What are you doing to prevent teen pregnancy?
May 14, 2009 by omitunde
Filed under Kitchen Table Wisdom
Young women are making the choice to become sexually active at an alarming rate and even more disturbing as young as age nine.
We live in a sexually charged society with messages of sexuality threaded into every media outlet possible and what is intended for adult entertainment is viewed by children and teenagers. Children and teens imitate what they see in popular culture.
Family values can have a positive impact on the choices that teens make when it comes to sexual activity. Decoding the sound-bites and image for teens is important. Watch what they watch and listen to what they say about it. Don’t think they are not exposed, everyone is exposed.
How can a young person make a decision to not become sexually active when the images they see daily and hear in music, commercials and advertisements say that to be accepted, popular and beautiful you must be sexually attractive?
Puberty is age 7 to 11 when girls and boys are shaking off the identity that has been defined by their connection to parents and family group. Innocence fades, the magical begins to disappear and they begin to identify with their own responses by the defining themselves through their connection with others outside of the family group.
The magical way that children think up to age seven begin to disappear or overshadowed by the biological changes in the body from puberty to the state adolescence. The old saying in the black community “you are smellin’ yourself” means that you are attempting to act in grown up ways when your are still just a child that does not understand grown up things.
I watch the six-graders on the playground at my grand-daughter’s school kiss, touch and grope each other with not attempt to hide it. They are very interested in sexual activity or at least what they can get away while waiting to be picked up by mom or dad. The parents stop and blow their horn, they seem to be pre-occupied and never notice the huddles in the corner.
We are in a desperate situation with teen pregnancy in the African American community. In a recent article on Black America Web it was stated that the United States has the highest rates of teen pregnancy and birth in the entire developed world and that 3 in 10 girls will get pregnant at least once by age 20?
How man young women do you know personally that has gotten pregnant before their 20th birthday?
This is everyone’s problem and we all must get involved actively to advocate abstinence and caution. Mothers and fathers need to talk to their teens about the critical time to make the right decision before they have sex. The consequences are too great and when you are caught up in the moment, it is difficult to STOP and consider the consequences.
Information is powerful if you have the right information. This is Teen Pregnancy Prevention month and the end of the academic year just as we go into the summer months, talk to your children about making intelligent choices before they make a mistake. There are many things to consider, like STD’s, HIV/AIDS, Herpes, Mono and the most severe consequence, an unwanted pregnancy.
Make sure you and your teens have the right information by doing the questions on the web sties dedicated to teen pregnancy prevention.Sit down with your teens and discuss the myths and misconceptions they may have about sex and relationships.
The follow questions are a sample of what is available online;
Myths About Getting Pregnant
MYTH: A girl can’t get pregnant/ a guy can’t get a girl pregnant if:
1.you have sex standing up
2.you have sex in a hot tub or a swimming pool
3.you jump up and down immediately after sex
4.It’s your first time
5.the girl pushes really hard on her belly button after sex;
6.the girl makes herself sneeze for fifteen minutes after sex
Get Serious about discussing the facts and don’t assume that they already. It is a mistake to allow your teens get their information from misinformed teens like them.
This problem is everyone’s responsibility.
Check out the following web sites for more information.
http://www.thenationalcampaign.org/national/
http://www.stayteen.org/quiz/widget.aspx
My favorite pregnancy myth:
“I can’t get her pregnant if I masterbated to get the sperm out first.”
We all know that teen pregnancy is a huge step for a girl who doesn’t know how to be a mother. All we can do is to prevent by means of having a quality time not only with your daughters but your sons also. Maybe in that way we can lower the growing populations of teen moms.