Unintended Pregnancy and Sexually Transmitted Diseases including HIV/AIDS

STDs are the most frequently reported diseases in the US. Every year in the US,
about 12 million new cases of STDs occur, 3 million of them among teenagers. More
than 1 million American teenagers become pregnant each year one of the highest rates
of any western industrialized country. Approximately 273,000 babies were born to teen
girls aged 1519 years in 2013. (Martin JA, 2013) Connecticut was ranked 49 out of 51
(50 states + the District of Columbia) on 2011 final teen births rates among females aged
15-19 (with 1 representing the highest rate and 51 representing the lowest rate). (CDC,
2013)
Impact on health:
Teen pregnancy
HIV/AIDS
Other sexually transmitted diseases such as STDs
Medical complications
Psychological issues
Behavioral risks
Risk Factors:
Unprotected sex
Social media
Low socioeconomic status (Martinez, Abma, & Copen, 2011).
Race/ethnicity
Students raised by single parents
Frequent family conflict (Martinez, Abma, & Copen, 2011).
Low self esteem (Martinez, Abma, & Copen, 2011).
Lack of information on the topic
History of teen pregnancy (Martinez, Abma, & Copen, 2011).
Family history of divorce or many sexual partners (Martinez, Abma, & Copen,
2011).
Little community involvement
Older friends
Having problems in school
Depression or thoughts of suicide
Date frequently
High number of sexual partners
Drugs/Alcohol
Peer pressure to engage in sexual activity
Protective Factors:
Family- open communication with parents and/or adults about accurate
contraception use, parental support and healthy family dynamics, and peer use of
condoms. (Martinez, Abma, & Copen, 2011).
Community- It is also critical to have local programs such as plan parent hood
for students to be able to acquire information and products to practice safe sex.

The family planning clinics have specially trained staff who can talk with students
about all of their options. (Cullins, 2014).
Individual role- Positive attitudes towards condom use, intent to abstain from sex
or limit ones number of partners, and accurate knowledge of sexual health, HIV
infection, sexually transmitted infections, the importance of abstinence, and
pregnancy. (Martinez, Abma, & Copen, 2011).

Impact on Academic Achievement:

High school dropout among teen girls
Limits their chance of getting a postsecondary education
Teen fathers tend to complete one less semester of school
Lower grades
Less time for extracurricular activity
Best Practices for Curriculum Development:
Effective programs focusing on reducing one or more sexual behaviors that
lead to unintended pregnancy or HIV/STD infection
Offer alternative options for impregnated teens
Team up with plan parent hood for students to gain more free information in
addition to free supplies

Citations:

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (2013). National Vital Statistics
System. Hyattsville, MD: National Center for Health Statistics.
Cullins. (2014). Pregnancy Options | What To Do If You're Pregnant. Retrieved
from https://www.plannedparenthood.org/learn/pregnancy/pregnant-now-what
Martinez, Abma, & Copen. (2011). Risk and Protective Factors. Retrieved from
http://youth.gov/youth-topics/teen-pregnancy-prevention/risk-and-protectivefactors
Martin JA, Hamilton BE, Osterman MJK, Curtin SC, Mathews TJ. Births: final
data for 2013. National Vital Statistics Report
Telljohann, S., & Symons, C. (2012). Health education: Elementary and middle
school applications (7th ed., pp. 375-379). Dubuque, IA: McGraw-Hill.