respect for themselves as well as the other person. I told my daughter that she should always remember she was worth more than a backseat and teach my sons that women deserve better. We can only pray as parents that we teach them well and that we will stand by them when things go wrong too.
It is a wise decision titansfan, I too remember my High School years as well. That is what parents need to do, is remember back when they where their childs age what type of problems, situations, peer pressure, or curiosities they had, or done back then.
titansfan
I did the same thing with both my girls. Your not giving them permission, your teaching them responsibility!
Thanks Dianatn, I needed that support. I cried many nights before I finally made that decision. She doesn't know that, of course. I also have a son that is coming up into high school and that curious age.....
I think you made the right choice also titansfan. Your daughter is lucky that you understand and stand by her not all parents would. It seems many parents would rather run the risk of their child getting pregnant.
While children are a blessing to us when we are adults children who have children most likely end up with their lives in shambles.
I have said many times it may be wise to put the morning after pill in your daughter's oatmeal each morning, Just in case, of course I was only joking but then again it may not be a bad idea afterall.
This story hits close to home for me. I have a 17 year old daughter that has recently become sexually active. I have always told my children that they could be honest with me about anything and she was. She came to me and told me herself what she had done and we discussed the consequences and I made her a doctor's appointment and now have her on birth control. She is no longer dating the boy that she was and is not having sex right now, but I would much rather have her protected than to have her end up pregnant by a spur of the moment decision. I also talked to her at lenghth about diseases and such. I know I can't protect her from everything in life, and it was an extremely hard thing to hear that she had had sex, but I listened to her and didn't get angry and as hard as it was to make that appointment I think it was the right choice. I know a lot of people probably don't agree with me putting her on birth control, but I know I was a young woman once and I got out and did the same things and never told my mom. I am just fortunate I didn't end up pregnant. I think all parents should be realistic about what teens do and listen without judging when they want to come to you.