Each year in the United States approximately 40 percent of all girls become pregnant before the age of 20 (Statistics, no date, par. 6). According to Family Planning Perspectives this percentage is equivalent to around one million teenage pregnancies per year (as cited in Statistics, no date, par. 1). The Alan Guttmacher Institute says that of these one million pregnancies, 82 percent are unintended. Studies also indicate that women over the age of 40 are as likely as teens to say their pregnancies were unintended (as cited in Frequently Asked, no date, par. 2). However, there is some good news that is associated with these numbers. Teen pregnancy rates among girls in the U.S. have begun declining throughout the 1990's, but they still remain the highest among developing countries (Statistics, no date, par. 3).

This news indicates that teen pregnancy prevention programs need to continue their efforts to maintain the decline in pregnancy rates. The prime time to focus on pregnancy prevention programs is during the most critical time in an adolescent's life, the middle school or junior high years. This is a very fragile time for them because they have uncertaint

School-based programs are very informational and they are often times the only information that an adolescent receives. The information that they are given is very beneficial to them, especially when it is appropriate in content (Arnold, 2000, par. 32). Because many teens receive their only information from these programs "all adolescents need sex education that teaches them communication skills that will help them postpone sex until they are ready and that provides information about specific methods to prevent pregnancy and STD's" (Alan Guttmacher Institute, 1994, p. 115). B. Philliber and A. Montague (2000) found that educationally school-based programs that are continuously conducted have shown that they lower the level of teen sexual activity, increase the use of contraceptives, and decreases the number of teen pregnancies (par. 5).

Family Planning and other interventions are aimed at increasing knowledge about contraceptives and the use of them among sexually active teens to avoid unintended pregnancies. Family Planning programs provide great amounts of information about contraceptives and increasing their use among sexually active teens. They may also distribute condoms or other contraceptives to prevent teen pregnancies (Franklin, 2000, par. 20). Many teens that use contraceptives go to Family Planning centers or other places with similar services to pick up contraceptives because they feel comfortable asking and obtaining them there because their parents do not have to be involved, which is not the case with a family physician. Many teens do not talk to their doctors about contraceptives for fear of their parents finding out. Community-based programs and clinics are important because they lower this fear for teens by providing them with information about contraceptives and preventing unintended !

R. Sadovsky believes, "Parent-teenager discussion about sexual activity, especially when the parent is comfortable and skillful in talking about sex, seem to be associates with an increases the likelihood of communication between sexual partners about the risks and the use of condoms. Parent-teenager discussions about sex should be encouraged if the parents know what to say and how to say it" Sadovsky, 2000, par. 9). This is truly important because communication is the key to the continued reduction of teen pregnancies.

Mauldon, J. & Luker, K. (1997). Sex education can prevent teenage pregnancy. Teenage pregnancy: Opposing viewpoints (pp. 95-102). San Diego: Greenhaven. (Reprinted from American Prospect, 1996, Winter).

Philliber, B. & Montague, A. (2000). North Carolina adolescent pregnancy prevention program: Four lessons learned. News & Views, 6 paragraphs. Retrieved February 20, 2001 from the World Wide Web: http://www.ounce.org/Ncarolina.html.

Sadovsky, R. (2000, September 1). Evidence-review of contraception for adolescents. American Family Physicians, 9 paragraphs. Retrieved February 20, 2001 from the World Wide Web: http://www.findarticles.com.

Opponents to pregnancy prevention programs say that the programs have an adverse effect and encourage sexual activity, but statistics show that most Americans do not feel that way. In an in-depth analysis conducted in 1999, the results found that 93 percent of Americans support sex education in high schools and 84 percent support sex education in middle schools. Eight out of ten do not feel that sex education encourages sexual activity, and 89 percent think that kids should have information about contraception, STD's and that sex education programs should focus on avoiding or preventing unintended teenage pregnancies (Public Support, 1999, par. 5).

Some joint programs focus on abstinence programs, especially those that have a religious affiliation. Proponents of these programs say that they "help teens to understand why it is important to delay sex; teaches them the skills to resist peer pressure; provides support from peers,

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Approximate Word count = 3392
Approximate Pages = 14 (250 words per page double spaced)