Pregnancies on Campus

ohiobobcat · Dec 9, 2016

I have worked at my high school for 3.5-ish years. I have had 2 student pregnancies. One student, who gave birth at the end of her junior year, finished her senior year, graduated, and last I knew was still with the baby's father. The other one is currently pregnant, but she is only here a few hours a day (for other reasons). There are about 650 student in my school, grades 9-12.

We do have a health class that student's take for 1 quarter their freshman year. I will be honest, I am not sure what kind of info is covered as far a sex ed in that class. I will ask my kids and/or teacher.

I educate students when it is appropriate. I have had a couple of kids ask for pregnancy tests this year and one ask for condoms just the other day. I don't provide either here in my clinic, but I did take the opportunity to educate and refer to resources that could provide those services to the students. I live in a pretty rural, poor area. My student can't always afford to go to Rite Aid and pick up a pregnancy test/box of condoms.

Flare, ASN, BSN · Dec 9, 2016

I have my first. While i have worked high school off and on and i'm sure there might have been pregnant students while I was there -this student is a first for me. i'm in a pk-8 school. I really don't know what's done as far as a sex ed curriculum. I am positive that by the time this student had conceived that she probably hadn't received much of anything in the way of useful information as she is pretty new to the country to top it all off, too.

MrNurse(x2), ADN · Dec 9, 2016

Abstinence is a possible pipe dream in this highly sex charged culture. Education helps, but the bullet proof narcissistic viewpoint most adolescents have of themselves is probably the biggest hurdle. I know numerous teens who have nurses as parents and they are well educated in sex ed without government involvement and they still can and have ended up pregnant.

Eleven011 · Dec 9, 2016

It isn't a big issue here. There weren't any last year. This year we had one senior student deliver a baby last month. We have a trimester health class for 8th graders, but I'm not sure how much sex ed is included. There is also a human development class that is an elective, so it only hits a few kids.

MHDNURSE · Dec 9, 2016

I have my first. While i have worked high school off and on and i'm sure there might have been pregnant students while I was there -this student is a first for me. i'm in a pk-8 school. I really don't know what's done as far as a sex ed curriculum. I am positive that by the time this student had conceived that she probably hadn't received much of anything in the way of useful information as she is pretty new to the country to top it all off, too.

Poor kid- so she is no older than 8th grade? That makes me so sad

Flare, ASN, BSN · Dec 9, 2016

me too. Yes - conceived in 7th grade actually and ready to go soon. I have reached out to give her access to as many resources as i could come up with and I am doing everything I can to maintain her privacy in school, but get amazed by the people that still feel the need to come in and try and get info from me like they're looking to "help". No - you're not. You're just looking for gossip.

NutmeggeRN, BSN · Dec 9, 2016

me too. Yes - conceived in 7th grade actually and ready to go soon. I have reached out to give her access to as many resources as i could come up with and I am doing everything I can to maintain her privacy in school, but get amazed by the people that still feel the need to come in and try and get info from me like they're looking to "help". No - you're not. You're just looking for gossip.

Are protective services involved?...oye...that is just awful!

Farawyn · Dec 9, 2016

School of 750, 1 pregnancy in 3 years. She had twins at the end of last year. She is not involved with the babies' dad, but another young man has stepped up and is with her. She is 18, got her GED and is doing fine.

cooties_are_real · Dec 9, 2016

Thanks everyone. I am at a loss of where to begin to address this issue. We are smallish town with not a lot to do other than "hang out". This is issue covers all groups. We have had a kid get pregnant and the parents had a plan in place (could not be at boyfriend's house alone with him, double dating, etc.), and still got pregnant. I know it is going to happen, but is there anything I could do to help? We have had some get pregnant in the JR High/MS grades. I even have one on campus that has 2 kids and in the 10th grade (she's 18).

JenTheSchoolRN, BSN, RN · Dec 9, 2016

I had one last year that is graduating this year. I teach all the sex education classes in my school (7th, 8th, and 10th grade), but this student was past the grade of my teaching sex ed, so I can't tell if my teaching helped. The school did help her find an excellent day care and she has a lot of support from her family, which helps her a lot.

But pregnancy isn't the only issue - I have a lot more students I have worked with a STI. I cannot document anything about pregnancy or STI treatment by law in my school files. I have directed students to a free teen clinic in my area for STI testing and been the middle man phone number for students awaiting results. I'm happy to help them get treatment and try to use this to bridge what can be an awkward conversation with a parent if needed.

I also teach comprehensive sex education and think it is very necessary to start teaching it in Middle School. I reinforce that abstinence is the only 100% foolproof method to avoid pregnancy and STIs, but I wasn't born yesterday. I do a condom demo at all of those grade levels and revisit it with the 12th grade as well. I use the Get Real curriculum. It is strictly facts using emotional/social learning tools. I leave values for parents/guardians/caring adults in each child's life.

That is why parent involvement is important, as it access to factual information and good decision making tools. When we start our curriculum in 6th grade with puberty, we begin with a decision making model, letting kids know that decisions are theirs to make, but every choose has a pro and con; is that pro/con worth it to them?

(Interestingly enough, when the parents find out the school nurse is doing the teaching, they have told me they appreciated the information coming from a medical professional. To each their own!)

Another side note: my mother had the "talk" with me in high school. She told me she'd love it if I waited, but understood if I didn't and give me information on protection if I needed it! She said that she was there when I wanted her to be and that while she might be disappointed in choice I made, she loved me and would support me. I rolled my eyes at it, sex was far from my mind, but as an adult I appreciate her words and how helpful they could be.

post> Sorry, I get passionate about sex ed!

Julius Seizure · Dec 9, 2016

We recently had a lecture in school about how to get through to the adolescent brain.

Basically, they said that teens have less dopamine overall than adults, but novel/pleasurable experiences lead to relatively higher dopamine releases. This is why teens may be more impulsive and/or susceptible to addiction.

They also talked about the related idea of teens having "hyper-rationality", meaning that they know the risks (unwanted pregnancy, STDs), but they rationalize that it isn't going to happen to them (don't most teens think they are invincible?). They place far more emphasis on the potential positive outcomes than the potential negative ones.

I'm sure none of that is news to anybody who works with teens on a regular basis!

Anyway, the instructor went on to say that this is why strategies like "shock stories" and "teen pregnancy stats" don't work that well. What has been shown to be more effective is social factors - "Less than half of teen girls are having sex, and its a lot less popular than it used to be" (source).

Anyway, just thought that it was interesting. :)