May is National Teen Pregnancy Prevention Month
Sheila Overton, MD, FACOG, is an OB / GYN at Shady Grove Adventist HealthCare Medical Center
May is national Teen pregnancy prevention Month. pregnancy and birth in the US teens fell to historically low levels, so it might be tempting for parents, health care providers, community leaders and others to think, "the problem is solved! "and move on to another very important question of adolescence. But here's the reality :. Approximately 625,000 teen pregnancies still occur each year in the United States, according to the Guttmacher Institute
the term "teen pregnancy" does not begin to convey the cascade of public health and social problems that occur when teenagers become pregnant. the statistics of the national campaign to prevent teen and Unplanned pregnancy to show that the teen pregnancy is a major cause of school dropout among girls. and just 2 percent of teens will get a college degree by age 30. teenage pregnancy is a major cause of poverty. About 25 percent of teen mothers receive public assistance within three years the births of their children, often themselves and their children relegated to a life of unrealized potential.
In 1997, I co-founded and chaired a teen pregnancy and STD prevention program my hospital in Los Angeles. A key objective of this program and my work continued in this area is to educate parents and to facilitate their ability to guide their teenagers to healthy, intelligent, and decisions based on the values on sexual health. After all, parents should be the first of their children sex educators, but too often they report feeling unprepared, or even awkward about this very important task of parenting. The following Pearls of Wisdom are extracted, Before it is too late. What Parents Need to Know about Teen Pregnancy and STD prevention
- Be an authorized parent-education is the key. Keep abreast of current information about pregnancy and prevention of adolescent problems, you will feel more confident talking to your teen.
- keep talking and please avoid this time, delicate moment, called "The Talk". You'll want to have many conversations with your child about the issues broad spectrum of sexual health. Some may be more formal, but teenagers prefer more impromptu, casual, and brief discussions.
- Emphasize your values and morals, if you do, the vacuum will be filled with the highly sexualized abundant information in the media today.
- Partner with health-care providers you will not go alone. Choose a health care provider for your child who is between / teen friendly, has an interest in promoting sexual health, and is really willing to listen.
Sheila Overton, MD, FACOG, is an OB / GYN at Shady Grove Adventist HealthCare Medical Center and author of "Before it is too late: What parents should know about teen pregnancy and STD prevention, "which is available www.droverton.org. Follow her on Twitter @DrOverton.
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