Teen Pregnancy: Connersville IN, Fayette County - Essay Example

Teen Pregnancy, Connersville IN, Fayette County Affiliation Teen Pregnancy, Connersville IN, Fayette County Introduction The City of Connersville is a part of Fayette County, Indiana. It is one of nine townships that are found in Fayette county. For a long time, the township has been well-known for having the highest teen pregnancy rates in Indiana. In fact, Fayette County has been rated second highest in terms of teenage pregnancy levels by the commonwealth, i.e. after Philadelphia County. This paper discusses the statistics and the problem of teen pregnancies, the various policies formulated in relation to teen pregnancy as well as the roles nurses can play in preventing these pregnancies. Population at risk/description of the problem According to the 2010 census, the population of Connersville was estimated to be 12,282. At the same time, Connersville contained 5,573 housing units. In addition, the township covers an area of 32.77 square miles, which is equivalent to 84.9 km2. (Census, 2013). A map of the city of Connersville. Retrieved from Google maps. Below is a graph showing the age distribution of the population of Connersville Figure 1 (Census, 2013) Students in the area, as young as those in the eight grade get pregnant (FRHS, 2013). Teen pregnancy often leads to a lot of hardships for the mother who is yet to finish her education, to those who take care of the toddlers such as grandparents or babysitters. In addition, babies require a lot of expenses. The rise in teen pregnancy can be attributed to various factors. In light of this, Connersville is widely affected by poverty, lack of employment and the lack of education. Most of the teens that are affected by teen pregnancies are from families that are affected by some of these problems. It is anticipated that more job opportunities in Connersville would contribute greatly in bringing more businesses to the town leading to a reduction in poverty. Since the shutdown of Visteon, business has tremendously gone down. On the other hand, lack of teen pregnancy control could be attributed to the lack of education in Connersville. The lack of employment and businesses has a direct impact on the levels of income leading to the underutilization of education in the region. It is in this context that Coley and Chase-Lansdale (1998) acknowledged that teen pregnancies are as high as the levels of poverty. There is, thus, a great need for jobs and education for the entire population (FRHS, 2013) If the Township could incorporate more activities or even fun places for students, the rate of teen pregnancy would be lower. Sex education and the physical as well as emotional risks that are associated with teen sex need to be taught in high schools. According to FRHS (2013), Counties that offer education on the risks involved as well as safe sex have lower pregnancy rates. The FamilyScape Model The FamilyScape Simulation model is an agent based model that simulates the key antecedents of pregnancy, such as contraceptive use and sexual activity as well as its outcomes such as childbearing within or outside marriage and among teenage mothers, and the probability of children being born into poverty among others (CCF, 2012). The benchmarking and validation of this model should ensure that simulated characteristics such as gender, age, education, socioeconomic status and marital status are consistent with the demographic profiles of each of the members of a nationwide representative sample. The simulated behaviors are normally aligned to real world benchmarks that are usually generated from extensive analysis of external data sources. The simulated demographic variation in the various behaviors is equivalent to the variations measured in the real world. To validate the model, the simulated results are normally compared to the equivalents that have been observed in the real world (CCF, 2012). Policy simulations are performed by modifying the entire model’s behavioral parameters, assuming that a given policy intervention affects the behavior of an individual in a certain manner. After simulating the behavioral effects, intervention’s projected impacts can then be estimated on the number of teen pregnancies. The savings that are made in terms of taxpayers money are produced by any of the policies discussed below, by assuming that the prevention of a mis timed birth will delay to a later date. Teen pregnancy prevention programs policy work better, according to research (CCF, 2012). The extent of the problem (biometric data) In the United States, Teen pregnancy rates have generally dropped over the last few decades, however, the country still tops in teen pregnancy rates across the Western world. In spite of declines in teen pregnancy rates in the United States., approximately 820,000 teens become pregnant annually. This figure implies that 34 percent of American teenagers have at least a single pregnancy before the age of 20. Statistics also indicate that 79 percent of these teenagers are unmarried. In addition, 80 percent of these teenage pregnancies are unplanned (Bedyniak, 2011). Approximately 4 out of every 10 teenagers who had their first intercourse between the tender ages of thirteen and fourteen tend to state the act (sex) was involuntary. Close to 25 percent of mothers who become pregnant at a tender age normally have an additional child within two years of first birth (TeenHelp, n.d). The US spends up to $7 billion annually due to costs arising from teen pregnancy. Only a third of teenage mothers complete their high school studies. In addition, the daughters of teen mothers have a 22 percent probability of becoming teen mothers compared to other children. Compared to other countries in the industrialized, the US has a higher rate of teen pregnancies as well as abortion rates. Actually, the USA’s teen pregnancy rates are twice those of Canada, while Japan has eight times lower pregnancy rates that those of the US (TeenHelp, n.d). a study revealed that the feelings of teens about sex do not reflect the rates of teen pregnancies. 82 percent of teens feel that teens ought not to be sexually active. On the other hand, 72 percent of them agreed that sexually active teens should use to birth control methods (TeenHelp, n.d).  In Fayette county, teen birth rate is 61, per every 1,000 females aged between 15 and 19. Teen Birth Rate 61 Per 1,000 Females - Ages 15-19 Compared to Indiana State and the entire nation, 40.7 percent of females are aged between 15 and 19, while the national percentage is 45.8%. Comparison to Indiana state and the nation Group Indiana United States Females 15-19 40.7% 45.8% Allender and Barbara (n. d) state that the percentage of teens who are seeking birth control or family planning solutions in Indiana range from 0-5 percent. Policy analysis The problem of unplanned pregnancies is a widespread one and has far-reaching implications. Close to half of the total pregnancies in the US are normally unplanned for, and affect both the mothers and the children in various ways. Pregnancy prevention policies have been put in place though they may have various impacts. The adoption of various methods that are aimed at reducing teen unintended pregnancies have been on the rise in America in general and specifically in Fayette county. These policies include the use of mass media campaigns in a bid to discourage unprotected sex, expansions in the state / nation funded family planning services as well as the establishment of teen pregnancy prevention programs. These policies play quite a big role in reducing teen pregnancies as well as child poverty (CCF, 2012). Research shows that every single dollar that is spent on these policies would save taxpayer money between two and six dollars. Prudent investments have over the years, been made in several verified pregnancy avoidance policies. These policies, however, face some level of opposition from state and national level leaders. Nevertheless, the expansion of the policies has been proven to better people’s lives as well as the economy. There exists a growing body of evidence proposing that elegant mass media campaigns can contribute greatly in persuading teens to avoid unprotected sex. Media campaigns used on populations are estimated to change the behavior of about three to six percent of the targeted population. Nationwide media campaigns have the potential of giving significant results in reducing the rates of teen pregnancy as well as reducing child poverty in a manner that is cost-effective (CCF, 2012). Pregnancy prevention programs that target teens play a role in addressing the insufficiency of knowledge on avoiding unintentional pregnancies. While some of these are classroom based, others are based on a strong youth development component. Others incorporate parent’s involvement. At the end of the day, they all have a sole aim, to provide participants with information on how well they can protect themselves from unintentional pregnancies. Most of the programs that are very successful put a great emphasis on abstinence as the only successful option in avoiding teen pregnancy. These programs also provide participants with education on the various methods of contraception and how to use them. Some of the finest designed interventions resulted reductions of up to 15 percent or more in sexual activity rates, as well as an increase of 25 percent or more in the rates of use of contraceptives (CCF, 2012). Evidence suggests or indicates that the expansions in access to family planning services that are publicly subsidized can affect the rates of use of contraceptive and unintentional childbearing. Family planning services, comprising the provision of contraception, have been made available to low-income females through Medicaid. Services/program description Through the years, Fayette County has remained well-known for the high rates of teenage pregnancy. Some of the alarming statistics in Fayette county consist of: one in every seven children in the County belongs to single mothers of less than 20 years of age; one in every five children in the County are born to mothers whose education level is less than high school level education (FCCAA, 2015). Various programs have been initiated to address the issue of teen pregnancy. The Fayette NFP was started in the year 2001. From the time it was launched, more mothers continue to join and more babies are born. Women in the program are of ages 13-35, and served by the program (FRHS, 2013). As at July 2004, Fayette County’s unemployment rate stood at 8.5 percent, approximately twice as high as the unemployment rate in Pennsylvania. Interrelated to the extremely low rates of employment is the low educational success of the county’s inhabitants. Just about 24 percent of adults around 25 years of age and older have no high school diploma or similar recognitions. Currently, Fayette County Community Action Agency (FCCAA) controls the only organized access and visitation center, known as the Children’s Safe Parenting Center, the only one in the entire county. Before the initiation of the Children’s Safe Parenting Center, choices that were available to families was limited. The launch of the Children’s Safe Parenting Center delivers a suitable way that guarantees the essential safe contact between kids and the non-custodial parents. Most of these children belong to teen mothers (FCCAA, 2015). Levels of prevention and the role of the nurse Nurses are tasked with the role of offering primary, secondary and tertiary care to teens on matters concerning teen pregnancy. Primary prevention in association with teenage pregnancy is majorly aimed at postponing first time intercourse. Primary prevention focuses on educating and empowering teenage boys and girls. Primary care can be well utilized in preventing teen pregnancies by empowering them through systematic education centered on the risks involved and consequences of teen sex such as pregnancy and Sexually Transmitted Diseases. Teenagers are also empowered to prevent pregnancy by availing to them contraceptives and emergency contraceptives. Nurses in a school setup is responsible for implementing a program that influences the delaying of sexual intercourse and also has an effect on rates of contraceptive use among middle as well as high school students. Access to information is critical for young people in need of preventing pregnancies. Nurses should encourage parents to also participate in availing this information to their children. Secondary prevention programs are aimed at encouraging teens to use contraceptives consistently and to detect pregnancy early enough via pregnancy tests. It is the provision of services for early detection of teen pregnancy, as well as early prenatal care and the support needed to prepare teens for becoming a parent  Tertiary prevention refers to the counsel given to teens about the available options when a pregnancy occurs, including keeping the baby, abortion or adoption. Tertiary prevention involves starting programs that are aimed at preventing future unwanted pregnancies among teenage girls and helping parenting teens to give the best care to their children. Some strategies include: services to help these teens complete their education, nutrition and immunization services as well as parent information (Allender & Barbara, n.d). Summary Connersville has quite a high rate of unemployment and poverty, as well as teen pregnancies. The problem of teen pregnancies is also experienced at alarming levels in the US. Access to information and education is critical for these teens in order to prevent pregnancies. Teens should also be encouraged to use contraceptives constantly and to detect pregnancy early enough. Conclusion The problem of unplanned pregnancies is a widespread one and has far-reaching implications. Pregnancy avoidance policies such as pregnancy prevention programs and well-designed mass media campaigns can play a big role in reducing teen pregnancies. Nurses can also assume a role in preventive care, both at primary, secondary and tertiary levels. References Allender, Ann, J., & Barbara Spradley, W. (n.d.). Community health nursing: Promoting and protecting the publics health. 2005: Lippincott Williams & Wilkins. Bedyniak, A. B. (2011). The Representation of Teenage Pregnancy in American Visual Culture on the Example of 16 and pregnant and Teen Mom. CCF. (2012, March). Policy Solutions for Preventing Unplanned Pregnancy. Retrieved June 2015, from http://www.brookings.edu/research/reports/2012/03/unplanned-pregnancy-thomas Census, U. S. (2013). Population, Houding units, Area, Density. Retrieved June 2015, from http://factfinder2.census.gov/bkmk/table/1.0/en/DEC/10_SF1/GCTPH1.CY10/0500000US18041 Coley, R. L., & Chase-Lansdale, P. L. (1998). Adolescent pregnancy and parenthood: recent evidence and future directions. American Psychologist, 53(2), 152. FCCAA. (2015). Family Development. Retrieved June 2015, from FCCAA: http://www.fccaa.org/guidelines-and-principles.jsp?pageId=2161392210281147984683889 FRHS. (2013). Fayette Regional Health System Community Health Needs Assessment. http://www.fayetteregional.org/portals/0/PDF/FRHS_CHNA_Final.pdf. Retrieved June 2015, from http://www.fayetteregional.org/portals/0/PDF/FRHS_CHNA_Final.pdf TeenHelp. (n.d.). Teen Pregnancy Statistics. Retrieved June 2015, from Teen Pregnancy Statistics: http://www.teenhelp.com/teen-pregnancy/teen-pregnancy-statistics.html Read More