The Teen Pregnancy Initiative

Teen Pregnancy is a growing problem in the US. It has been a source of concern for the fact that teens who encounter pregnancy at such a young age loose the basic elements that will sustain a person in life. A mother may lack the necessary education resulting in a severely limited career option. A baby may also lack pre-natal care which could threaten the health of both the baby and the mother. Psychological disorders are also effects of early and unplanned pregnancy.

According to a recent study, 52% of Latinas before the age of 20 have encountered pregnancy at least once in their life. This figure clearly indicates that Latinas will have a higher chance of getting pregnant at a very young age. This is a very alarming fact because Latinas who encounter early pregnancy are deprived of proper education, has limited their career options and are struggling to find an economic solution. Another trend indicates that the highest educational attainment of the mother coincides with the highest educational level of the son.

Because of this, a massive project was launched by the National Council of La Raza’s (NCLR) Institute for Hispanic Health and The National Campaign to Prevent Teen and Unplanned Pregnancy together with 15 other national organizations to help provide a solution for the teen pregnancy problem. The project aims to do research and provide programs that will help guide teens and make them aware of the negative effects of teen pregnancy. The group calls for the support of other groups, institutions and politicians in creating ways to reduce and eliminate the rate of early pregnancy.

The group now heads a couple of community-based projects to make teens aware of the consequences they could face in their decisions. Gladly, a congresswoman introduced the “Communities of Color Teenage Pregnancy and Prevention Act of 2010″ (H.R. 5033). It aims to address this very need and provide funding for more programs to be implemented. Collaboration among groups and organizations is seen as a very vital step solving this problem.

Let us all support this initiative and give teens a chance to live a normal and productive lifestyle. With the proper learning’s and the most ideal examples, the young women of America will be able to determine what is right from wrong and decide on better things in life. With help from the government, the young teens of America will be saved from the perils and trials of early pregnancy. Let us all collaborate to come to the aid of these young people.