Hypothetical Health Promotion Plan on Teenage Pregnancy

Health Promotion Plan
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Health Promotion Plan
The specific health concern or health need chosen as the focus of this health promotion plan is teenage pregnancy. On the whole, teenage pregnancies in America have been declining since 1991, where the lowest births per 1,000 females aged 15 to 19 years were recorded in 2019 (16.7 per 1,000 females) (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 2021). While reasons for the marked declines in teenage birth rate are not entirely clear, evidence indicates that the decreases result from increased use of birth control and more teens abstaining from sexual activity (Livingston & Thomas, 2019). However, the U.S. teenage birth rates are still substantially higher than in other OECD countries, and specific geographic and racial disparities in teenage pregnancies persist. This health information plan entailed informal exchanges with community health officials to investigate teenage pregnancies and best practices for health improvement, based on supporting evidence.
The chosen population is teenage girls aged between 15 and 19 years. An examination of the most recent teen birth records showed that teenage pregnancies per 1,000 females for all races were 16.7: White (11.4 per 1,000 females), Black (25.8), American Indian/Alaska Native (29.2), Asian (2.7), Native Hawaiian/Pacific Islander (26.2), and Hispanic (25.3) (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 2021). There were geographic differences in teenage pregnancy rates, where southern states recorded higher overall teen birth rates than northern states. The data also indicated that teens from poorer neighborhoods (populated mainly by minority communities) with lower education and income levels were likely to record higher teenage pregnancies. Informal discussions with community members further revealed that most teenage pregnancies were in single-parent households: the teenage girls lived with their mothers, fathers, siblings, or extended relatives. Most of these single-parent households belonged to lower-income and lower education strata. The parents had either a high school diploma or had not finished high school and worked in the blue-collar industry.
The informal discussions also divulged that most pregnant teenagers were exposed to early motherhood by their mothers. In these households, there was less condemnation of teenage motherhood. Despite the general intonation of dissatisfaction and disapprobation, the community was generally receptive and considered it a common phenomenon. Teenage mothers cited their mothers' decision not to abort them as the reason for deciding to carry to term. In contrast, others attributed their decision to the life-altering event to religious beliefs that condemned abortion. However, in households where the parents placed high standards on their children, they were less receptive, and their opinions of teenage motherhood were severe. In these homes, teenage mothers reported having little information about conceptions and birth control: there were few interventions to stop unsafe sexual behavior. Many teenage mothers refused to abide by their parents' advice to abort to satisfy their partners and sustain their romantic relationships.
Fortunately, many teenage mothers received support from family members during and after their pregnancy. Some members of the household or extended relatives volunteered to look after the baby in the absence of the schooling teen mother. A majority of schools allowed teenage mother to continue their studies, although there were reports of teachers and students making adverse comments. However, significantly few teenage mothers continued schooling beyond high school due to child-rearing's competing demands. Sev...