Most teens get pregnant on purpose because other life goals seem out of reach, says Cornell researcher

[w¡n9Nµ7 §£@¥€r 123]

ITHACA, N.Y. -- "Many teenage pregnancies aren't accidental but intentional because of girls who see no life goals other than being a mother as realistically within their reach," says Andrea Parrot, Ph.D., a Cornell University women's health and human sexuality expert.

That's a major reason why most current sex and pregnancy prevention education efforts "are ineffective at preventing teenage pregnancy and the U.S. has an outrageous teen pregnancy rate -- the highest in the industrialized world," said Parrot, associate professor in the Department of Policy Analysis and Management in Cornell's College of Human Ecology.

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"Too many teenage girls see themselves as having nothing to strive for -- they can't see graduating from high school because they have few role models to follow, their teachers give them little encouragement about their abilities, their families are chaotic and their friends are on drugs. Parenting looks like the best thing going, many girls think, because babies provide an immediate source of unconditional love," Parrot said.

Researchers now know that certain factors predispose girls to choose early motherhood over other goals. These include poverty, school failure, a mother or sister who was a teen mother and living in a dangerous neighborhood, Parrot said.

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Some programs effectively counter these trends.

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These programs help girls acquire skills to achieve life goals other than motherhood.

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To be most effective, programs must target high-risk girls early (before age 10).

http://www.news.cornell.edu/releases/June9...gnancy.ssl.html

[Amby 490]

I think some still get pregnant on accident and really don't want kids because they want a different life - college, etc. Those are the ones who abort.

Edited July 10, 2008 by Amby

[Heracles 417]

Gezz I wonder why. Look at the ####### teenagers are bombarded with in the US. Coupled with parents who simply do not get what it means to be a parent.

From your MTVs to shows like Girls Next Door. Great examples for teenagers.

[jundp 191]

I totally got pregnant by accident. And abortion wasn't an option. But I still managed to finish college. Twice.

I think some teens may get pregnant on purpose, just like some adult women do....

ETA: I do agree with BY about the role models though.

Edited July 10, 2008 by jundp

[bhajishah 4]

V true!! no other options provided might as well get married @ 18 . ahh the smell of small town Iowa

[Amby 490]

I totally got pregnant by accident. And abortion wasn't an option. But I still managed to finish college. Twice.

I think some teens may get pregnant on purpose, just like some adult women do....

ETA: I do agree with BY about the role models though.

I wasn't saying it's impossible to do it with a child. I think the college experience would be completely different for someone with a child compared to someone without one.

[kerewin21 2]

I still think most teen pregnancies are unintentional. I have yet to have a pregnant teen patient (and I see a newly pregnant teenager at least once a week) who went out trying to get pregnant. Some of them weren't trying all that hard *not* to get pregnant, but that's different from wanting to get pregnant (in my opinion).

[Ban Hammer 13,352]

sounds like a strong case for

[Dr. Obvious 49]

When I was in high school, I did know a handful that were actively trying to get pregnant. At least one of them succeeded, but was forced to drop out of day school. I never saw her again. Another one, the first pregnancy was an accident at 14, but then she had another one at 17 because she couldn't stand condoms. That couldn't be put in the accident catagory. She dropped out.

jundp, I don't understand why you lump yourself with teenagers 17 and under? 19 is a legal adult who should already be out of high school. There is a huge difference, imo.

Edited July 10, 2008 by Wacken

[Saddle Bronc 124]

I still think most teen pregnancies are unintentional. I have yet to have a pregnant teen patient (and I see a newly pregnant teenager at least once a week) who went out trying to get pregnant. Some of them weren't trying all that hard *not* to get pregnant, but that's different from wanting to get pregnant (in my opinion).

It looks like (by the logic of chopf##ck Parrott) "not putting too much effort to NOT conceive" = "trying to conceive".