The development of a nation is entirely rooted in its population; hence, the question of teen population and pregnancy that has centralized most of the global debates. In the 1950s, 70s, and 90s, the rate of teen pregnancy among the non-whites and whites peaked to the extent that most governments realized ineffectiveness, as it directly affected the budgeting translating to slow economic growth and development. It, therefore, resulted in the emergence of various health, scientific, governmental, and non-governmental agencies that operated with an objective of awareness creation to reverse the entire phenomena. After this entire struggle, a number of statistical examination on the teen pregnancy globally have been undertaken to note the nature of changes that have occurred. Even though the statistics show a diminishing figure, the question is whether it is uniform globally and among all the races or it is largely happening in particular zones. The nature of investments that governments have subjected to this issue varies as others consider it to be social though the fact is that, it cuts across political, economic, and social fabric of all societies. This paper, therefore, provides an in-depth analysis of teen pregnancy over the past 20 years. It achieves its objectives through a widespread consideration of various statistics, debates, arguments, and facts from the concerned agencies. It, therefore, argues that, even though there is an imbalance in teen pregnancy rate globally, the number has been decreasing over the years.
Increased Access and Improvements in the Use of Contraceptives
Considering data from previous years, there has been an increase in access to contraceptives for birth control. The latter is a major stride in the health sector and services that are provided to younger teens by various agencies and health centers. Contraceptives are used to control birth control and come in various forms, for example, the birth control pills, practice of safe sex using condoms, and any other, as advised by the health practitioners. When the birth controls are easily accessible, they reach a wider group of people and this has helped teens make a huge step in curbing the teen pregnancy. One also has to give credit to the various agencies that advocate and promote the practice of safe sex and use of the birth control pills. It should be noted that most of the teen births are not intended, and, therefore, the phenomenal drop has a big significance to the overall population and birth rate.
Notably, in some States like Ohio, there are restrictions to the access of some health services for teens without the parental consent; this provides a backlash in the developments leading to a reduction in the teen pregnancy. However, there have been instances where teens are accompanied by their mothers to the hospital so that they can have access to the healthcare services, which includes advice of doctors on which contraceptives to use in order to practice safe sex. One can observe that the society is moving to a generation where the right to access to health services should not be restricted at all and legislators should have statutes that restrict access to contraceptives removed (Samandari and Ilene 50). It is very important to protect the confidentiality of teens that want access to the contraceptives. Moreover, it can also be noted that some sexually active teens have made decisions not to engage in sexual activities. These are decisions based on the teachings that they receive from their own peers or people around them.
According to researchers from Guttmacher Institute and Columbia University who examined two sets of data from the 1995 and 2002 cycles of the National Survey of Family Growth (NSFG), 86% of the decline in teen pregnancy was as a result of increased access to contraceptives and improvements in its use (Birgisson et al. 350). The rest of the 14% could be as a result of a decrease in engagement in sexual activity. This was a study done in the period 1995 - 2002. Further analysis of the data of behavioral patterns between the periods of 2002 – 2010 reveals that the decline in teen pregnancy was major as a result of the increased use of contraceptives and not because of the behavioral change. In essence, the argument that there were less or delayed sexual activities among teens could not have a positive significance because from the nationwide study the teens who engaged in sexual activities did not increase between the years 2003 and 2010. The report also revealed that there was a significant increase in the use of hormonal contraceptives among women aged 15-19, and this was a 37% increase compared to other years before. In addition, there was the period between 2010 to present. The data availed by Youth Risk Behavior Survey indicate that there was no significant change in the use of contraceptives and teen sexual behaviors between 2011 and 2013. More data is being collected on this and a more comprehensive report will be available after analysis.
Structural Factors
Structural factors include educational factors, economic factors, and social marginalization. Taking education as a factor, for instance, we observe that there has been increased awareness at an institutional level that teaches teens on the topics of sexual behaviors. According to Birgisson, when the teens are exposed to the topics at an early age, it creates awareness on the dangers of practicing unsafe sex that lead to unwanted pregnancies (349). Besides, the topics have been incorporated into the school curriculum in most preschools and high schools that have a higher percentage of teenagers. When the teens are engaged in such topics at an early age, the exposure to the information helps in changing the mindset, and this has had an impact on the overall reduction in the teen pregnancy. Adolescents who are enrolled in schools are also exposed to learning activities as well as engaging in after-school activities. The latter makes the teens always occupied with constructive activities rather than engaging in sexual activities. The positivity towards education and focus on good performance makes these teens not to think of becoming mothers.
Economic factors can be observed in the family structural economy. In white neighborhoods where the economy is better, we find that there are low cases teen pregnancies. The reduction can be observed due to the fact the teens are always under the care of parents and most of the time the focus is schooling. According to McKay and Michael, social structures also allow for the focus to be good morals as early engagement in sexual activities is disregarded (41). Although this is different as compared to other areas like the Hispanics, the demographic structures in these places, on the other hand, lead to increased teen pregnancies. In this case, therefore, due to the importance of socioeconomic structures as a factor, one can conclude that to some extent it has resulted in reduced teen pregnancies in the past 20 years. But again, it can be observed that even among other races, there have been improvements in the lifestyles that have led to reduced teen pregnancies and engagement in teen sexual activities.
Although the teenage population and age composition has been constant since the 1990s, there has been a huge change in the racial structures. Latinos make a huge number of American teens; thus, present higher figures in the teen pregnancy. An observer would expect the rate of teen pregnancies to be higher but that is not the point. This, therefore, leaves people with a conclusion that the practices in the cultures where the economies of scale are good to outnumber the practices in areas where this is not the case, which again leaves us with a major puzzle.
The National Economy
Researchers have come up with the argument that maybe the economy, which relates so much to social inequalities, has also played a major role in the reduction in teen pregnancies. Changes in the economy go hand in hand with changes in the labor market. The conditions may be worse, especially if the economy runs to the poor side. The periods in the 1990s after the cold war saw a major economic growth from all the fronts but in the early 2000s, a period of recession and even a further crisis in the periods of 2007-2009 across the world was evident. Research that focused on the relationship between adolescent groups and the economy found out that there were some effects of this crisis on the teen pregnancies, especially among the old African American teenagers. The focus was majorly on teen use of contraceptives and the decisions to give birth. In as much as some groups of American teenagers were not so much affected, we can still argue this as a point on this topic. The economic crises have had a major effect on the adult Americans of all races.
The AIDS and other STIs Crisis
Notably, the researchers have observed that the Aids crisis in most American states and the educational initiatives formed to deal with it helped sensitize the teens and advocated for the use of safe sexual practices. The teachings included the use of condoms during the sexual intercourse. People who had influence in the societies in the early 90s coming out to speak about Aids and this changed the mindset of the teens (Kearney and Phillip 153). For example, sports personality Magic Johnson, activist Elizabeth Glaser, and a young teen Ryan White helped sensitize the younger generation and drum awareness to the whole public. Moreover, these concerns and the fear of contracting led to the increased use of condoms among teens and this majorly reduced the pregnancies. According to the National Survey of Family Growth (NSFG) data, there was a significant increase in condom used among females aged between 15-19 from 38% in 1995 to 52% in the period between 2007-2010 (Finer and Mia S43). The latter was preceded by a steady increase in male condom use from 64% in 1995 to 75% in 2006-2010 (Coyle et al. 224). Argumentatively, the rising trends in condom use and practice of safe sex led to a significant decrease in the number of teen pregnancies. Other sexually transmitted diseases were also sensitized, and; hence, the need to use protection during sexual contacts.
Childbearing Norms
With the changes in the societal structures and norms, childbearing has been observed as something that is only good at a certain age. In the current American societies, teens view it as something that should happen after age 20s and above. The best age for having sex has also changed among the women and most of them prefer to wait until after marriage to engage in sexual activities. The experiences the teenagers see in their families also become lessons to them and they do not want to experience such themselves as researchers see it. The shift in the fertility rate may, therefore, be as a reason of the declining teen pregnancy rates. Statistics show that decline in pregnancy in under 19-year-olds is far much lower than those between 20-24-year-olds (McKay and Michael 43). The latter, therefore, shows that later childbearing is preferred and favored by both the teenagers and those slightly above their 20s.
The Media
The media has played a major role in the sensitization programs and teachings on early childbearing. Media voices strong messages on abstinence from sexual activities, correct use of contraceptives, and emphasizes on the effects of teen giving birth to themselves. The internet nowadays has really grown from the 1990s and all the information about birth control and sex can always be found within the touch of a button. A study in 2013 showed that in America, 93% of the teens had access to computers from home, 78% had access to phones, with a half of those being smartphones (Finer and Mia 478). It means that access to information to the teens has been easy with various platforms allowing the teens to ask questions about whatever the topics they had about health care, which they would feel uncomfortable asking somebody else. Traditional media platforms also have been on the forefront in providing these teachings such as television shows, for example, the shows "16 and Pregnant” and “Teen Mom”. The two shows have been said to have helped significantly reduce teen pregnancies. There was an increase in the number of tweets and search activities about contraceptives as a form of birth control and sex during the time the shows were aired (Peipert et al. 1291). The activities are related to the decrease in teen pregnancies.
Medical Recommendations
There have been major strides made in the medical sector regarding the right to access to some medical examinations. Anecdotal reports have shown that adolescents can use hormonal methods. This was not the case before but changes in the early 200s made it easier for the doctors to administer Pap tests and pelvic examinations. Update in clinical recommendations, therefore, allowed teens and young women to receive hormonal contraceptives without having to undergo the pap tests and pelvic examinations. The initiative saw a significant drop in the teen pregnancies.
The use of Intrauterine devices has been discouraged in some teens because of the reactions it causes but in some teens where it has no effect, we have seen a significant drop in the teen pregnancies. Use of Intrauterine devices has also increased nationwide which means it has been adopted by most of the teenagers.
Conclusion
In summary, the factors discussed above have played a major role in the decline of teen pregnancies over the past 20 years. There are so many other underlying effects that have seen the drop in teen pregnancies. The contribution in-depth contribution of these factors needs far much statistical analysis, which needs research over a period of time because they forces vary from one group of America communities to the next. The relative outcome can be seen however minimal it is. Positivity is what one can observe based on the trend that the teens are nowadays taking responsibility for their lives. Therefore, there should be an overall response by the various agencies to see to it that the teens have access to the information they need and the health services they may want. Moreover, there is the need for proper education to the teens on the best birth control methods to use and when to get initiated into sexual acts as a teenager. The teachings would be so much important before they engage in sexual acts. This is where the sex education policy across the whole nation would come in handy from the government like the Bush Administration that advocated for abstinence-only education and spent over $1.5 billion from the Federal Government.
Sexually active adolescents also need to be provided with contraceptives and have full access to health care. The Affordable Health Care program adopted by Obama Administration saw an increased access to contraceptives by the youths. Statistics show that in 201 more than 1.5 million teens were provided with contraceptives that prevented over 360000 unintended pregnancies, which is a good number. All said and done, people have to give full credit to the youths that make decisions to use the measures available and abstain from sex to prevent unintended pregnancies. Society should play a major role in adopting the measures put in place and help all the teens and even eradicate the teen pregnancies forever.
Work Cited
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Coyle, Karin, et al. "Safer choices: reducing teen pregnancy, HIV, and STDs." Public health reports (2016).
Finer, Lawrence B., and Mia R. Zolna. "Unintended pregnancy in the United States: incidence and disparities, 2006." Contraception, vol. 84, no. 5, 2011, pp. 478-485.
Finer, Lawrence B., and Mia R. Zolna. "Shifts in intended and unintended pregnancies in the United States, 2001–2008." American journal of public health, vol. 104, no. S1, 2014, pp. S43-S48.
Kearney, Melissa S., and Phillip B. Levine. "Why is the teen birth rate in the United States so high and why does it matter?." Journal of Economic Perspectives, vol. 26, no. 2, 2012, pp. 141-163.
McKay, Alexander, and Michael Barrett. "Trends in teen pregnancy rates from 1996-2006: A comparison of Canada, Sweden, USA, and England/Wales." The Canadian Journal of Human Sexuality, vol. 19, no. ½, 2010, pp.34-43.
Samandari, Ghazaleh, and Ilene S. Speizer. "Adolescent sexual behavior and reproductive outcomes in Central America: trends over the past two decades." International perspectives on sexual and reproductive health, vol. 36, no. 1, 2010, 26-56.
Peipert, Jeffrey F., et al. "Preventing unintended pregnancies by providing no-cost contraception." Obstetrics and gynecology, vol. 120 no. 6, 2012, pp. 1188-1291.
