Friday, July 11, 2008

Teenage Pregnancies

The NIH has issued a report stating that teen pregnancies have risen for the first time in 15 years.
I'm not sure what to make of this. The article states some theories, such as that youth organizations are struggling for funds. But what troubles me is the articles statements that teens who get pregnant "are less likely to get prenatal care and gain appropriate weight." Why is this? My theory #1: The social stigma and lack of information in abstinence-only programs causes teens to either not know how to, or be afraid of, receiving prenatal care. As for the weight, let's have a Paris Hilton (and other ridiculously skinny models) blame-fest!
Of course, there could be other reasons. For example, it may be that teens are less willing to get abortions, so the actual rate hasn't changed as much as the rate of cases actually being reported. And of course, it could simply be a statistical "blip."