The Highest Rate of Teenage Pregnancies - Essay Example

Educational programs were used that covered abstinence as the surefire way to avoid pregnancy, though they also informed teenagers of the use of condoms and other contraceptives. Unfortunately, there were other programs that only preached of abstinence, giving negative and often false information on the dangers of condoms. Clinical protocols in which counselors would talk to teenagers about their options were also implemented. Service-learning programs were also offered, though these spent less time teaching about abstinence and safe sex and more time helping teenagers to look forward to their future and to increase their closeness and comfortability with adults.

While each program had their good and bad aspects, it was decided that the reasons needed to be determined as to why teenagers were practicing unsafe sex, to begin with, and then decide on the program that would be more beneficial to them. Lately, it seems that there are more teenagers that are pregnant than those that are not. The programs outlined in the article have all had successes, all of which have led to either prolonged sexual activity or greater concern for protected sex. If these programs are effective as the article claims, then they should be more readily available for teenagers, especially those that are in high school, as they seem to be the highest risk factor.

Each teenager has their own reason as to why they engage themselves in risk-taking sexual activity, and these reasons need to be understood before deciding which program they should involve themselves in. If a teenager has the knowledge of safe sex and the support of adults, they decrease their chances of becoming pregnant at such a young age.