Health Care-Of the People, By the People

As our new leaders and the American public begin to think about how to address the inefficiencies in this nation's health care system, we have an opportunity to ensure that the issues we care about are front and center in this national discussion.

The new Administration wants to know what's important to you, and they're encouraging people throughout the country to host or attend community discussions on health reform over the next few weeks.

We want our elected leaders to know: Any changes to improve the health care system must include ways to help teens and young adults avoid too-early or unplanned pregnancy.

But how do we do it? We have some ideas, but we want to hear from you. We hope you'll take a few seconds to let us know your thoughts by leaving comments on this blog post, and we'll make sure that the new Administration gets the message loud and clear.

Operation Health Reform

People all over the country are getting together to discuss ways to improve our health care system, and we want to make sure that the issues we care about most are a part of this dialogue.

This is a priority for us. And not just because it's our job. It's because deciding whether and when to become pregnant and have children is one of the most important decisions many of us will make in our lives. We think women, men, and families will do better if they have the opportunity to prevent pregnancy and plan families affordably, in consultation with the best medical professionals, and without barriers.

We've asked some of our friends to share some of the challenges they've faced seeking care, and we hope you'll share your stories by leaving comments on this blog post.

"I switched jobs and therefore my insurance plan changed. I went from paying $7 for a month's supply of birth control to more than 4 times as much for the exact same prescription."

"I was having trouble getting pregnant, and did some research on what might be causing my particular issues. I read about a hormone that might help, but my doctor at the time wasn't very familiar with it. He agreed to administer it, but wanted to test for it in my blood after a few weeks. This was impossible, because that particular hormone doesn't show up in your blood. I switched to an OBGYN who knew about the hormone and understood my issues, and shortly after receiving the treatment I was pregnant with my first daughter."

"I decided I wanted an IUD. I had been seeing an OBGYN at a hospital that doesn't do IUD's. I called four different doctors in the area, and no doctors do them. Finally I found a doctor a long way from my house who said she did them, so I made an appointment. I finally saw the woman and she gave me an exam then told me that she would not recommend an IUD -- because I hadn't had a baby, and because she had so little faith in her own ability to insert one properly. I was super excited that I'd taken off an afternoon to drive out to the middle of nowhere for that."

"When I changed pills based on advice from my doctor to try anther type, the new ones ended up costing me over $50/month (with insurance paying about $5). On other pills, I'd paid $10 -- $15 month, with insurance paying the balance."

"I had been having reproductive health issues for years, and when doctors ruled out endometriosis, fibroids, and cancer, we decided that a hysterectomy would be the best course of action. Since I am done having children, I agreed. After a few more weeks of tests, exams, and follow-up visits, I received a bill from my insurance company for almost $1,000 -- all this on top of my $20 co-pay I was dishing out for every office visit. When I called my doctor to straighten this out, it was explained to me that on top of a $750 deductible for my plan, I have to pay 20% of all the costs beyond that. The good news is that I had met my high deductible for the year. The bad news: my surgery is scheduled for next year."

An Ounce of Prevention is Worth a Pound of Cure

Yesterday, a probably still-frozen-from-the-inauguration President Obama issued a statement on landmark Supreme Court case Roe v. Wade One part of the brief speech especially caught my attention:

While this (abortion) is a sensitive and often divisive issue, no matter what our views, we are united in our determination to prevent unintended pregnancies, reduce the need for abortion, and support women and families in the choices they make. To accomplish these goals, we must work to find common ground to expand access to affordable contraception, accurate health information, and preventative services.

Working as a communications officer for an organization like The National Campaign means that I often find myself answering whether we (The Campaign) are pro- or anti- abortion. But what President Obama so eloquently stated and what this organization believes wholeheartedly, is that abortion isn't the issue. Instead, it's the need for abortion that should be center stage in this debate.

Whether you're pro-choice or pro-life, Republican or Democrat, take a moment to consider something...if men and women in this country were equipped with the knowledge and tools to prevent unplanned pregnancy, abortion as we know it would no longer exist—the demand would simply cease.

...And Baby Makes Two. Forget Juno.

I love this article from Slate -- simply because it has the temerity to suggest that the well being of a child might be at least as important as the desires of an adult. When it comes to getting pregnant and having a baby, it's NOT all about me (what I want, me, my life and me), it's all about we (what is best for a family?). Emily: you are my new hero. Be strong.

Dead Trees, Full Throttle, And Child Well-Being

There are at least 6 dead trees on my desk as I gear up for my first blog entry. I am nervous. I am excited. I don't know what to write about so...I will tell you why the dead trees -- I mean, the massive reports -- I have in front of me are distressing. All are from very well regarded groups. All are scholarly, loaded with graphs, bloviating at full throttle with phrases like "priorities for public policy should be based on the following core principles..." ALL talk about the problem of poverty in America, especially child poverty, along with some specific parts of the grim picture, including dropping out of high school.

Desperate? A Parent? Read on...

Over the years, Campaign surveys have offered up two striking and consistent conclusions: (1) teens consistently say that parents most influence their decisions about sex, and (2) parents freely admit that they know--in their souls--that they should talk to their kids about sex, love, relationships and values but that they don't know what to say or when to start the conversation.

Help is on the way.

A new book, Like Whatever: The Insiders Guide to Raising Teens contains a terrific chapter on teens and sex authored by former Campaign family member Karen Troccoli.

Adoption and the Juno Fairy Tale

On our first blog entry, we received a comment from Joi regarding adoption and teen moms:

I am a former high school teacher turned teen pregnancy presentor. Started a program 6.5 years ago talking to teens about the 3 options they face if they are in an unplanned pregnancy. Use this site quite a lot for facts, ideas, etc. Would like to know why adoption doesn't get much of a mention here?

Joi's comment is actually a pretty common one in our circle and every so often we are asked about the prevalence of adoption among teen moms. While adoption is obviously another option for teens if they face an unplanned pregnancy, the fact is that less than 3% actually choose adoption - fewer than 12,000 each year. In the absence of government statistics on adoption, and the small number of adoptions that occur, research on adoption, including the reasons for adoption and consequences of adoption (for both mom and baby) is rare.

So, while movies such as Juno might suggest that adoption is a common alternative to teen pregnancy, most teenagers decide to keep their baby and take on the daunting task of raising a child themselves at a very young age.

Teens & Sects, Teens & Sex

Authorities in Texas have removed 53 teen girls from a polygamist compound and they report that 31 of them are pregnant or have already had children. That's 57% of the girls. Creepy, dangerous, sad, shocking, awful - it seems like everyone has an opinion. It also seems as if there are unlimited resources to deal with this problem. Child Protective Services, the foster care system, law enforcement, the news media, the healthcare system, religious entities, groups like the ACLU - all these and more are concerned, engaged, watching, helping, hoping.

These girls and their children are important, and their fates and futures hang in the balance to be sure. But what about the millions of other teenage girls in this country who are growing up in situations which lead them to teen pregnancy and childbearing? There are communities all over the United States where more than half of girls get pregnant as teens. Among Latina girls in this country, 53% get pregnant at least once as teens. Among African American girls, 51%. In fact, 30% of ALL teen girls in America get pregnant before age 20. That means every state, every county, every community, every high school, and more and more junior high schools too.

Where is the outcry about these girls? Where is the intervention? Where is the government, the news media, the cultural intelligentsia? Why are the little voices inside our heads that are asking so many questions about the FLDS girls - about their clothes, their lifestyles, their beliefs, their parents, their community - why are those voices so silent about the fates and futures of the girls elsewhere in this country?

One of those compound girls had a baby yesterday. She delivered her son while child welfare officials, state troopers, reporters, and others waited outside the hospital maternity ward. She is one of 750,000 teen girls who will have a baby this year. Who is waiting for them?

I’ve had STIs in the past

I’ve had STIs in the past, but everything’s fine now – Will that stop me conceiving? Should I be concerned?

Your chances of conceiving are affected by both your health, and by your partner's health. It's important that couples are as healthy as possible before trying for a baby. And if you're fit and healthy to start with, you can improve your chances of a healthy pregnancy and labour.

A previous Sexually Transmitted Infection’s should not cause you problem’s. Most STI’s can be completely cured if found early enough. However, if left untreated they can be painful and uncomfortable or at worst cause permanent damage to your health and your fertility.

You do not specify which STI you had, but Chlamydia and Gonorrhoea can have long-term consequences in women as they may cause pelvic inflammatory disease. This can lead to infertility, ectopic pregnancy and chronic pain. The classical STI’s, such as syphilis and gonorrhoea, are still readily recognised, diagnosed and treated. They seem to be on the decline nationally.

Chlamydia is the most common, curable, sexually transmitted infection in the UK. Many people have not heard of it and are not aware of the health risks it has. Up to 70% of Chlamydia infections in women have no obvious symptoms, so a large number of cases are never diagnosed. Pelvic inflammatory disease is the most common cause of female infertility and this can be caused by Chlamydia. In a large number of investigations there is a clear link between Chlamydia infection and tubal infertility ¹. Untreated STI’s can also be passed on to your baby.

In men, Chlamydia antibodies were found in the semen of 51% of infertile men compared to 23% of fertile men. It was concluded in a study in Finland that Chlamydia can also affect male fertility.

¹ Conway D, Glazener CMA, Caul EO et al: Chlamydial serology in fertile and infertile women. The Lancet, i: 191-193, 1984

Teen Depression

Finding out your pregnant as a teen can be one of the scariest moments in your life. Many teens find themselves emotional crazy and don’t know what to do about it. This can lead to depression.

Getting pregnant can be a really happy time for many women. However, getting pregnant as a teenager can unexpectedly make all your hopes and dreams seem unreachable. Suddenly that dance you were hoping to go to does not seem as important. Or additional education may not even be a possibility as you struggle to graduate from high school. And how do you tell people you are pregnant? Plus what do you do about the baby? These emotionally frustrating problems are only aggravated by the many physical and hormonal changes you can go through being pregnant.

But many women and many teenagers do get depression during pregnancy. Understanding depression is important as then you can take the necessary steps to get treatment and counseling. So how do you tell if your feeling depressed or if your feelings are just a normal part of pregnancy? Here are some signs of depression:

• If you feel down for two weeks or more
• If you are not interested in things you used to be interested such as fun activities or schoolwork
• If you feel extremely guilty about getting pregnant
• If you appetite suddenly changes on the extreme, either you do not want to eat, or suddenly you eat and eat and eat
• You cannot sleep
• You have crazy mood swings
• And finally, any thoughts of suicide

These signs can help you determine if you are feeling depressed. Anything that you feel that seems to be on the extreme is not a good emotion. You need to go to your doctor to determine the best ways of treated your depression. Treating depression, like treating any disease, can be different due to the fact that you are pregnant and cannot always take the same medications as when you are not pregnant. Getting support is so important however, to help you combat your sad and frustrated feelings. Getting support from other teenagers who are going through the same thing as you are can be a wonderful bonus whether or not you are depressed and can help you get through your pregnancy easier.

An additional note: the father of the baby may or may not be involved. Watch for signs that he is depressed as well. Finding out you are going to be a teen father can be an emotional upheaval.

Understand that depression can last after pregnancy. So do not stop treatment after having the baby is the depression seems to continue. You are now in charge of another life. Getting care for both you and the baby is very important. Keeping your emotional, social, and physical well-being healthy is a vital part of taking care of this new life.

Teen Depression Sources

• American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, “When Children Have Children,” [online].
• Pregnancy-Info.net, “Depression During Pregnancy,” [online].
• Teens Health, “Having a Healthy Pregnancy,” [online].
• University of Michigan Depression Center, “Depression in Pregnancy,” [online].

Teen Pregnancy Prevention

As a teen, finding out that you are pregnant is a life-changing and scary event. As a parent, finding out your teen is pregnant can both shock you and cause despair as you wonder, now what? Before this ever happens, you can help your teen learn important lessons on how to prevent teen pregnancy.

Unfortunately, teen pregnancy is a nationwide problem. However, there are programs set up through the government and other organizations aimed at prevention. For example the

• National Campaign to Prevent Teen Pregnancy: founded in 1996 with the goal to reduce teen pregnancy by one-third.
• Adolescent Family Life Demonstration and Research program: began in 1981 provides research grants and demonstrations to promote programs that help raise the awareness of abstinence. This is an arm of the Department of Health and Human Services.

For more resources on prevention programs in your area, go online or contact your local health department. Check also with the schools in your area to understand what kind of teen pregnancy prevention programs they offer.

Although the rate for teen pregnancies have dipped since the early 1990s, the United States still has the dubious distinction of having the highest rate of teen pregnancy among other countries of similar status. So if you are parent of a teenager, what else can you do to help prevent your teenager from getting pregnant or getting someone pregnant?

• Keep communication between you and your teen open so that talking about sex is easier to broach.
• Be approachable so that if your teenager has questions about sex or relationships, you can be ready with answers.
• Teach your family values and help your teen see how much they are worth. Explain that no one should be able to make him or her feel like they have to be sexually active.
• Encourage safe and fun activities and sports. Show them their strengths and keep education a top priority.
• Watch for warning signs of heavy relationships with the opposite sex. Also watch for signs of depression or a drop off in previously enjoyed activities. You may need to take further steps to help them avoid becoming sexually promiscuous.
• Teach your teenager the problems associated with unsafe sex. Show him or her the diseases that can result as well as the threat of unplanned pregnancy.
• Know what your teenager is doing and where they like to hang out. Make your home an open place for your teenager’s friends and encourage fun activities at responsible and respected places.

Finally abstinence is the only sure way of preventing teen pregnancy. Family values that promote abstinence as well as talking with your teenager over and over about the importance of abstinence can go a long way in preventing teen pregnancy.

Teen Pregnancy Prevention Sources:

• Department of Health and Human Services: Office of Public Health and Services, “Office of Adolescent Pregnancy Programs,” [online].
• TeenPrengnacy,com, “So, I'm Not Pregnant. How Do I Prevent Getting Pregnant?” [online].
• TeenPregnancy.org, “Preventing Teen Pregnancy: Why it Matters,” [pdf online].
• TeenPregnancy.org, “So What?” “About the National Campaign to Prevent Teen Pregnancy," “Fact Sheet: Dads Make a Difference,” [online].

Teen Pregnancy Statistics

The United States has the highest rates of teen pregnancy and births in the western industrialized world. Teen pregnancy costs the United States at least $7 billion annually

The fact that just under 1/3 of all girls in the United States will get pregnant in their teenage years is a sobering thought. Obviously, teen pregnancy is a problem in the United States. And the following statistics back that up:

• Every year around 750,000 teenagers will get pregnant.
• Depending on the state, teenage birth rates are incredibly different. Nevada has the highest rate: 113 per 1000 and North Dakota the lowest 42 per 1000.
• Unmarried teenagers having children account for 24 percent of all unmarried expectant mothers.
• More than 2/3 of all teenagers who have a baby will not graduate from high school.
• Billions of dollars are spent taking care of teenage mothers and their children and they are more likely to be in the poverty bracket. On the flip side, millions of dollars are spent in prevention programs.

The good news is that teen births have dropped by almost a third since the beginning of the 1990s. With pregnancy prevention programs and more understanding and teaching about safe sex, this number will hopefully drop even more. Here are a few other statistics that hopefully point to even better prevention rates in the years to come:

• In 2002 the abortion rate among teenager mother was 50 percent lower than its high point in 1988.
• Among black teenagers, the pregnancy rate dropped around 40 percent since 1990.
• Among Hispanic teenagers the pregnancy rate dropped around 19 percent since 1990.
• Among white teenagers, the pregnancy rate dropped around 34 percent since 1990.

So while teenager pregnancies are dropping, it is still a constant problem as there are more and more kids who enter their teenager years each year. Teenager pregnancy programs are important to as the above statistics are showing that these programs yield good results. These programs should be continually studied to make sure they are up-to-date and working in the education of teenagers on the problems of teenager pregnancy.

One way of making sure to keep the programs fresh is to talk with the teenagers themselves, asking what they think about sex and how it is portrayed in their school life, by their friends, in their families, and in the media. How much do each of these contribute to how a teenager views sex? Parents and educators are in a position to somewhat monitor how sex and especially unsafe sex is being digested by the teenagers today. As more questions are answered and prevention programs initiated and/or updated, hopefully these statistics can continually to fall.

As mentioned above, billions of dollars are spent taking care of teenage mothers and their children while only millions are needed to provide good prevention program. For more information on teenage pregnancy prevention, see the Preventing Teenage Pregnancy article on this site.

Teen Pregnancy Statistics Sources:

• Department of Health and Human Services: Office of Public Health and Services, “Office of Adolescent Pregnancy Programs,” [online].
• Guttmacher Institute, “U.S. Teenage Pregnancy Statistics National and State Trends and Trends by Race and Ethnicity,” [pdf online].
• National Center for Health Statistics, “National Vital Statistics Reports, Volume 55, Number 1,” [pdf online].
• TeenPregnancy.org, “Preventing Teen Pregnancy: Why it Matters,” [pdf online].
• TeenPregnancy.org, “So What?” [online].

Pregnant Teen

Pregnant Teen Help is presented for adults and teens. We offer information on teen pregnancy statistics, pregnancy facts, and teen pregnancy prevention.

It Happens to "Good Girls" Too!

At 16, a 'good girl' became a mother... here, she shares her story.
"TAMPA -- I love you."

I remember uttering those words for the first time to the guy I was with. I was 15, in love, doing well in school, had an after-school job and not a care in the world.

I was also sexually active; I had been since I was a freshman in high school. I vividly recall the first guy I slept with -- tall, strapping and popular with the ladies, and for some reason, he liked me! Or so I thought. Even when he told me, "If you get pregnant, you will have to deal with it," I looked at him starry-eyed and did not utter a single word.

I hated the way I looked. I lived in a home with eight other people, and the idea that this tall, good-looking guy wanted me instead of the other girls, well, that was worth anything. I equated his touch with specialness, his kisses with love. When I was with him, all the loathing I felt about my appearance and the sadness I felt at home disappeared. I wasn't just one of those other girls. After all, he said he loved me, and he wouldn't have sex with me if he didn't, right?

Well, I did have to deal with it. I became pregnant by that first guy, and family pressures led me to have an abortion. Lesson learned right then and there, huh?

Guess again. Next was the guy I really thought I was in love with. This "first true love" dumped me for a cheerleader in my class about three weeks after we slept together. About nine months later, I was a junior in high school, with straight A's and in honors classes. I still had my after-school job and yes, I still was sexually active. My latest boyfriend was this guy I had met about two months before through a friend of a friend.

Lesson still not learned. Here I was once more. Kisses, touching, words of love. One day I don't get my period. No big deal, I think; I am very physically active. I'm just late, is all. One day turns into a week, and then two and then three. I had now officially known my "boyfriend" nine weeks. Do I tell him? Do I go to the doctor? What if my family finds out? I finally break down and ask a friend to go with me to the drugstore, too terrified to ask my very old-fashioned grandparents for help. Our house was a house where you didn't ask and you weren't told. After all, they were raised that way, so why not raise us that way too?

We went to Eckerd's under the guise of needing a pair of pantyhose, and with great embarrassment, I asked the pharmacist for a test. I ran home with the sacred box hidden under my shirt and locked myself in the bathroom. Those three minutes were the longest, most painfully anxious moments in my young life. I couldn't bear to look at first and then, slowly; I turned my head and saw the bright pink "X" staring me right in the face.

At first I was disbelieving. I think I sat in that bathroom for an hour, just staring at this white stick with the big pink "X." My heart was in my throat, my pulse was racing, my stomach was doing flip-flops. Instinctively, my hand went toward my belly. I removed my top and stared at my flat stomach in the mirror and tried to fathom its getting big and round.