Welcome to SUNS 2008!

Committee: UNICEF

Topic A: Teenage Pregnancy

Director: Marina Menchaca (Spanish), Luis Farias (English)

 

Committee Background:

UNICEF started since 1947 to support the work of the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF). It works to protect their rights, improve their health, and helps in their development, and increasing awareness for the challenge in the world for the children.  UNICEF is lead United Nations (UN) agency for the global control of the child-related Millennium Development Goals (MDGs). The members of this committee are all but Bahamas, Malta, Monaco and Singapore. UNICEF was created by the General Assembly for giving in case of an emergency food and medical sources for the hurt children from the Second World War. UNICEF works with teenagers to get involved with life activities, it made them appreciate the sources.

 

Topic Background:

Teenage pregnancy refers to women who have not reached the proper age to become pregnant. Which are usually within the ages of 13-17. This problem may varied by the country. This problem happens between the gestation that happens between the 2 years after the first period (10 -13 years) and when the teenagers have a total dependence of the social and economic from their parents.

Teenage pregnancy in some developed countries is usually outside the marriage. Because of this they are creating many campaigns to lower the number of teenage pregnancy in the world.

In some societies, early marriage and pregnancies roles are important factors in the culture. For example, in some Saharan African countries, early pregnancy is seen as a blessing because it is proof of the young woman’s fertility.

In India early marriage and pregnancy is more common in traditional rural communities compared to the cities.

In societies where adolescent marriage is unusual, most teenage pregnancies in the developed world appear to be unplanned.

Teenagers may not know all the methods of preventing pregnancy, because they may be too embarrassed to seek out the right information. Girls may use contraception which means use of contraceptive pills or condoms. But there are some facts to this are being inadequate because some inexperienced adolescents may use condoms incorrectly or forget to take the pill.

Thinking that it wont happen to you is not an answer the only answer that it won’t happen to you is abstention. For safe sex you should always have protection with your self but always having in mind that condoms only assure the 85%. The other method is the pill but knowing that you should take it every day, but in teenagers is a risk because the pill has a high amount of hormones and it can have several second effects. Teenage pregnancy will also affect very hard economically because like any person needs food, clothes and water and a baby needs a lot of food and have a crib for the baby that costs 250 dlls. And over the years you will need to work and earn money, and because of  teen pregnancy it’s harder to get a professional work because most of the girls drop out of school to have their babies.

 

History of the background:

Since the 1970´s the problem of teenage pregnancy has been a worldwide problem. Between the 1972 -1991 the rate of teenage pregnancy in the Unites States has gone from 11.5% from girls between the ages of 15-19 years old. Over the next decade (1997) the problem has been decline showing that the pregnancy rate has lowered to 9.7% of the girls between the ages of 15-19 years old. This is because the people are taking concern of this problem. Teenage pregnancy is often started by curiosity, many girls want to try it and know how to do it.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

USA:

The United States has topped a table of teenage pregnancy with 52 of 1000 girls between 15 and 19 got pregnant. More than 750,000 teenagers got pregnant each year, and about 420,000 give birth and with a 17 of 1000 in abortions. The National Campaign to Prevent Teen and Unplanned Pregnancy says that the 750,000 of the pregnancy in the USA are unplanned and 81 percent are to girls that haven’t got married. U.S. president Bush thinks that the only answer of prevent teenage pregnancy is abstinence. The Republican candidate for the presidency McCain supports the policy of Bush. Even that Bush believes in only abstention, his programs haven’t worked because there aren’t any good teachers and it has a very high of money invested. Bush believes this because is the cheaper way, it doesn’t includes campaign and any program of teaching kids.

The USA has also made conditions on  aid given to international programs to fight HIV/AIDS that abstinence be the only method taught as a means of prevention.

 

 

UK:

Is the top of the list in Europe with 30 of 1000 girls got pregnant between the age of 15 and 19. Before the age of 15, about 18% of boys and 15% of girls say they had sexual intercourse, and having oral sex. The Independent Advisory Group on Teenage Pregnancy (TPIAG) published its 5th annual report on 16 July 2008. TPIAG try to find possible solutions to Government on implementing the Teenage Pregnancy Strategy. The minister and the Queen want to do something about this problem but they stated that having health education is schools is a lot of financial economic situation, and they stated that is better that teenagers should learn it  their own way.

South Africa:

South Africa is being rated with 9.5 of 1000 girls between the ages of 15-19. South African Demographic and Health Survey data indicated the teenage pregnancy in the rural areas equaling 21.1%, as opposed to African adolescents in urban settings 13.7%.  In abortion South Africa is being rated as 5 of 1000. In South Africa there is a program to have health education. In elementary they have life skills and in middle school they specialize on the subject.

France:

France has being rated with 20.2 of 1000 girls who got pregnant in the age of 15-19. In France the abortion is a huge problem having 10,000 who got pregnant 6,000 girls has an abortion.

Japan: 

Japan is being rated in 10.1 of 1000 girls from the age of 15-19. Abortion 6.3 of 1000 girls in the age of 18. Japan only believes in the use of condoms. They say that Japan doesn’t need to have a health class on schools because the teenagers still wont listen, in Japan the use of condom is very often and it has worked, but the problem is not going to end with only this solution.

 Russia:

Nearly one-third of the babies were born in Russia with single mothers. The percent has being twice after the World War 2. More than the 40% of the mother’s babies are teenagers.

Brazil:

Brazil has 698,439 pregnant girls between the ages of 15-19. Brazil count with the organization of Brazilian State Health System. Citizens of Brazil say that abstinence is not the only answer to stop teenage pregnancy some people could abstinence but more of the half doesn’t. The pill and condoms are good solution but either way they don’t stop the entire problem. At Brazil is being done a campaign about the birth-pill it consist on giving birth-pill for lower prize, so girls will have the money to purchase and take a better care for themselves.

 

Abortion:

Abortion is the expulsion of the fetus from the uterus before this reaches the 20 weeks, causing the death of the fetus. Abortion is taking place with problems such as rape, unwanted babies. After this time, the ending of the pregnancy before giving birth is called pre ending.

An abortion is only may use on countries where the procedure is legal, if a person does it on an illegal abortion country the place where it was done may go close.

There are 2 types of abortion the first one is when there is taking an interruption in an intentional way. And the second one is when there is an interruption in a natural way.

Abortion may also harm women by the increased risk of breast and other cancers, sterility, and pelvic inflammatory.

Sexual abuses:

Sexual abuse is any sexual contact with a child or the use of child for the sexual pleasure for someone else, and an abuse of one person to another one and the other doesn’t want it. The sexual abuse may be between adults, or an adult to children.

Some studies prove that the 11% of the pregnancy are done by rapes. The 60% of girls who had sex before the age of 15 were coerced by males over 6 years older. One in five teenage fathers admitted to forcing girls to have sex with them

Many girls during their pregnancy suffer mistreatments from their boyfriend, such as yelling or even kicking them.

  

 Religious point of view:

For some religions sex is considered as sacred and they also have rules for having sex, for example there can only be done by a husband and wife. You can never be married to a related person because it is considered as impure.

Religion thinks anti-conception (AKA Birth Control) programs are an insult and an illogical situation. Religion is also very concerned because this is now a very huge problem and no country are staying out of this problem.

Religion´s solution is to give a special education to these girls who probably didn’t have any school health class.

Although in many schools the teaching of health education is very hard because they need to have a special teachers and it cost a lot of money supported them.

Having health class may be a bad idea to religion because now children will know how it is done and try it, religion want only to have sex until marriage. Churches may go to schools and try to prohibit the teaching of sex.

Religion believes that the birth control pill may only being use by a medical prescription, so if a girl has any secondary effects may be in hands on the doctors. The only thing that religion accepts from the pill is that it prevents the transition of sexual diseases.

Causes of teenage pregnancy:

Taking drugs and alcohol helps a lot in the problem of the teenage pregnancy. Many girls are not ready to have sex or get pregnant, but using in drugs or alcohol helps a girl get involved in a pregnancy.

The low education on safe sex from the parents and teachers are a major cause of teenage pregnancy. Many teens are not taught about the methods of births or to deal with a person who is ready to have sex and babies.

The lack of attention from parents is also a cause of teenage pregnancy. Those girls whose parents aren’t at home and they have to live by themselves are always finding a reason for their parents to give more attention to them and girls think that this is the answer.

The lack of religious education, having a sexual relationship without any protection, bad friends who may involved in sexual relationships and drugs, bad information of the consequences of sex.

The curiosity in teenagers is also involved when a kid stats being curious they start searching in all kinds of sources to know how it is being done. So when an opportunity shows up they don’t think about it and put on prove what they know and want to know how it feels to have a sexual relationship but they never realize the consequences that in this case is the pregnancy.

 

Consequences of teenage pregnancy:

Teen birth rates are an important problem because teen mothers and their babies have increased risks to their health, and their opportunities to build a future are very low.

For teen mothers their opportunities of having a normal life are almost impossible. An unhealthy diet, smoking, drinking alcohol and taking drugs can increase the risk that a baby will be born with health problems, such as low birth weight.

A baby born to a teenage mother is at higher risk for serious problems and death than a baby born to an older mother. Babies of teenage mothers are more probable to die in the first year of life than babies of women in their twenties and thirties.

Teen mothers are more likely to drop out of high school than girls who don’t have babies; with the drop out of school teen mothers may have lack of jobs and opportunities. If a woman has a baby it will also affect their work because they will need so time to take care of their kids and by the time they will run-out of money and have to get back to work. They are more likely to live in poverty than women who delay childbearing.

Prevention:

The first prevention of all is abstinence. Abstinence is the choice you made with yourself when you decide if you do it or not do things you are told to. Another way is by using condoms or taking the pill but always make sure the condom doesn’t break. Talking with the parents and asking them about the topic can help teens make sure that is this what they want because there’s always a high percentage that the girl might get pregnant. The pill has to be taken every day because if you take it only the time you have sexual relationship you have more chances to get a disease or can have a possibility of getting pregnant.

Organizations:

A small group of women created a foundation called Teen Pregnancy Prevention Alliance (TPPA) for this association help women in cases such as teen mothers and women who got raped.

Children Act: This Act determines the responsibilities of social services in relation to looked after children. This includes the education on relationship and sexual interact.

Teenage pregnancy unit.

National campaign to prevent teenage pregnancy.

Possible solution:

Education is the main base for having a development in every country. Having better education from teachers and parents will help on teenagers to have less curiosity and they will know what is it and then it will be on them to do it or not.

Education in schools may also be of concern by parents

Having a campaign for giving free condoms and birth control pills or even giving them at high-schools. Also having condoms or birth control pills for a lower price, because many people many people don’t buy it because they are now in a price that many people doesn’t buy and just have sexual relationship and they suffer their consequences of teenage pregnancy.

 

Questions you should know:

1.      What is the percentage of the teenage pregnancy in your country?

2.     Is abortion legal in your country and what is the percentage of abortion in your country?

3.      What are the main causes of teenage pregnancy in society?

4.      Does your country have any suggested solutions?

5.      Does your country have any organizations concerned about this?

6.      Which country has the highest and the lowest percent of teenage pregnancy?

7.  In your country, at what age may a kid be taught about health education?

8.  Is sex education taught in schools in your country, and is there a controversy about this?

9. Does your country have any controversy about the use of birth-control?

10. Should religious groups’ opinions on the subject of sex and teenagers have an influence over governments’ policies?

 

Bibliography:

www.wikipedia.com

www.unicef.org

World encyclopedia

Encyclopedia GECICA/ the reproductive system

Biology vol 2/ pregnancy, contraception methods, sexual transmitted diseases.

www.MedlinePlus.com

www.womenhealthchannel.com

Abortion book/ abortion harm women’s health.

Teenage pregnancy-A global tragedy

World book P.15 (pregnancy) page 734-735

World book A.1 (adolescent pregnancy) pages 60-64

http://www.usatoday.com/news/health/2004-02-13-abstinence-study_x.htm

http://www.medicinenet.com/script/main/art.asp?articlekey=51164

http://www.newsweek.com/id/164525