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Missed a period? Think
you might be pregnant?
For a free pregnancy test, confidential
counseling, material assistance, and certified childbirth
education classes, call:
Fayette
County Health Department
509 W.
Edwards
Vandalia, IL 62471
(618) 283-1044
The
Lighthouse Pregnancy Center
1121 N. 6th
Vandalia, IL 62471
(618) 283-8750
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Common
Signs of Pregnancy
- A missed or light
period – about 2 weeks after fertilization a missed period
might indicate pregnancy, although its not an absolute sign
(can also be caused by illness, stress, bereavement, surgery,
or jet lag)
- Frequent urination –
even though in small quantities
- Fatique – feeling the
need for more sleep
- Breast Change – the
nipples might become sensitive, even sore to the touch and
deepen in color
- Sense of Smell – it
might become more acute and common odors might cause nausea
- Headaches
- Change in Appetite
DON’T PANIC! –How to tell your
parents
- It’s not easy to tell your parents
that you are pregnant. You are probably afraid of the way they
might respond - although, we often imagine the worst. The news
of your pregnancy will probably hurt your parents. But they
will survive. It might now always be evident, but most parents
do love their children and want to be there when they are
hurting.
- DON’T PUT IT OFF!:
Unless your parents are capable of physical abuse, it is best
to tell them as soon as possible. More than likely, they are
going to find out (and they might even suspect now) and they
would rather hear the news from you than from someone else.
- Plan Your Approach:
You know your parents, their way of dealing with problems, and
the "right" time to speak with them. You may want to
wait till they are the most relaxed and easiest to talk to.
Maybe it would be best if you were not around when they
received the news. It is difficult to think when you are
nervous, but it is time not to consider the best way to
approach them.
- How Exactly Should You Tell Them?:
If the thought of telling your parents in person frightens
you, consider other ways such as writing a letter or a card or
making a phone call to them. Communicate your love along with
your sorrow for the pain you may have caused them. You might
say something simple and straight-forward like this: "Dear
Mom/Dad, I love you but I’m afraid I have really blown it.
I’m sorry to have to tell you this but I’m pregnant."
You not only have to think of yourself now, but also your
parents and the little life growing inside you. It’s time to
be strong, act wisely, and do the right thing.
- Remember:
Every family is different. If your parents have a hard time
expressing their love, you may need to turn to other family
members or friends for support. Also consider the school
nurse, guidance counselor, or your doctor
- Resources: Contact These Places for
Help
- www.care-net.org;
1-800-395-HELP
- www.standupgirl.com
- www.birthright.org;
1-800-550-4900
- www.etters.net/teenlinks
- 1-800-PREGNANCY
- 1-800-848-LOVE (for the crisis
pregnancy center near you)
- www.thehelpline.org;
1-888-4-OPTIONS
Statistics on Teen
Pregnancy (Provided by The Alan Guttmacher Institute):
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Each year, almost 1
million teenage women – 10% of all women aged 15-19 and
19% of those who have had sexual intercourse – become
pregnant.
-
The overall U.S.
teenage pregnancy rate declined 17% between 1990 and 1996,
from 117 pregnancies per 1,000 women aged 15-19 to 97 per
1,000.
-
78% of teen pregnancies
are unplanned, accounting for about ¼ of all accidental
pregnancies annually.
-
6 in 10 teen
pregnancies occur among 18-19 year-olds.
-
Teen pregnancy rates
are much higher in the United States than in many other
developed countries – twice as high as in England and
Wales or Canada, and nine times as high as in the
Netherlands or Japan.
-
Steep decreases in the
pregnancy rate among sexually active teenagers accounted for
most of the drop in the overall teenage pregnancy rate in
the early-to-mid 1990s. While 20% of the decline is because
of decreased sexual activity, 80% is due to more effective
contraceptive practice.
Statistics on
Childbearing (Provided by The Alan Guttmacher Institute):
13 % of all U.S. births
are to teens
The fathers of babies
born to teenage mothers are likely to be older than the women:
About 1 in 5 infants born to unmarried minors are fathered by
men 5 or more years older than the mother.
78% of births to teens
occur outside of marriage.
Teens now account for 31%
of all nonmarital births, down from 50% in 1970.
¼ of teenage mothers
have a second child within 2 years of their first.
Statistics on Teen
Mothers and Their Children (Provided by The Alan Guttmacher
Institute)
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Teens who give birth are
much more likely to come from poor or low-income families
(83%) than are teens who have abortions (61%) or teens in
general (38%).
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7 in 10 teen mothers
complete high school, but they are less likely than women who
delay childbearing to go on to college.
-
In part because most teen
mothers come from disadvantaged backgrounds, 28% of them are
poor while in their 20s and early 30s; only 7% of women who
first give birth after adolescence are poor at those ages.
-
1/3 of pregnant teens
receive inadequate prenatal care; babies born to young mothers
are more likely to be low-birth-weight, to have childhood
health problems, and to be hospitalized than are those born to
older mothers.
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