4 Troubled Teens Blog

Sexually active teenagers are three times more likely to get pregnant than sexually active adults, according to a new study from the Guttmacher Institute.

Dr. Lawrence Finer found that unintended pregnancy rates were higher for all age groups under 24 years old.

• Only 27 percent of teenagers 15 to 17 years old are sexually active, but their unintended pregnancy rate is 147 per 1000.
• Among those aged 18 to 19, the unintended pregnancy rate is 162 per 1000,
• Among sexually active adults, the rate of unintended pregnancy is 40 per 1000.

The study appeared in the Journal of Adolescent Health.

Labels: sex, pregnancy

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Women who use methamphetamine when they are pregnant are putting their babies at risk for structural abnormal abnormalities in the brain, according to a new study from the University of California in Los Angeles.

Researchers had trouble finding women who used methamphetamine but did not combine it with alcohol.

"About half the women who say they use meth during pregnancy also use alcohol," said Professor Elizabeth Sowell, author of the study, "so isolating the effects of meth on the developing brain was difficult."

• Dr. Sowell and her colleagues performed brain scans on 61 children, average age 11 years old.
  
• Thirteen had been exposed to alcohol only, 21 had pre-natal exposure to methamphetamine and alcohol, and 27 were exposed to neither.
  
• Dr. Sowell found that brain regions in the children exposed to methamphetamine were similarly damaged as those in the alcohol exposed children, and in some areas they were smaller or larger.

"The tragedy is that all these developmental problems are 100 percent avoidable," said Dr. Sowell, writing in the Journal of Neuroscience.

Labels: pregnancy, mothers, brain_chemistry, meth

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Postnatal depression, and its effects on infants, gets a lot of attention. But a new study has found that moms mood during pregnancy deserves some attention, too.

A Feb. 5 article on MSNBC.com provided the following details about the study, which was led by Dale F. Hay, a professor of psychology at Cardiff University in Wales:

• The researchers reviewed data on 120 British teens and their parents from inner-city areas. The youth were interviewed at 4, 11 and 16 years of age.
• About one-third of expecting moms were considered depressed during pregnancy, which is higher than the current worldwide estimate of about 18 percent of pregnant women
• Teens born to mothers who were depressed during pregnancy were four times more likely than others to show violent behaviors by age 16.
  
• While 8.5 percent of teens born to chipper expecting moms showed the antisocial behaviors, about 29 percent of those born to depressed moms showed the same.
  

Labels: pregnancy, depression, research, aggression

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A study in Massachusetts has found that the cities with the highest school dropout rates are also the cities with the highest teen pregnancy rates. Each year, about 10,000 kids drop out of Massachusetts schools, and 25 percent of them are pregnant or already parents.

"Obviously, preventing kids from getting pregnant in the first place is the best solution here. To that end, kids need better sex ed in schools, access to birth control, and reasons to delay sex and pregnancy," the Boston Globe reported in an article on the research. "And the girls who are already mothers need someone to care for their babies while they go to school."

Unfortunately, school budgets are about to get cut again, and child care funds for teen mothers are also expected to be reduced. Some in Massachusetts are protesting this move, saying it will cost less now to ensure these kids get educated than it will cost to take care of them in the future when theyre unemployable.

Labels: pregnancy, dropouts

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A Canadian study of over 70,000 middle and high school students found that gay, lesbian, and bisexual young people were significantly more likely to experience pregnancy. For example, in the year 1998, 7.2% of lesbian and 10.6% of bisexual girls got pregnant compared to only 1.8% of heterosexual girls. Among boys in the same year, 9.6% of gay and 11.6% of bisexual boys got a girlfriend pregnant, compared to 1.5% of heterosexual boys. The study also found that this group of teens experiences sex at a young age - under 14 years old.

Researchers from University of British Columbia studied health surveys from 1992, 1998, and 2003. They speculated that gay and bisexual teens are under pressure to hide their sexual preferences, and pregnancy acts as a camouflage.

This study appeared in the Canadian Journal of Human Sexuality.

Labels: sex, pregnancy, gay

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Teen pregnancies are on the increase in the United States, and are costing the nation about $7.6 billion a year, according to a report from the University of Delaware.

Saul Hoffman, the author of the report, said the $7.6 billion figure might be low, although it includes increased social services required by families of unwed teens and lost revenue in taxes. Less than 40 percent of teen mothers earn high school diplomas, and their children are more likely to end up in foster care or prison.

The teen birthrate increased by three percent between 2005 and 2006. Figures for 2007-2008 are unavailable, but experts believe the rate will continue to increase, after declining steadily since 1990.

Labels: pregnancy

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In Lubbock, Texas, some neighborhoods have teen pregnancy rates that are 10 times higher than the national average. A local news station interviewed some local teen dads to get their perspective on what it's like to be a teenaged parent.

"T, like many other dads, balances fatherhood with work - a challenge he says he had no idea was so difficult. 'If you're having a kid right now and you're very young, get ready to stay up, all through the night,' T said. 'It's frustrating but you gotta stick in there, you gotta hang in there. You gotta know that you put yourself in that position, so take care of it,' T added."

Though T, whose full name is Travore, is still with his baby's mother, he's the exception. Eight out of 10 teenage dads don't stick around. All the teen parents interviewed agreed that if they knew then what they know now, they would have done things differently - either using protection when having sex or waiting to have sex until they were older. Source: NewsChannel 11 - Lubbock, TX

Labels: sex, pregnancy, teen_fathers

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Teen pregnancy has gotten increased attention in recent weeks as information has come out about a group of teenage girls in Massachusetts who may have conspired to have babies together. According to Planned Parenthood, about 750,000 American teens will become pregnant this year.

"Regardless of what is happening in [Massachusetts], teen pregnancies are problematic across the United States. Aside from these girls going up against a myriad of stereotypes and discrimination, they'll fight an uphill battle to provide everything from financial stability to emotional maturity for their unexpected family."

Young girls who have babies because "they want someone who'll love them" are in for a rude awakening. Not that children don't love or need their parents, but most parents will tell you that they give much more than they ever receive. It's a reality that many teen parents aren't ready for. Source: Telegraph Herald (Iowa)

Labels: sex, pregnancy, teenage_mothers

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Tristen Hurt was just 15 when his girlfriend became pregnant. After his son was born, he started attending a program called "Young Men in Transition" that teaches teenage boys how to be dads.

"Since 1994 it has helped about 450 very young fathers - more than 90 percent of whom started in the program - complete high school, get jobs and establish relationships with their children."

Tristen and his girlfriend were married two years ago, and Tristen in on the road to becoming a surgical technician. He has great relationships with his kids and credits "Young Men in Transition" with teaching him what it means to be a dad. Source: Star-Tribune, Minneapolis, MN

Youth Care offers a residential treatment program for pregnant teens.

Labels: pregnancy, fathers, role_models

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The School-Aged Parents' program is a Canadian program comprised of teenagers who give firsthand accounts of what it's like to be a young parent. The speakers share their experiences in elementary and high schools throughout the Prairie South School Division.

"While using charts and videos to support their point about safe sex, the personal accounts from the Peacock students about their experiences with sex and pregnancy made the largest impact."

One of the teen parents, Toni, was pregnant at 15. She and her boyfriend stayed together for three years, but eventually broke up. It's a common theme among the young mothers - boyfriends who left and now have little or no involvement in their kids' lives. Source: The Moose Jaw Times Herald

Pregnant teens who are engaging in risky behaviors can benefit from adolescent residential treatment programs like the one offered at Youth Care.

Labels: sex, pregnancy, teen_pregnancy

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Recent studies have found that teen pregnancy is at its lowest point in 30 years. Though that's an encouraging statistic, it doesn't tell the whole story.

"Teen moms are the only ones with a visible marker of their sexual activity, said Cynthia Hudson, coordinator of the Knox Adolescent Pregnancy Initiative for the Knox County Health Department. 'But even more teens are becoming sexually active a lot sooner and contracting sexually transmitted diseases,' Hudson said."

For teen moms, life changes radically. The focus of their lives has to shift from themselves and their futures to the lives of their children. College plans often change, and many never attend college at all. Source: Knox News

Labels: sex, pregnancy, statistics

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Fewer teens are getting pregnant and fewer pregnant teens are having abortions, according to statistics released by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

The CDC provided data for the years 1990-2003, showing that teen pregnancies were 15% of the total in 1990, but only 12% in 2003. The percentage of pregnancies ending in abortion also declined, said spokesperson Stephanie Ventura, because more teens are opting to keep their babies.

If your teenage daughter is pregnant and also engaging in risky behaviors, she may benefit from a therapeutic program for pregnant teens like the one offered at an adolescent residential treatment center like Youth Care.

Labels: sex, pregnancy, abstinence

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Advice columnist Corrie Lynne Player responds to a woman whose 16-year-old stepdaughter is pregnant and wants to keep her baby. In addition to being pregnant, the teen has been in trouble at school and has suffered significant trauma.

"My first point to this stepmom was that the girl is a child and, by definition, needs therapy and parental input in making such important decisions. Teenagers operate on emotion; the logical centers of their brains are disconnected and re-forming, so they have little ability to think abstractly..."

Player emphasizes the importance of helping teens, especially those struggling with issues like substance abuse or pregnancy, to make wise and healthy choices. Read more at TheSpectrum.com.

Youth Care is a residential treatment program that offers pregnant teens a safe, nurturing environment where they can earn school credits, get counseling and therapy, and prepare for the birth of their child.

Labels: pregnancy, trauma, therapy

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American teens are talking and blogging about the pregnancy of 16-year-old Jamie Lynn Spears, a sister to pop star Britney Spears.

According to stories in the New York Times and other newspapers, teen girls feel let down by Jamie's pregnancy because they identify her with the character she plays on Nickeleon's Zoey 101. Zoey is a straight-A, virginal student, an empowered young teen who leaves home at age thirteen to enter a formerly all-boys boarding school.

Google recently reported that online searches for "Britney Spears" are second only to searches for "God," as people keep track of the celebrity's trials of divorce, public nudity, career failures, pregnancy, and so forth.

Jamie was always the "good sister" and a role model for preteens. Some teachers and parents are using Jamie's pregnancy as a "teachable moment."

If you're dealing with a pregnant teen, you might want to learn more about Youth Care. Youth Care is a residential treatment center with a program for pregnant girls.

Labels: pregnancy, influences, role_models

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There was a flurry of activity in the media world a couple of weeks ago when Britney Spears' younger sister Jamie Lynn announced that she was pregnant. At just 16-years-old, Jamie Lynn has become part of a national statistic.

"About 750,000 teens between 15-19 get pregnant each year, and 79 percent of them are unmarried according to a teen pregnancy report by the Guttmacher Institute, a nonprofit sexual and reproductive health research group."

Jamie Lynn has a young fan base of her because of her starring role in the Nickelodeon show "Zoey 101". The concern now is that her pregnancy will make teen motherhood seem "trendy" to her teen and pre-teen fans.

Youth Care, a residential treatment program for troubled teens, offers a program for pregnant girls.

Labels: sex, pregnancy, trends

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The Wilcox Unified School District recently received some shocking news: teen pregnancy rates in the Arizona city are three times the national average. The news comes just as the school district has approved an abstinence program that will begin January 6th.

"'Our goal is to have six sessions, one each week, beginning in late January,' said [Sally] White [director of Wilcox Against Substance Abuse]. They will be in the classroom setting, just as we do our substance abuse and SRO classes.'"

Students must have their parents' permission to attend the classes, with cover such topics as STDs, teen pregnancy, violence in dating and emotional consequences. The school board voted unanimously to approve the program, which will use age-appropriate material and be available for students in 6th  12th grades.

Copper Canyon Academy is a boarding school for troubled girls in Arizona. Learn more about their all girls school at www.coppercanyonacademy.com.

Labels: sex, pregnancy, abstinence

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Birth rates among unmarried girls ages 15 to 19 years old increased for the first time in fifteen years, from 40 per thousand in 2005 to 42 per thousand in 2006. That translates to about 20,000 more babies, according to the Center for Disease Control.

In 1970, unwed teenagers accounted for more than half of all unwed mothers. Today that number is one-quarter, because of an increase in births among unwed women in their 20s and 30s.

The CDC commented that the increase could be just a statistical blip, but noted that the incidence of sexually transmitted diseases among teenagers is also rising.

Youth Care, a residential treatment program for troubled teens, offers a program for pregnant teens where they can continue to earn school credits and learn how to take care of themselves and their child.

Labels: pregnancy, teenage_mothers, unwed_mothers

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The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) has release a report revealing significant changes in rates of substance abuse among pregnant teenagers.

The report analyzes available data from 1992 to 2007 for pregnant teens who entered substance abuse programs.

“According to the report, the proportion of pregnant teen admissions for marijuana abuse more than doubled from 19.3 percent in 1992 to 45.9 percent in 2007. Marijuana has surpassed alcohol as the primary substance of abuse cited in admissions for pregnant teens.” [Source: DocuTicker]

On a more positive note, alcohol abuse among teens dropped nearly as much as marijuana abuse increased – falling from 44.1 percent in 1992 to 20.3 percent in 2007.

 

Labels: pregnancy, marijuana, substance_abuse

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