Reproductive Awareness (Alyssa Farnworth)

9/24/2019

According to NCLS.org thirty percent of teen girls who dropout of high school state teen pregnancy as the main reason for their departure from the school. Only forty percent of teen mothers finish high school and two percent graduate from college. These numbers are very low but there are some options that could be implemented to further the success of the teen moms, the first would be to allow teens access to birth control without parental consent, at the moment this is allowed but some lawmakers want to take the option away, another option is for high schools to provide daycare for the teens who do have children. Many people worry that if these options were readily available to teens it would make them more likely to become sexually active research however, proves against it. Finally, one of the best contraceptive methods is education. If students in middle school and high school were given proper sex education the pregnancies might decrease. Teaching abstinence only, does not prevent pregnancies and may actually increase them as many teens don’t know how to protect themselves properly.
   Allowing teens to get birth control without their parent’s knowledge and consent is a very controversial topic. Many feel if teens were allowed access to contraceptive methods it would encourage them to be more sexually active. Research does not support this. For some knowing they are less likely to get pregnant, STDs and STIs may allow them to participate in sexual activities more often but for most it does not. However, the prevention of pregnancy and sexually transmitted diseases outweigh the slight risk of some teenagers becoming more sexually active.
   Daycare provided by the high school could be an expensive program to maintain, but it could also keep many young mothers in school. As I stated many of the mothers dropout of high school, this typically causes poverty which is hard to escape and their children are more likely to dropout of high school, than those of children whose parents had them later in life. If high schools provided this service the mothers would be more likely to stay in school providing a better chance of success for themselves and their child. Many feel that the public school daycare system would only reward teen parents for their irresponsible choice. However, the teen would still maintain their parental duties before and after educational hours. Personally, I think this would be a great method to help teens get their education if it is possible to maintain the funds.
   Finally, sex education is the best contraceptive method. Teaching middle and high schoolers the potential outcomes of having sex can prevent teen pregnancies and STDs. Overall, sex education teaches the best way to maintain ones sexual health and teaches individuals how to decide what is best for them.
Personally, I feel that allowing teens access to contraceptive methods, daycare in schools, and proper sex education is the best way to help prevent unintentional pregnancies and sexually transmitted diseases. Finding ways to financially support these methods is the biggest problem. My questions for you guys are how do you feel a proper sex education would change the pregnancy rates in teens? Do you think that daycare options are a good one, or what else would you suggest? Finally, should teens have to ask their parents to obtain birth control, condoms, etc.

Sources:
http://www.ncsl.org/research/health/teen-pregnancy-affects-graduation-rates-postcard.aspx
https://www.aclu.org/other/preventing-teenagers-getting-contraceptives-unless-they-tell-parent-puts-teens-risk
https://www.livestrong.com/article/1003121-pros-cons-giving-birth-control-teenagers/
https://www.publicschoolreview.com/blog/should-public-schools-provide-teenage-parents-with-daycare

37 Comments

Aiden

9/24/2019 06:40:22 pm

Being born into a religious family I’ve been taught that sexual abstinence before marriage is not only a suggestion but a strict guideline I must follow in order to be the happiest I can be in my life. Not only do I believe this but it makes sense to me. If I can’t properly take care of a child then I have no right to help bring a child into this world. Obviously I don’t have a strong Kairos on this subject as I’m not a teen mother or girl for that matter and have been abstinent all my life. So I decided to look at studies done on this subject as well as mulling the issue over in my mind.

After reading a couple different studies, I’ve learned that there is no universal way to prevent teen pregnancies or teen sex. This seems obvious as every situation is different. In this time of more socially acceptable teen sex a more thorough sexual education would better prevent teenage pregnancies. I believe that teaching students about cost and time involved in caring for a child would make them even more cautious when engaging in sexual activities. I like how you stated that not only is it a burden on the mother but also the child because of the increase of drop-out rates in the teens children.

If a teen is in the situation of having a child during high school then the high school would do well to provide child care services for the mother. This would be even more effective if the mother didn’t have to pay for this service. I propose that the school pays the caretaker for the mother IF and only if she finishes high school. This will discourage the mother from dropping out part way through the year and give them a push to get their high school diploma.

As for prevention I think that protection should not be freely provided but accessible to teens given their parents consent. Some may argue this will just make the rebellious teens with the strict parents just have unprotected sex. Sex is no secret to high schoolers, it is a huge topic of conversation and many people are pretty open about it. Teens still have access to condoms everywhere. If one is determined enough they will get what they need. Adding this to the more extensive sexual education I believe it would reduce teen pregnancies and teen sex.

Kately

9/25/2019 02:08:14 pm

I agree, growing up in a religious household, I was taught abstinence too. People will have different values, of course. But everyone should be safe.

Ezra

9/29/2019 08:20:41 am

I can see why being from a religious background would make abstinence a necessity. The religion gives you reasons to be abstinent, but for all the kids that aren't religious they do not have a very strong reason not to. They will do it because they want to or won't do it cause they don't. As for everything else you stated I agree on it all.

Faith

9/29/2019 10:01:50 am

Religion has always played a big part in the “abstinence is key” method of safe sex. I understand it, but I also can’t fully agree with it. There was never not a period of time that wasn’t shaming an individual for having sex before marriage, which is basically shaming someone for doing a humanly action. I question if people who are religious that get married only marry to have sex. I have seen so many people who have just graduated from high school get married months after to a person they’ve only seemed to know for a short period of time. I only bring this up to point out the fact that people really only do get married to someone they don’t truly know or love just so that they can have sex, which to me isn’t any better than having sex before marriage. I would like to disclaim that I do not have any problem with the idea of sex after marriage, abstinence in religion, or the timing of one’s marriage, I just wanted to bring up a point people may or may not have thought of before.

Kately M. Cockrell

9/25/2019 01:55:59 pm

Teens have always known about sex, and always will. To ask them to be abstinent is like leaving a candy bucket out during Halloween and asking kids to just take one. Sex education is an excellent idea, at least they will know what to do and what NOT to do, and I do think birth control and condoms should remain widely available.

If I were a parent, I'd be way less angry with my teen if I learned they were using birth control than I would be if they told me I was a grandma now.

Sabrina

9/28/2019 10:32:45 pm

I disagree with your claim that teens know about sex. Yes, they know the gist of what it is and the fact that their friends and peers love it. That is reason enough to try and experiment with it. I don't think they really know anything about it until they have experience with it. This is because they don't learn about it in school or at home, which is where I think it should be taught. Teens don't realize how easy it is to slip up. Even if one is trying to hold off for marriage or until they're older, differing standards and the right setting can definitely cause one to forget their decision. If teens realize that the candy comes with a contract, they may be less willing to take one.

Kately

9/29/2019 12:56:12 pm

I didn't think of it that way, I suppose that is true. What we learn about sex usually comes from other schoolmates and other outside sources. If teens were informed by qualified instructors and/or adults, they would be much safer and make better decisions.

Ezra

9/28/2019 01:52:07 pm

Abstinence is a very strong state of mind, and is on its own a way of life. I think that forcing abstinence upon anyone is against a persons rights because everyone has a right to choose what they want to do in life. I feel there are other ways to lower the rate of teen pregnancies other than push abstinence in their faces, because kids are rebelious.

If at schools kids are taught safe sex rather, then someone telling then to abstain from sex and leaving it there. They should be taught how to be safe and be shown what might happen if they are not safe. Provide the kids with some real consequences if they don't follow the rules.

Giving teens with children a place for their children to be such as day care or babysitter at the school is a good idea. If they do have a child it will make going to school easier on them knowing their kid has a place to go. Plus they can further their education, which is making a better life for their child.

I feel everyone has a right to do what ever with their life. If a person wants to be on birth-control let them there is not a down side to being on it. There will be less of a chance of a girls having a kid before she is ready to. Plus there is that unknown that a girl could be raped and then she wouldn't have to live with a child because of rape.

Faith

9/29/2019 09:44:57 am

I agree everyone has a right to chose what they want to do with their life, and that taking birth control really doesn’t have a downside besides the fact society looks down on you and immediately assumes you are taking birth control because you are having sex. To me, this makes no sense because they are trying to be safe, yet still get ridiculed for it.

Madicyn

9/29/2019 01:07:00 pm

For those who are educated, they know that birth control can help maintain much more than just a baby free life. Different kinds can help regulate acne, periods, cramps, weight, and many other small things that alter the lives of people who take it. The arrogance towards the benefits of birth control are another reason why it will be so important to provide education for it.

Alyssa Farnworth

9/29/2019 12:48:15 pm

I like liked what you said about a daycare and the unknown circumstances of why a teen might get pregnant. Many people don’t consider that a teen may become pregnant because of a choice she did not make. How would you suggest the school’s daycare be paid for? For example would the state pay for it or should the moms?

Sabrina

9/29/2019 06:15:34 pm

I think the subject of rape could be an entire new topic but should the school be paying for the effects? I don't believe in the idea of daycare paid by the school. It shouldn't pay for our decisions. If a rape suspect is caught, couldn't he be the financial support as consequence? If not, the state could help pay for the mother in ways other than school day care that could support the mother paying for a different facility.

Brax Kauffman

9/29/2019 02:14:46 pm

When it comes to birth control, how available do you think it should be? Like should it continue to be the same as it is now, or should there be easier or harder methods in order to obtain it?

Faith

9/29/2019 10:57:00 am

I believe that if we taught in middle school and high school what safe sex is and what the consequences if we aren’t safe are to a stronger extent, teen pregnancy rates would go down. I remember in middle school going to health class one day a week for a month or two and learning about safe sex for one lesson. However, that was middle school and most people would forget what little they learned by the time they get to high school, which is where everyone should be informed on the topic of safe sex. About 60% of teens have sex in high school. So why spend only one unit of health class on safe sex when this many teens are participating in sexual intercourse. If we increased time spent on talking about safe sex, there could be a lesser rate of teen pregnancy.

Having daycare in high schools for teen moms is a good idea, but just isn’t realistic. The first issue would be the parents not wanting the high school to condone teen parenting. No matter what statistics say, unfortunately people will never not think that allowing the school to have a daycare program for teen parents is condoning that they should become teen parents, or that if they do they have free daycare. The other main issue is that the funding would be too much. Normal daycare is anywhere from $600-$800 or more a month, I couldn’t imagine what it would be in a school setting.

Lastly, I truly believe that teens should have the right to get birth control on there own without their parents knowledge. Teenagers will do whatever they wish to do. Although they aren’t adults and “aren’t ready to make mature decisions such as being on birth control or getting birth control”, as society says, they are still human and have every right to do what’s best for themselves. If they are trying to get some form of birth control, it’s to be safe, which is a mature decision in my book. A lot of parents will tell you that you don’t need to be safe you just need to avoid having sex, but it’s just not realistic. Not only this, but birth control isn’t just a contraceptive, it helps tons of other things such as acne, extreme cramps, regulate periods, etc.

Faith

9/29/2019 10:59:17 am

Sources:
https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.fatherly.com/health-science/percentage-high-school-kids-have-had-sex/amp/
https://www.healthline.com/health/birth-control-benefits

Kately

9/29/2019 12:52:35 pm

I agree with your statement, daycare aimed towards the children of teen parents would be expensive, even more so than regular daycare. Having a child, going to work to support that child, on top of going to school is no easy task. Teens who are taking birth control for their own safety are making a good decision, they're being responsible for themselves.

Alyssa Farnworth

9/29/2019 12:53:40 pm

I agree that realistically a school daycare system wouldn’t happen. I enjoyed what you said about birth control. Many people wouldn’t agree and feel that the parents should be in charge of that choice but many don’t consider the other uses of birth control. Birth control should be widely available for teens.

Madicyn

9/29/2019 01:10:39 pm

The way I see it, if teenagers are convinced they’re mature enough to have sexual intercourse and risk receiving STD’s or ending up pregnant. They should be mature enough to make their own decisions on talking to a professional in a private matter about ensuring they’re being safe and all is well. Without their parents involvement.

Andy Gebhardt

9/29/2019 01:35:47 pm

I agree with your point about school daycare. The number you put in to back it up make even more sense. For a high school student to pay $600 or more a month is not possible. That would require a lot of work hours to be able to pay that. As far as your point about sex education, do you think it is the government’s job to decide what is taught? Or should each school be able to figure it out on their own?

Madicyn

9/29/2019 01:03:20 pm

I think sexual education should be a required subject to learn about in both middle and high school. All students should have to participate and engage in the awkward moment of having a teacher talk to them about sex, birth control methods, sexually transmitted diseases, and even safe sex in an emotional way as well. They should push for sex to be a comfortable conversation that young teens and adults can speak about openly, and discuss any concerns or problems they may be having. I don’t think that sex should be a taboo subject, and teens would be safer if they were able to ask questions.

I think affordable daycares should be an option for teen moms as well. Although they made a decision that will effect them the rest of their lives, I think that finishing schooling should still be available and seem like a realistic goal to obtain for these young men and women who have a child/children at s young age.

As for the birth control and condoms, I definitely think that teenagers should be allowed to find these methods without their parents permission. I think their should be a limit of which ones they can partake in, but as for the pill method and the shot DePo, this should be available to them if needed. I don’t think any super permanent birth control methods should be allowed without parent consent such as IUD’s.

Andy Gebhardt

9/29/2019 01:31:34 pm

I agree that young mothers should be given the opportunity to finish school. However, paying for daycare would add another bill to raising a child. Can you think of any other options that parents could be given in this situation? What could make their lives easier?

Brax Kauffman

9/29/2019 02:10:03 pm

I agree with you that there should be a class, but not that it should be required in order to continue with someones education. I think that maybe there should be an introduction class and then if you want to continue with it there should be options available to the student. What are your ideas on this?

Ezra

9/29/2019 06:32:05 pm

I agree with everything that you are saying. I also think that what you said about birth-control is spot on. The minor or lower contraceptives should be easier to obtain, and the ones that mean making a bigger choice should need parental permission.

Andy Gebhardt

9/29/2019 01:26:09 pm

Sexual awareness and education is an issue in schools that is not commonly brought up. For whatever reason, teachers, parents, and state legislatures all feel as though one another should be the one in charge of telling young adults about sex. It has become a kind of blame society when the government expects parents and teachers to be doing the teaching on awareness but there are no laws regarding the actual education. There are laws in many states but in Idaho there are almost no laws that stipulate what kind of sexual education should be taught. It is common for high school and middle school students to take health classes but often these are just broad overviews of the real issue.
Another issue that aligns with sex education is the internet and social media. Teens are more likely to go online where they can be anonymous and find information rather than ask a parent, teacher, or peer. I feel as though this problem could get even worse if schools do not start providing better courses on sex education.
Daycare in schools is not the right way to go for a couple of reasons. The first is that it would expensive and especially smaller schools would not have the money to pay for it. The second is the reason many young mothers drop out: they have to raise a child. Raising a child takes money and without support it is very hard to be in school and take care of a kid.
Overall, I believe there are some changes that could go into sexual education programs to make them more comprehensive and better for students. Many states simply need to have outlines for what that education should look like. Also, the internet is having an impact on teen brains and so maybe it is better to start sex education at a younger age so there is more awareness. Either way, there are issues with both, but somebody has to figure out the right way.

Tori Weir

9/29/2019 02:49:01 pm

Social media and the internet is a huge part of our society. We use it to answer any of our questions nowadays, including sex education and uncomfortable topics. I feels like in these subjects it is more comfortable to find out by ourselves, but it is also nice to have some advice from other people who we know and trust.Do you think we trust more in the internet or the people we know to ask these kinds of questions?

Aiden

9/29/2019 06:02:00 pm

I agree that awareness and prevention are better than trying to help what’s already gone wrong. I didn’t think about the price of daycare much but it just isn’t ideal unless there was some government spending allotted for it.

Brax Kauffman

9/29/2019 01:57:28 pm

Sexual education is something that should at least be offered by every school around the country, however I do not believe it should be a required class you have to take. The reason for this is that if it were to become a required class there would be a good amount of people who would fight it which would lower the effectiveness of the entire program around it. I do think that it should be a class every school is at least required to offer and is heavily suggested to the students enrolled at the school. I think that this class would lead to safer sex being practiced which in turn would lead to less teen pregnancies.
As far as the day care system goes, I think that while not every high school should offer a day care service to their students, there should be one created in every area where people can take their children. Whether or not this is a school or government deal, I think that if you allow for there to be a day care for a larger area of schools then it would be easier to fund as well as getting more people to be open about it and use the facilities.
I think that birth control and condoms should be something that continues to be available to people without their parents consent. The main reason for his is that most people can agree on the fact that teens are going to continue to have sex and that they are most likely not that open about it to their parents. For that reason, making them harder to get would only increase the amount of teen pregnancies throughout our country.

Tori Weir

9/29/2019 02:43:50 pm

I see where it would cause problems if sex education was a required class. However, not many people would take advantage of the class if it was not required and it would lose it's message to teens also. Why do you think people would fight it? In what ways can make the student want to take the class?

Aiden

9/29/2019 06:15:43 pm

I like your idea that it shouldn’t be required but I also think not many people would take it. So maybe a requirement would be better. That way the curious ones don’t have to be shamed by their friends for wanting to learn to be safe.

Paige

9/29/2019 07:37:29 pm

Do you feel that if sex education were an optional class, that students would take it? I can see students who would want to take it and be further educated in that area, but then miss the opportunity because of the pressure they feel from their friends.

Tori Weir

9/29/2019 02:37:57 pm

Teens have sexual intercourses due to the pressure of peers, curiosity, to feel mature, pleasure, popularity, intimacy, or to feel loved and help boost self-esteem. Many teens do not fully understand pregnancy is a possible outcome. If there were proper sex education given to middle school and high school students I believe it would lower the rate of teen pregnancy. It should be required for all students to take a class learning about the consequences and outcomes of having unsafe and safe sexual intercourses. If sex education was better in schools it would play an effect on the teens’ decision.
While the daycare option for the children of teen moms is a good idea it is not realistic enough to make it happen. Teen moms could probably not afford daycare and that is why most teen moms have their parents to watch them. If the daycare was paid for by the government it would work but it would highly unlikely that is going to happen.
As for the teens being able to buy birth control and condoms, it should be allowed without their parents' knowledge. Teens are going to have sex even without their parents knowing and having safe sex is better than risking it. It is honestly the teen’s decision on whether to have safe sex or not. Although in some cases teens should at least be truthful to their parents on what they are doing and spending money.

Erykah

9/29/2019 11:23:04 pm

It occurred to me to ask the question, "How many teen mothers put their child up for adoption?" but I was unable to find statistics. It makes a lot of sense for teen moms to put their child up for adoption because they can't afford to keep their baby. Teen pregnancy also comes with a great emotional cost when they give up their baby since they create a bond with their baby after holding it for nine months. When contemplating this scenario, it reminds teens that pregnancy is a possible outcome of sex.

Sabrina

9/29/2019 06:05:13 pm

If a girl is not prepared to support a child, she should not put themselves in a position to have one. If a boy is not prepared to support a child, he should not put themselves in the position to have one. There are ways to prevent it like birth control, and if that is the case then no one can control your sex life. However, people like taking risks, or rather, justifying risks in the heat of the moment.
I am hesitant to support the school providing day care. I think we should work on preventing teen pregnancies to girls who cannot support a child as opposed to putting money into taking care of their decision. I do think that a proper education on the subject will help. Many kids are drawn to sex because their peers are flaunting their experiences with it and making it sound like heaven. That is what teens are thinking when they choose this. My religious background encourages me to view sex as a more sacred and protected act and kids are taught that it is casual. We should also be teaching how birth control works, because there are side effects.
As children, we are under our parents' care. The topic of teen and parent relationships is a lengthy one, but in the end I believe that we as teens should be doing everything we can to strengthen those relationships. Our parents want the best for us, even though it may not seem like it. We should be able to go to our parents for questions or permission and respect what they say. I definitely think that teens should go to their parents to ask about, or ask permission for, condoms, birth control, etc.

Paige

9/29/2019 07:31:35 pm

I like how you brought up that if boys and girls are not prepared to support a child they should not put themselves in a position to have one. Too bad that is easier said than done. Like you said, people like taking risks, especially teenagers. And because of that, we have this occurrence, this problem, and now this blog topic. So when young teens decide to do something they are not yet prepared for, and end up pregnant, what is the solution? What do you feel is the best way to "solve" this ongoing problem?

Paige

9/29/2019 07:23:17 pm

I feel that sex education is very important, and Alyssa is right in saying that abstinence cannot be all that is taught. Instead of ignoring the problem and pretending that high school pregnancies are not an occurrence, sex education should be offered. I personally feel if young teens were more aware of the outcomes of their decisions and fully understood the negative effects of teen pregnancies and STD's then they would be more likely to abstain themselves from a sexually active lifestyle.
As far as daycare for teen mothers, I do not know how effective it would be. What failed to be mentioned is the embarrassment that comes with young girls getting pregnant. While high school daycare may be a great solution, it would be hard for a young girl, who has a child, to enter a school with her peers day after day. Daycare would be a great program to start, but I personally feel that it is not in the young parent's best interest to attend high school.
Overall, I agree with Alyssa in that the best solution is in sex education. Knowledge is power and if there are programs to provide that necessary knowledge to young teens then I believe there will be less pregnancies and more sexual awareness.

Erykah

9/29/2019 11:39:02 pm

It's interesting to note that in April this year, the Idaho Legislature passed a law that "would reverse the procedures for how sex education is taught in Idaho. Currently, Idaho law allows parents to opt their children out of sex education. Under [Rep. Barbara] Ehardt’s bill, students could not take sex education unless their parents specifically filled out paperwork to opt them in."
Students that have parents who are unwilling to talk about sex education will have a difficult time learning useful information under this law.

https://www.idahostatesman.com/news/local/education/article227200604.html#storylink=cpy

Erykah Foss

9/29/2019 11:04:04 pm

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, “About 43% of teens ages 15 to 19 have ever had sex.” Although four in five teenage girls used birth control before sex, a mere five percent of them used effective ones. Teenagers usually don’t consider the risks of having sex: STDs, emotional pain, or pregnancy. Becoming pregnant at a young age is difficult financially, especially if the teen comes from a non-wealthy family. Hospital bills, diapers, clothes, toys, and daycare all add up to, “roughly $12,000 on child-related expenses in their baby’s first year of life,” as stated by a 2010 USDA report.

Teenagers love rebellion, which is why it is difficult to prevent all teens from having sex. Despite what parents believe, their children will figure out a way to get what they want. This is why it is critical to have sex education provided in schools. Schools and parents should protect their teens by advising them about sex and the risks involved. Most teens think they are fine using a cheap birth control that is ineffective, so spreading awareness about using quality birth control and condoms is key to preventing teen pregnancy. I think it is also important to show support to current teen moms by providing services like a daycare in schools, but this could get expensive for taxpayers. Another alternative would be to convince daycares in areas with a high rate of teen pregnancy to lower their cost for teen moms.

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