HarlemLIVE

The Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) is committed to continuing efforts to prevent teen pregnancy and to encourage teens to remain abstinent.

But abstinence is a huge problem in the city because of curiosity, the media and peer pressure. All of these things result in premarital sex and in some cases that leads to teen pregnancy. Secretary Thompson and President Bush are working together to promote abstinence education programs. In 1987 the birth rate for teens aged 15-19 was 62.1 per 1,000 teens, and in 2001 it decreased to 45.9 per 1,000 teens. But there is still a large amount of teens having sex and getting pregnant. There are a number of ways to prevent pregnancies, but the most basic ways are to use condoms, use birth control pills or patches or foam.

Foam is a vaginal spray that temporarily kills eggs and sperm, preventing pregnancy.

Many teens that get pregnant were in denial, saying that it could not happen to them.   The carelessness of the teen varies from the use of contraceptives to the partner that is chosen. Most teens aren't mature enough to decide who is right for them, and if their decision is incorrect then that can also result in unplanned pregnancy. Unplanned pregnancy also happens because of lack of knowledge.

Many teens do not know how to properly use a condom or a birth control patch. Some teens don't even realize how easy it is to get pregnant. Some even think that they are ready to take on the responsibility of taking care of a baby. Some teens don't even realize the responsibility of taking care of a baby, they just want one because they are cute, and have no idea of the finances involved.

A couple days ago, I researched some stories that have been posted on the Internet from teens that have been pregnant, gotten pregnant or will be pregnant.

Most of them kept their babies, and some of them aborted. One teen's story that caught my eye was by a girl named Amber. Amber is 15 years old and is 4 1/2 months pregnant.   She didn't plan her pregnancy and it wasn't something that she and her boyfriend (of one year) had considered. "When I first missed my period, I didn't think of anything at first. Then I realized I was two months late. That week I went to the health department and took a pregnancy test. After about five minutes they called me back and told me the test results were positive. I started to cry because I still have so much stuff to learn about life." Amber accepted the fact that she was pregnant, but was still upset with her pregnancy because it would ruin a lot of her plans. "As a little bit of time went by and I started to think about being a mother more and more, I started to get excited because I'm going to be a mom. ME! A mom. WOW!" Pregnancy is a good thing, but it's hard to find the perfect time to do it. The age isn't much of a problem depending on your religion and family. It depends on one's maturity level.   "My point is that pregnancy is a wonderful thing, but you have to grow up faster and you'll have more responsibilities. I'm still in school, and that is something everyone should do-stay in school. Teens shouldn't go out and get pregnant. They should listen to their parents because it really isn't all fun and games. It can be very hard."

A lot of teens get pregnant and don't take it very seriously. The mentality of most of the young men who are fathers to be is low. None of them want to be fathers and find it hard to except the fact that they are about to have a child. Abortion is an option, but make sure your parents and partner is ok with it.

Remember that using contraceptives is the best way to go. You can go online to find lists of pregnancy symptoms or call numbers to get help.