Teen pregnancy happens all over the world. In the last decade the teen pregnancy rate has increased significantly. There is a great deal of struggle being a teen mom. Young teens have to face judgment and neglect because some parents/guardians will not understand. It is important for the young girls to have somewhere to go when they are in need. The girls can always get help. Getting pregnant at a young age does not mean a girl should give up on life. They should find where encouragement and love are provided. A support group for teen moms’, called Mothers of Preschoolers International (MOPS), opened in 1995 in Modesto, California.
Now, 32 states have more than 100 MOPS groups. Churches and Pregnancies Centers are examples of some places the groups can meet. Each place the MOPS groups meet provides meals, games, speakers, activities, and childcare all free. Some of the women that now help out MOPS group were teen mothers themselves. Tricia Goyer, the author of “When Children Have Children” tells us that when she was 17 she lost all her friends, and her boyfriend even dumped her after she found out she was pregnant. However, the women that were apart of MOPS showed Goyer that she was cared about.
They gave her a baby shower and even led her to Christ. Goyer now continues to give to the MOPS organization and does her part to help young teens that are going through the same experiences she went through (Goyer 56). The MOPS organization is a great opportunity for people to support those young teens that do not know what to do after becoming pregnant. I have a friend that got pregnant in high school pour senior year. She was scared and nervous at first, but she had great friends that helped her finish out the school year and also helped her enjoy it.
Not everyone is as lucky as my friend to have friends and family to be there for them. The MOPS organization allows excellent care for the teens mothers that have nowhere to turn. The coordinator for a MOPS group in Lakewood, Colorado, Elizabeth Melvin says, “Teen MOPS gives girls a peer group and an identity. ” Most of the teen moms are scared and lost at the beginning, but once they know the women in the MOPS GROUP love them they start to improve. The mentors provide excellent care and encouragement on things like finishing their education and leading them to Christ (Goyer 57).
Unfortunately, not all teen pregnancies turn out joyfully. According to the article “Young motherhood biggest killer of girls in developing world” girls between the ages of 15 and 19 are largely affected by pregnancy and childbirth. The article tells us that these to occurrences are the leading cause of death in this age group. One way to prevent pregnancy in teens is to improve education for teens. Numerous teens die each year because of complications with childbirth. If the mothers do survive, they are challenged with poor health and poverty along with their child.
Most infants do not make it to their first birthday (“Young Motherhood” 473). This article is definitely informing us that there is a negative side to teen pregnancy. Not everyone has the resources to continue with their life as they did before having a baby. Sadly there is an outcome for those mothers and children that do not get the help they need, death. The article says “The State of the World’s Mothers 2004” argues that if educational opportunities are improved the rate of teen pregnancy will begin to decrease.
As long as the young girls have access to education and health care the death rate for those mothers and their babies will drop (“Young Motherhood” 473). The article called “Responding to Teen Pregnancy” gives up lots of examples for programs that girls have access to in the U. S. where they can get help after they become pregnant. This article shows us that teen pregnancy is not a bad thing, but we do not want the teen pregnancy rate to keep going up and up. There is a program called the Living for the Young Family through Education program offered through New York City Schools for expecting teens and even teen fathers.
The program encourages the mothers and fathers to continue to get their education even though they are expecting. The Metropolitan Museum of Art allows expecting students to take art if they wanted to. Also, a literacy program is offered and Queens College (“Responding” 10). New York is not the only place to find help is someone is expecting. There are great opportunities everywhere that can help get a teen mom her life back. All these girls need is love and encouragement.
There are some goals set up by the President’s Teen Pregnancy Prevention Initiative (TPPI): “reduce teen birth rates by 10% in targeted communities, reduce teen pregnancies in targeted communities, increase the percentage of youth who abstain from or delay sexual intercourse, and increase the consistent and correct use of condoms and other effective methods of contraception among sexually active youth. ” Actions are being taken to ensure that teens know the risks of getting pregnant, how to prevent it, and the resources they have if they do get pregnant (“Responding” 11). Teen pregnancy is something that will never stop happening.
We can try to prevent it and at the same time, encourage teens to stay away from sexual intercourse, but there are still going to be teen pregnancies. Our job is to do our best by being involved in the teenager’s life. Young teens can find help from plenty from people. We need to make sure that we do not neglect a teen because they make a mistake. Teenagers need to be aware of places they can go if they need help and how important it is to keep up the education and never give up on life. Although teen pregnancy is not the ideal situation, young mothers have the same opportunities as regular teenage girls.
Works Cited
Goyer, Tricia. “When Children Have Children. (Cover Story).” Today’s Christian Woman 28.4 (2006): 56-58. MasterFILE Premier. Web. 13 Feb. 2013. “Responding To Teen Pregnancy.” Curriculum Review 51.3 (2011): 10-11. OmniFile Full Text Mega (H.W. Wilson). Web. 13 Feb. 2013. “Young Motherhood Biggest Killer Of Girls In Developing World.” Bulletin Of The World Health Organization 82.6 (2004): 473. Academic Search Complete. Web. 13 Feb. 2013.
