34% of teen girls in the United States become pregnant at least once before their 20th birthday. So far this is the highest rate yet, and doesn’t seem to be decreasing anytime soon. In life teens are always warned about drug use and drinking, but what about sex? This one decision could alter your life forever, so why is it not mentioned with the other things to stay away from? If you haven’t already figured it out, teen pregnancy is a serious problem and it needs to be reduced for the sake of the teens and their parents.

It all starts with making good choices in what you do with yourself. Parents spend all their lives trying to protect us however they can, and do everything in their power to help us make the right choices. In reality you’re the one making the decisions, not your parents. But finding common ground with them can really influence your actions in the right ways. Good information, education, and health can also guide you away from bad things. As a kid or even a teenager, there are other influences outside of your humble home that might not express the right ideas. You hear it on the radio, on TV, in movies, etc. Teen pregnancy isn’t a new thing. But the real problem is that it is almost acceptable for it to happen. Like on the popular TV show Teen Mom, it gives the idea to teens that being pregnant at this age is okay, and if you get pregnant you could get your own TV show. Which is very unlikely. Teen pregnancy will continue to grow unless actions are taken to prepare and give teens wise guidelines to live by.

Furthermore, there has been controversy regarding sex education. By making it a part of the balanced curriculum it will give teens more information about sex so that they are prepared for the future. Also by having it, it will show some of the physical and emotional aspects of the topic. If a teen wasn’t exposed to sex ed then they would just have “the talk” with their parents or not even at all. It mainly gives students who don’t have the opportunity at home a time to learn about what could happen on a later date. But there are some issues about parents forcing the issue of sex, and projecting their ideas. But by openly talking about it, helps the child make better decisions, since they already know what the best choices are. That way there are no mixed messages that could give them the wrong ideas. In school some people dread the thought of learning about sex. But what they don’t realize is that this one topic could help keep them safe and out of trouble. In the end, learning always beats not learning. You never know, one day that information you learned, could really come in handy.

To continue, sex education isn’t the only thing that should be taught in schools. Teaching about contraception can open the eyes of the teen to what’s available to them. Every teen knows it’s one of the most awkward conversations to have with a parent. But by already knowing the basics, it can really make the discussion more relaxed and easier to talk about. Also when there comes a time when the need for contraceptive methods comes up, the individual already knows how to use it properly and safely. A big reason why it’s very important to learn about it is because mistakes happen and it’s nice to know that there is a fall back. It also makes teens more willing to learn in fear of becoming pregnant. But the main reason for teaching about contraception is, so that the teens that don’t have the support at home or the parents aren’t able to provide solid information have a place to learn and to get prepared for what is to come. It is the job of the parent to keep its child safe, but for the places that the parent can’t help is where the teachers step in. Parent can be key, but teachers play an important role.

To carry on, although there is contraception sometimes slipups happen. Many options are available to teens if they do in fact get pregnant. Abortion with consent from a parent can keep the teen safe, but they could be pressured into having one for the sake of the parents. Without consent could endanger the teen when getting into medical options and prescriptions. But sometimes parents aren’t always willing to listen, so the teen is forced to find another source of help or go through it alone. Adoption can also be another route to take. The mother can sometimes get the choice of the adopting parents. She can also receive: counseling, no legal fees, and sometimes no hospital fees. Through the adoption process the mother can decide the qualities in adopting parents so that their child is going to a good and safe home. This is one of the most popular options chosen by teen moms in the United States. One of the most accessible options is pregnancy. This is basically when the birth mother decides to keep the baby. This can sometimes be the only option available to the teen. It could be due to money, no role model, or sometimes she wants to be a mother. This option is similar to the show Teen Mom. The last option is emergency contraception. It has been proven to be a safe and effective drug. Pharmacies can sell this to 18- adult, but any younger must have an approved doctor not to receiver this drug. Although there are positives this drug can be expensive or not available to the consumer. Even though these options are available, it doesn’t change the fact that teen pregnancy needs to be reduced.

In conclusion, teen pregnancy has proved to be spreading throughout the world rapidly. It goes to show you that even though there are many temptations and influences, there are people trying very hard to prepare teens with the correct information so that this rate will decrease. All in all, teen pregnancy is an issue that is being addressed to that the safety and the futures of teens will be protected.