Teen Pregnancy as a Major Challenge in Canada - Case Study Example

Teen pregnancy in Canada Introduction Teen pregnancy has risen significantly in most provinces of Canada in the recent years. Teen parents are those who give birth at an age below nineteen. Statistics shows that teen pregnancies had reduced in Canada until 2006 when there was a tremendous increase in such pregnancies. I carried out research where I sampled one hundred teens randomly to try to get information on the rate of teen pregnancy. In this paper, I discuss the significance and cause of teen pregnancies and give my recommendation. Data Out of an interview of one hundred students aged between 15 and 19 years, I gathered the following information: Perimeter Number Never been pregnant before 59 Have had an abortion 25 Aborted more than once 20 Have had a second pregnancy after an abortion 12 Have one or more kids 16 Key a- Never had children b- Have had an abortion c- Aborted more than once d- Had a second pregnancy after an abortion e- Have one or more kids Significance The data above shows the prevalence of teen pregnancies per one hundred teens. It is clearly shows that there is a high rate of teen pregnancies, about 41%. The rate is very high and alarming and a cause for worry. The data also indicates that most of the teens are not prepared for the pregnancies, as evidenced by the large number of those carrying out abortions. The teens seem not be aware of the dangers of carrying out abortions neither are they informed about ways of preventing teenage pregnancies. The data also displays the general carelessness of the teens. Most of them have had pregnancies before and because they did not want the pregnancy, terminated it. They, however, continue to have risky sexual behaviors and get pregnant again. Some go to the extent of terminating more than one pregnancy. The behavior is sheer carelessness, because they should be able to learn from their previous mistakes. The data also shows there are some who were quite responsible and carried a pregnancy to term. They then have responsible sexual behaviors after that. Causes of teen pregnancy Majority of teen pregnancies in Canada are a result of socio-economic factors. Most teens while in school put in a lot of effort with hopes of a better future, in either furthering their education or getting good jobs. However, along the way, some get discouraged because they see very few or no opportunities for them in the future and hence see no point in acquiring an education. Such students already have no need for staying in school and therefore opt to get pregnant and eventually drop out of school. They do not see why they should push forward childbearing for school (Bielski, par.10). Another cause of teen pregnancies is little, or no sex education provided to the students. While most of the pregnancies could be because of carelessness, others are purely out of ignorance. Most parents and teachers assume that as the students grow up, they will automatically get the information they need. Acquiring the information is not always the case, as some students are too shy to ask neither can they stand up for themselves and insist on protected sex. The lack of assertiveness makes them highly prone to getting pregnant (Bielski, par.14). Teen pregnancies are also because of poor use of contraceptives. These include condoms and other family methods. Most teens have a bad perspective of contraceptives for example; most youths prefer to have unprotected sex with the view that condoms do not bring out the maximum pleasure desired. Such may end up pregnant especially if they do not use the emergency contraceptive pill after having unsafe sex. Others also believe that use of family planning methods as implants result in bareness or problems when they eventually decide to have babies. Teen pregnancies could also result from lack of access to reproductive health services. Such services may either be too expensive for the students to afford or completely unavailable in some regions. In other cases, the services available are of poor quality, therefore not very helpful to the teens. All these factors lead to early pregnancies (Bielski, par.15). Recommendation In line with all the above causes, first I would recommend that the government steps in to ensure all citizens have access to quality and affordable education. The government should also ensure that jobs are available for all. The provision of jobs will be able to help reduce the problem of demoralization, and the young students will work hard with hopes of a better future, hence keeping off early pregnancies. Next, the government should provide high-quality sexual education to these teens. The government should introduce a curriculum that tackles the same in all schools. Programs in communities can also be a means of passing information to such teens. With the availability of such information, the rate of early pregnancies is sure to reduce significantly. For the number of teen pregnancies to reduce, the young must play the greatest role. They should try to abstain, and if not possible, then they should use protection always. They should avoid misleading information, and the women especially should be able to say no to unprotected sex. Taking personal initiative serves to enhance the information and facilities available to these teens. The government should also provide proper and affordable reproductive health services. These services will ensure the youngsters seek expert advice on matters relating to their reproductive health. Making it accessible allows even those who are not so well off to access the services, who otherwise may shy away and mess up their lives. These health facilities should also be well equipped to allow for availability of services whenever necessary. With all these in place, the rate of teen pregnancy is bound to reduce. Gantt chart Activities Jan Feb Mar April May June July Aug Sept Oct Nov Dec Quality education Sex education Individual initiative Proper reproductive health facilities Conclusion It is very clear that teen pregnancies are a major challenge in Canada presently. So many teens are having babies, most of whom do not plan for the pregnancies. Some end up terminating while others carry the pregnancy to term. The early pregnancies are because of negligence from both the government and the individuals. These can be corrected according to the suggestions I made above. If strictly followed, there will be a significant drop in such cases. The government should, therefore join hands with reproductive health agencies and the youth to help solve this problem. Works cited Bielski, Zosia. Why Teen Pregnancy Is on the Rise Again in Canada (and Spiking in These Provinces). The Globe and Mail. Phillip Crawley, 29 Jan. 2013. Web. 5 Dec. 2014. http://www.theglobeandmail.com/life/health-and-fitness/health/why-teen-pregnancy-is-on-the-rise-again-in-canada-and-spiking-in-these-provinces/article7927983/ Read More