Is There A Teen Pregnancy Crisis in America-Part 2

There is a natural order to development in teenage girls. As a parent our children will continue to explore and experience every aspect of life. Victor C. Strassburger MD states "that almost in all human history women began their careers as mothers when they were teenagers". This dispels that notion that teenage mothers is a new phenomenon and it is something new to have a baby at 15. There were more teenage mothers in the 50's and 60's having babies, because it was expected by society and parents. Most mothers expected their daughters to have a child by the time they were 18 or 19.

Abortion was not an excepted option by most families, therefore the girls usually got married as a teenager or when they got pregnant. Most women a few years after reaching their first menstrual period they were expected to get married. There was no waiting around for women to complete their degree and start their career. There was no birth control pill and women philosophically believed in two parent families.

As the birth control pill liberated the females behavior and philosophy, the birth rate for teens also declined. Women no longer had to get married right after or before they finished high school or got pregnant. With the birth control pill and the power of the abortion, women could began to control their future. They were no longer relegated to an inferior status and they could compete with the male. This radical shift has forced America to accept the modern female and accept the notion of single motherhood.

Victor C. Strasburger MD states "that one million teens in the United States will become pregnant over the next 12 months. Ninety-five percent of those pregnancies are unintended. About one third will end in abortion; one third will end in spontaneous miscarriage; and one third will continue their pregnancy to term and keep their baby. More than half of them are 17 years old or younger when they have their baby". The reality today is that most of these mothers will be single mothers whereas before there were two parent households. This new paradigm makes educating teenagers about contraception more essential because the informed female can help control pregnancy.

The informed teenager has a better chance to navigate through risky behavior and sexual decisions. It is essential that parents, educaters , role models, older relatives, and spiritual leaders, began to open up the dialog through communication. We can no longer delude ourselves and think that our teenagers are not having intercourse. It is time to develop cognitive maturity and tell our teenagers the truth about sex. Our teenagers must understand the consequences of their actions, and stop living for the moment.

There is a natural order in the development of our teenagers and boys and girls desire each other. Because of birth control and abortions our teenagers can now make decisions about casual sex and intercourse. Our teenagers can make informed decisions about sex and they are no longer held in bondage if the wrong decision is made. However we still have the highest teen pregnancy rate in the western world. For many different reasons, we still live in a puritanical society that refuses to have candid discussions about birth control and sex education. The older generation has a problem communicating with the younger group and there is a breakdown of information.

The teenage pregnancy crisis may be a communication problem that has escalated to society's escape from its challenges and responsibilities. It could be possible that the refusal to confront this different generational paradigm and new extended family configurations has people wondering who or what to turn to. Has our new liberated women and teenager reached a point where they are not happy with their new liberation?
Roger