Teens Pregnancy

Teens Pregnancy

Although the number of teen pregnancies has declined in the past years, 31% of teen girls in America get pregnant at least once before age 20. The majority of the time, these pregnancies are not planned.

A very large percentage of girls reported that alcohol was present when they got pregnant. Alcohol use impairs your ability to make good decisions; so many times people choose to be sexually active and do not use condoms. 91% reported that they had not planned on being sexually active at the beginning of the night, and 25% reported their first sexual experience occurred while drinking alcohol or using other drugs.

The majority of teen pregnancies are not planned and can be very scary for teens. Many times teens are afraid of what will happen when people find out so they do not receive adequate healthcare. If you think you may be pregnant, here are some tips:

Remain calm, although easier said than done, it’s important.
Know what can and cannot get you pregnant
- You can get pregnant by having sexual intercourse
- You cannot get pregnant by having “outer course” which includes: masturbation, body rubbing, oral sex, anal sex and kissing
Have you missed a period? If you have, this may be a sign but remember that illness, stress and low fat diets may also be a reason.
Take a pregnancy test. It doesn’t hurt anything to take one and it’s best to know.
If you do have a positive pregnancy test, contact your physician to make sure you get the proper prenatal care.
Remember that there are options available for you and your baby. You do not need to decide what you want to do right away, but it’s important to take good care of yourself and the baby.

Signs/Symptoms of Pregnancy

Having a positive pregnancy test
Missing a period
Breast soreness or tenderness
Being tired
Frequent urination
Light bleeding
Feeling dizzy or fainting
Having nausea and vomiting, especially in the morning
Constipation
Irritation
Heartburn

How to be Healthy for you and your Baby

If you smoke, try to quit. If it’s too hard to quite, try to decrease how much you smoke. Smoking can cause low birth weight babies and at times miscarriages.
Avoid alcohol and drugs. Fetal Alcohol Syndrome is a disorder that causes birth defects and learning disabilities in infants. It is 100% preventable by avoiding drugs and alcohol.
Eat a healthy diet. To build your own food plan, click here: http://www.mypyramid.gov
Exercise. Contact your physician to determine an exercise plan that works for you
Keep up with prenatal appointments. Having regular exams will help ensure that your baby is developing appropriately and that you are healthy as well.

Preventing Pregnancy

Abstinence is the best way to prevent pregnancy. Remember that it is ALWAYS okay to say no.
There are several forms of birth control available, for a list of some of the options, check out this website: http://www.webmd.com/sex/Birth-Control/Birth-Control-Overview
SMOC (Southern Minnesota Opportunity council) has family planning clinics in our five counties. Visit the SMOC page.
For a list of some of the options, check out this website: http://www.webmd.com/sex/Birth-Control/Birth-Control-Overview

If you are a teen that is pregnant, there is help available. Find someone you can trust at your school or within the community to talk with.

To find your local Planned Parenthood health center call: 1-800-230-PLAN

If you think you might be pregnant, take the following quiz to learn more about some of the symptoms: http://pediatrics.about.com/od/screeningquizzes/l/bl_preg.htm

Helpful sites for Teens and Parents:

http://www.teenwire.com/?taStrona=http://www.teenwire.com/ask/2002/as_20021212p480_sex.asp

http://www.kidshelp.com.au/home_KHL.aspx?s=6

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