1. Parents Too Soon

2. Word Splash What causes teenagers to have sex?
What are some of the internal influences on teens to become sexually active?
What are some of the external influences on teens to become sexually active?
Which one is more powerful?
Internal or external?

3. “Children Having Children”
Each year, hundreds of thousands of teens have babies.
In 2011, 700,000 teens gave birth in U.S.
Because these parents are not yet mature themselves, this situation is often referred to “children having children.”
Few teens are ready for the physical, emotional, and financial demands of parenting.
The teen years are a time to explore life’s possibilities and prepare to meet its challenges.
Most teens still need time to develop the skills and the qualities they will need to be capable of being parents.

4. “Children Having Children”
STATISTICS:
2/3’s of teen pregnancies occur among teens ages years old.
Less than 33% of teen moms earn their high school diplomas.
Only 1.5% have a college degree by age
In 2005, 410,000 teens in the US gave birth.
Nearly 30% of teens choose abortion.
The chance of sons of teenaged mothers who end up in prison is 13% higher than the average son.
The annual cost for teen pregnancies is 9 billion U.S. dollars.

5. Internal Influences…
The pressures to become sexually active can be very strong, and some of the pressures come from within.
A. Sexual Feelings
As puberty is reached, young people enter the stage of development when they are physically capable of reproducing.
Puberty typically begins between ages ten and fourteen, but may begin as early as age eight for females.
Puberty is often marked by deep, sometimes unpredictable feelings that include sexual desire.

6. Often teens are not prepared for these new emotions.
Internal Influences…
Often teens are not prepared for these new emotions.
They may have urges to become sexually active, but they haven’t yet learned how to recognize and mange the feelings.
B. Reluctance to Talk
Because they are still growing emotionally, many teens are uncomfortable and have trouble talking with adults about sexuality.
Rather than admit their lack of knowledge, teens listen to myths and half-truths and acting on misinformation can result in teen pregnancy.

7. C. Desire for Love and Attention
Internal Influences…
Being unable to talk to others and act on concerns about pregnancy are warning signs that neither the teen nor the relationship is mature enough for successful parenting.
C. Desire for Love and Attention
More than 85% of births to never married teens result from unintended pregnancies.
Some teens intentionally become pregnant in order to satisfy needs for love and attention.

8. External Influences…
Outside forces also play a part in teen pregnancy. These influences come from several directions.
A. Societal Pressures
Teens live in a society that often promotes sexual activity in the media, popular music, and advertisements.
Sex is associated with pleasure, prestige, and romance, but rarely with the responsibility and long-term commitment of marriage.
Teens who are good at thinking and analyzing question what they see and hear and understand the consequences.

9. External Influences… B. Pressure from Peers
Many teens feel pressure from their peers to have sex.
Some young men talk as though having sex makes a person a man, but in truth, maturity and acting responsible are what does. Responsible people care what happens to others.
Many young females whose friends are teen mothers may begin to think that early motherhood is a typical way of life.
c. Pressure from Partners
Pressures to become sexually active also comes from partners.

10. Working with a partner…
You will be given 15 minutes to list and discuss at least ten reasons why teens might decide to not have sex.
You will share the reasons you have listed with the rest of the class.
Evaluate if each reason is a "good" or "bad" reason in your opinion to choose abstinence.

11. Class will be split into 4 groups
You will be given 15 minutes to list and discuss at least ten reasons why teens might decide to not have sex.
You will share the reasons you have listed with the rest of the class.
You should have identified some of the following:
Religious beliefs, personal beliefs, not ready for sex, want to wait until married, want to wait until out of high school, risk of pregnancy, risk of STIs, don't want to jeopardize goals, relationship with parents, not in love, peer pressure, not interested.
Evaluate if each reason is a "good" or "bad" reason in your opinion to choose abstinence.

12. Effects Of Teen Pregnancy

13. What do you think are some of the difficulties of teenage pregnancy?

14. Internal Influences A. Sexual Feelings B. Reluctance to talk
C. Desire for love and attention

15. External Influences A. Societal Pressures B. Pressure from Peers
C. Pressure from Partners

16. Remember that it is the person exerting the pressure who is immature.
Keep in Mind…
National statistics show that sexually active teens are not the majority.
Abstinence is a choice that offers many rewards.
Many times teen females are pressured by males who are several years older.
Anyone who demands sex as a proof of love is showing a lack of love and respect for the other person.
Remember that it is the person exerting the pressure who is immature.

17. Effects on Teen Parents…
Medical Problems:
Medical complications are a serious risk because young females are not physically mature.
Only half of pregnant teens receive prenatal care or the medical attention required throughout their pregnancy.
Teens need more prenatal care than adult women because they are such a high-risk group.
Regular medical care improves the chances that both mother and child will come through pregnancy and childbirth safe and healthy.

18. Risk Of Teen Pregnancies…
Pregnancy can carry certain medical risks at any age, but teens encounter added hazards including:
If a female’s skeletal structure is not fully developed, she can experience problems with her spine and pelvic bones during pregnancy and birth.
Teens whose bodies are still developing may have difficulty delivering a full-term baby.
If a teen has poor eating habits, her body competes with the fetus for what limited nutrients are available.
An inadequate diet increases the risk of low birth weight and pregnancy worsens the impact of a poor diet on a teen’s developing body.

19. More Teen Pregnancy Risks…
A teen is more likely to experience premature labor than a woman just a few years older.
Teens are at risk for such health problems as pregnancy-induced hypertension (high blood pressure with other complications), a potentially life-threatening condition.
Rates of miscarriages and stillbirths are higher for teens than adults.
The death rate from complications of pregnancy is much higher for teens under age fifteen than for adult women.

20. Financial Responsibility…
Both teen parents are legally responsible for providing financial support until the child is eighteen years of age.
Some teens may get financial assistance from their families, but not all families are willing or able to provide money.
Teen mothers have limited financial resources and may quickly fall into poverty.
Government assistance doesn’t allow the kind of lifestyle that teens imagine, and recent laws now limit these funds.

21. More Financial Responsibilities…
Teen fathers are seldom prepared to support a child financially either.
A teen father is legally responsible whether he marries the mother or never sees her again.
Even if the father marries someone else and has other children, he is still legally responsible.
A father who refuses to acknowledge paternity, biological fatherhood, can be forced to take a blood test or genetic test to determine whether the child is his.

22. Legal Responsibilities…
The court takes a strong stand regarding the financial responsibility of a child including:
Child support payments may be automatically deducted from paychecks, unemployment benefits, and tax refunds.
Liens may be made against properties.
The child has a right to the parent’s social security benefits, insurance benefits, inheritance, and military benefits.

23. Education And Job Concerns...
When teens become pregnant, their education almost always suffers for both parents. Supporting a child can be difficult.
Teen mothers may drop out of school and almost half never earn their high school diploma equivalency, due to the pressure of studying and taking care of an infant.
Many need at least a part-time job after the baby is born but soon discover that their earnings don’t go far including paying for expenses, including child care.

24. More Concerns… Fathers have problems finishing school too!
Some fathers go to work full-time in order to help support the child.
Other teen fathers manage to work part-time and continue classes.
There is little hope for obtaining a satisfying job that supports a good lifestyle when you have less than a high school education.
Teen parents discover very quickly how important education and training are for a future, but the challenges to get these are much more difficult.

25. Emotional Problems…
Pregnancy increases concerns about the future, forcing teens into decisions they are not ready to make.
Teen mothers tend to feel isolated.
Caring for children adds stress and loneliness to their lives.
They worry about what lives ahead for themselves and their child.
A typical teen mother is left with caring for the child without the father’s support.
Abandoned mothers feel hurt and upset when the father of the child is not around.

26. More Emotional Problems…
Teen fathers often react to a partner’s pregnancy with feelings of shock, anger and guilt.
They usually feel anxious about what to do and have the urge to run from their responsibilities.
Some lack the maturity and conscience to do what is right.
They may not know how to act around children due to lack of parenting by their own fathers who may not have been around for them to learn from.

27. Seventeen-year old Hannah is having difficulty coping with her parent’s divorce. Life at home just hasn’t been easy for the last year. Hannah is glad she has a boyfriend to talk with and to keep her mind off her family troubles. Lately, Hannah has been thinking about having a baby. She thinks that having a baby would bring more meaning to her life.

28. Hannah Do you think Hannah is thinking logically? Why or why not?
What would be your advice to Hannah about having a baby at this time in her life?

29. Tom’s girlfriend, Holly, just told him that he is going to be a father in 6 months. Tom is feeling a wide range of emotions over the news. Tom is a responsible guy who wants to do the right thing, but he has his mind set on attending college starting next year. He doesn’t believe in running away from problems. Tom and Holly feel they are in love.

30. Tom In Tom’s case, what do you think the “right thing” to do would be?
How can Tom accept the consequences of sexual activity?

31. TOD
Does teaching abstinence work?

32. Do you think teen pregnancy only impacts teens? Explain.
Do Now
Do you think teen pregnancy only impacts teens? Explain.

33. Sex Smarts for teens

34. Sex Smarts for teens

35. Sex Smarts for teens

36. Effects On The Children…
Many children of teens face a discouraging future.
50% of babies born to teen mothers are born premature which means they are born before development is complete.
Because their internal organs are underdeveloped, they often have difficulty breathing and regulating body temperatures.
They might not be able to fight off infections.
They may also have physical and mental disabilities, including blindness, epilepsy, and learning difficulties.
They may also be born with low-birth weight of less than 5 ½ pounds.

37. More Effects On The Children…
Most premature infants suffer from low birth weight defined as a weight of less than 5 1/2 pounds at birth.
These infants are 40 times more likely to die in their first year of life than infants of normal weight.
The number of low birth weight babies are 50% higher for teens than for twenty-year-olds.

38. Other Effects…
Children raised by teen parents face continuing challenges.
Since teen parents often lack the emotional maturity to deal with the stresses of parenting, their children are more likely to be neglected, abandoned or abused.
Those born with mental or physical disabilities may have learning and behavioral problems in school.
Statistics show that sons of teen parents often spend time in prison.
Children of teens tend to become sexually active at a young age, and the cycle of teen pregnancy continues.

39. Effects On The Families…
Since teen are seldom ready to parent, someone else may have to make sure the child has the proper care.
Often the grandparents or other relatives step in.
Often the teen mother continues to live with her family but when responsibility for the child overlaps, confusion and conflict are common.
Pressure to give financial and physical support may cause stress and fatigue.
Both teen parents may experience hostility from their partner’s parents.
A teen who lives up to their responsibilities is more likely to gain parental support and keep peace in the family.

40. Teen pregnancy takes an enormous toll on society.
Impact On Society…
Teen pregnancy takes an enormous toll on society.
Over $34 billion is spent by the government and private organizations on teen parents who can’t support themselves or their children.
The money also provides foster care for abused children and tutoring and physical therapy for children with disabilities.

41. Lost Potential… Lost potential is also a great cost to society.
Teens put an end to their dreams, which means that goals, ambitions and desires are left behind.
Many teens never regain the opportunity to develop their minds and skills to their full potential.
Those who begin parenting too soon may spend years struggling just to raise their children and support themselves.
Many teen parents feel a loss of hope and control.
In these conditions teen parents may not fulfill their responsibilities which may cause problems for their children as they grow up.

42. More About Potential…
Families headed by teens risk becoming dysfunctional. In these families, the parents do not fulfill their responsibilities as parents, causing problems for themselves as well as their children.

43. Options for Teen Parents…
You need time to think about all your options.
Teen parents to be are wise to find help and advice early.
Try to reach a decision you won’t regret and that will make the best of a tough situation.

44. Single Parenthood…
Many teen females remain single and don’t really have a choice if the father refuses involvement.
Single parenting is hard on both parents.
Single parents may be eligible for food stamps to buy groceries and Medicaid to cover some medical costs.
A teens family is now expected to help with housing.
A single parent should make every effort to continue education at least through high school. By law, high schools must offer the opportunity to earn a diploma to pregnant and parenting teens.

45. Marriage…
Marriage seems to be the solution to teen pregnancy, but it rarely improves the situation.
A successful marriage is based on love, friendship, respect, and commitment and few teen relationships are that solid.
Teens who marry tend to have less education and lower incomes than older couples.
Teen married couples often feel isolated from their friends, but don’t fit into the adult world either.
Pressures like these contribute to the teen divorce rate being three times higher than mature couples.

46. Adoption…
Adoptive parents legally acquire the rights and responsibilities of parenthood for a child that is not biologically their own.
Teen parents give up all legal rights to have a role and a say in the child’s future.
Open adoption is when birth parents and adoptive parents share information about themselves and the child. This is becoming more common.
Private adoption is when the birth and adoptive parents meet several times before the baby is born and continues as the child grows.
Adoption by the child’s grandparents is another alternative in which the grandparents may serve as the foster parents. The teen parent may later regain custody if he/she is able to provide for the child.

47. Sources Of Support For Pregnant Teens...
Teens who face pregnancy have several sources of advice and support:
Parents and Family
School Counselors
Health Care Professionals
Religious Leaders
Social Service Organizations

48. Looking For Solutions…
Teen pregnancy is a continuing crisis that most communities view as a top health problem. As babies continue to be born to parents who can’t care for them properly, frustration grows in society.
Efforts to solve this problem come from many directions including:
Guidance from Parents
Media Attention
Educational Programs
Promotions of Teen Responsibility

49. What would you do???
Your best friend just told you she is pregnant. What advice would you give her?

50. Teen Parenting Is Tough
17-year old Hannah is having difficulty coping with her parent’s divorce. Life at home just hasn’t been easy for the last year. Hannah is glad she has a boyfriend to talk with and to keep her mind off her family troubles. Lately, Hannah has been thinking about having a baby. She thinks that having a baby would bring more meaning to her life.

51. Teen Parenting Is Tough
Do you think Hannah is thinking logically? Why or why not?
What would be your advice to Hannah about having a baby at this time in her life?

52. Teen Parenting Is Tough
Tim’s girlfriend, Holly, just told him that he is going to be a father in 6 months. Tim is feeling a wide range of emotions over the news. Tim is a responsible guy who wants to do the right thing, but he has his mind set on attending college starting next year. He doesn’t believe in running away from problems. Tim and Holly feel they are in love.

53. Teen Parenting Is Tough
In Tim’s case, what do you think the “right thing” to do would be?
How can Tim accept the consequences of sexual activity?

54. Dr. Phil Episode

55. Teen Mom 3 episode

56. Tyra Show

57. Freshman Father

58. 16 and pregnant