Decrease Of Teen Pregnancy Rate :: essays research papers

The overall teen birth rate has declined by 16 percent from 1991 to 1997. â€Å"All states are recording a decline and it is the sixth year in a row that the teen birth rate has declined,† stated Donna Shalala, HHS secretary of U. S. Newswire. Although the birthrate among teens is decreasing and the percentage of teenagers who have had sexual intercourse is declining, it is a multi-fauceted problem affecting today’s youth. The government is taking in to consideration all possibilities and conditions with teen births to make an affective way to prevent it.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Teenage pregnancy is a condition that can be controlled in many instances. Congress’ campaign is â€Å"To reduce the teenage pregnancy by supporting values and stimulating actions that are consistent with a pregnancy-free adolescence,† stated the Speaker pro tempore Mr. Taylor of North Carolina. Congress’ goal is to balance the budget and reduce spending in the area of Medicaid funds, food stamps, and AFDC funds that are especially hard-hit by the teenage pregnancy problem. Reducing teenage childbearing through this campaign is likely to require more than eliminating or manipulating welfare programs.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  A form of prevention funded by the Department of Public Health in Massachusetts is The Challenge Fund. It is a community-based approach to teen pregnancy prevention. These coalitions unite youth, family, and community in order to create and increase opportunities for youth development and leadership. It also increases awareness of ownership of the risks, costs and problems of teen pregnancy.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The Federal Government has invested millions of dollars into an abstinence education program for young adults that provide ways for them to avoid sexual activity at such a young age. The program teaches teens the importance of sustaining from sexual activity before marriage and the importance of a monogamous relationship in a marriage. It also teaches them the harmful effects psychologically and physically, of sexual activity at a young age.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Studies show a trend toward sexual abstinence and improved use of condoms as possible reasons for sudden change in the pregnancy rate decreasing. Other studies also show that teen abortions are steadily declining as well, ruling out abortion as a factor in the falling national teen birth rate. â€Å"The government cannot calculate an overall teen pregnancy rate, which includes live births and abortions, because ten states keep no figures on abortions,† stated Stephanie Ventura, a statistician with CDC’s National Center for Health Statistics.