Teenage Pregnancy/Nursing

Nurses General Nursing

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I will start off by saying that this is a homework thread, I am writting a paper about teen pregnancy and prevention and need to have input from various specialties in nursing.

I would like to get input/responses from nurses who work in community health, L&D, OB, school nursing and pediatrics, or if I didn't list your specialty and you work with teenagers I would love to hear from you as well.

How much education/teaching is there in the prevention of teen pregnancy in your specialty?

What is being done well in terms of education of prevention

What could be improved upon in terms of education of prevention of teen pregnancy in your specialty

What types of resources do you use to help young girls who are pregnant in your area of nursing

Thank You in advance

(((((KaringOne)))))

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I agree with you xtxrn. The only thing that worries me is the thought of some parents out there being the only source of information for their kids. Many parents are able to opt out of all sex ed classes, yet they teach nothing of use (or worse, false information). I remember watching the Tyra Banks show one day and they had a special on what parents taught their children, and then they interviewed the kids to see any differences (they discussed sex as well as answered questions about STD's).

One of the boys they had on there had a mother that was very traditional views, abstinence only etc. When they questioned him about really basic things it was upsetting and just sad. When asked how a person contracts HIV he replied "having anal sex". :banghead:

It should be the responsibility of the parent to educate, but if they aren't going to do it, or will do a poor job, I think schools should be aware of how important it is for them to get it right.

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Specializes in Emergency Dept. Trauma. Pediatrics.

In a lot of cases leaving the education to the parents can be the downfall.

My Bio Mom kicked me out of the house when I was 15 for not having sex with her boyfriends buddy that came over. I was impeding on her plans. I ended up pregnant by my boyfriend about 3 months later on purpose. I wanted to get pregnant. I was pregnant at 15 and had my son at 16. Now he is 15 and I am praying he doesn't make me a grandma. LOL

My dad had a more authoritative approach and wouldn't speak on sex specifically, but he forbid me doing anything. So that didn't work out to well for him either when I lived with him.

I have a very open relationship with my son and we have talked about it all many times. In fact the other day he was messing with me for something I said to him and he had asked me if he could go to his g/f house and he texted. "I know I know, no glove no love" lol

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Specializes in labor and delivery.

A little off-topic, but I often think when we have a screaming, groaning natural birth patient in labor that we should bring teenage girls for a tour so they can actually understand that giving birth hurts and is a very significant part of life. Not just "oh, I want a baby so someone will love me." Maybe it wouldn't work but I have had my daughter visit me at work and she commented that she had no idea how much it hurts to give birth. I am hopeful that we will avoid any unwanted pregnancies, she's 21 and so far so good.

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Specializes in Pediatrics.

I too was a teen mom, I had my oldest son at 19, got pregnant right after I graduated high school, my best friend also was a teen mom had her daughter at 17. After I had him, there were programs out there for teen parents. One was the Fireside program which brought around books to encourage reading, and there was WIC and pregnancy resource centers helped with supplies

I had the education from school as my parents were very conservative and you didn't talk about such things. We had the "egg baby" were you carried around an egg for 4 days because it was suppossed to teach you about parenting. Sometimes I feel like those talk shows like Maury do a better job, because they give teen girls a screaming crying baby to watch for 24 hours.

I think it is a fine line, parents should be able to educate their kids on safe sex, but there are many who do not and expect the school to do that and that can get into a whole political debate, but is there more education that as nurses we could do. Is there areas that we are doing well in terms of educating teens.

Should there be programs out there to educate parents? I know in my area of the country the have commercials advertsing a family night, encouraging families to eat togther at least 1 night a week.

I am thinking as I am writting, maybe at middle school and high school registration there should be a table with information for parents on social pressures of teens today and how to stay involved and conected with their teen.

Should school nurses work in some sort of pregnancy education/prevention? I am not a school nurse so I don't know if there is something like that.

Thank You for all of your feedback

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I too was a teen mom, I had my oldest son at 19, got pregnant right after I graduated high school, my best friend also was a teen mom had her daughter at 17. After I had him, there were programs out there for teen parents. One was the Fireside program which brought around books to encourage reading, and there was WIC and pregnancy resource centers helped with supplies

I had the education from school as my parents were very conservative and you didn't talk about such things. We had the "egg baby" were you carried around an egg for 4 days because it was suppossed to teach you about parenting. Sometimes I feel like those talk shows like Maury do a better job, because they give teen girls a screaming crying baby to watch for 24 hours.

I think it is a fine line, parents should be able to educate their kids on safe sex, but there are many who do not and expect the school to do that and that can get into a whole political debate, but is there more education that as nurses we could do. Is there areas that we are doing well in terms of educating teens.

Should there be programs out there to educate parents? I know in my area of the country the have commercials advertsing a family night, encouraging families to eat togther at least 1 night a week.

I am thinking as I am writting, maybe at middle school and high school registration there should be a table with information for parents on social pressures of teens today and how to stay involved and conected with their teen.

Should school nurses work in some sort of pregnancy education/prevention? I am not a school nurse so I don't know if there is something like that.

Thank You for all of your feedback

It would be nice if there were programs to help parents talk to kids- but I'm not sure parents who don't take the initiative to just talk to their kid would attend...maybe. :) School nurses run into problems with parents getting all upset (same ones who won't do the job themselves) about "such things" being dealt with in the schools- no win for the kids.

IDK of somewhere like a Boys & Girls Club would be an option. Because it's "sex" people are all gung-ho for doing it, just don't talk about it or bring home the results. Again, the kids lose.

I hope you can figure out some way to help these kids - boys, too. Both boys and girls need to be responsible for their own birth control- never assume the other party is doing "enough"- condoms can break, and BCPs can be forgotten- or that slim 1% that doesn't work... doubling up won't hurt :)

Sounds like a great project :)

I just spent the evening with my biological mom- I wish she would have had it easier when she was pregnant with me, and known that she wasn't "bad" for having gotten pregnant (she was in the "don't bring home a baby" group- and went through a lot of shame).

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