What Hartford Youth are Saying About Sexuality Issues and Teen Pregnancy Prevention

Background:

How do Hartford youth feel about teen pregnancy, sexuality and related issues? Does the high number of births to teens in Hartford reflect a different attitude or acceptance of teen pregnancy by Hartford youth? What do Hartford youth want when it comes to information about sexuality and access to resources? 

Breaking the Cycle, Hartford’s strategic campaign for teen pregnancy prevention, conducted a Youth/Adult Summit, “I am 4 Real,” in the spring of 2001. The purpose of the summit was twofold:

• To bring youth and adults together to talk about sexuality, communication and teen pregnancy prevention

• To seek input from youth about their opinions and knowledge of teen pregnancy prevention and related issues

Sixty Hartford youth, ages 13-18, participated in a feedback survey at the close of the summit, where they shared their views about sexuality, communication, and access to services and information. The surveys were anonymous.

During the same period, the National Campaign to Prevent Teen Pregnancy conducted a national survey, “With One Voice: America’s Adults and Teens Sound Off About Teen Pregnancy,” which offers new and important insight into this complicated issue. Breaking the Cycle has compared the Hartford data with the national survey’s findings. While there are similarities, Hartford youth differed in their responses in two key areas:  the age youth should become sexually active and where they would go for information or someone to talk to about sex.

The Responses:

“With One Voice” found near unanimous agreement that teen pregnancy is a serious problem. Nine out of ten adults (93 percent) and nearly as many teens (88 percent) identify it as such.  Hartford youth appear to agree. When asked what age would be the best to have a baby, most said:

People should be over the age of 20 before having a baby.

Twenty-eight of the 60 youth surveyed (46 percent), said that 20 or older was the best age to have a baby. Age 18 was cited by eight of the respondents (13 percent). “When prepared” was cited by seven respondents (11 percent), and “when married” by six (ten percent). Age 16 was mentioned by two of the respondents (3 percent).

TheThe national survey found that 73 percent of adults and 56 percent of teens hold the view that teens should not be sexually active, but teens who are should have access to contraception. Also, some proponents of abstinence-only programs argue that advocating abstinence as the first and best option for school-age youth while also providing them with information about, and access to contraception, sends young people a confusing “mixed message.” A clear majority of Americans disagree – seven out of ten adults (71 percent) and teens (75 percent) describe such a message as “clear and specific.”

The Hartford survey finds greater acceptance for sexual activity during the teen years, although the responses were divided closely between age 16 and 18. Hartford teens indicate strong support for the use of contraceptives for sexually-active teens, but a significant number of respondents would choose abstinence as a means of preventing pregnancy.

Youth should be at least 16 before having sexual intercourse.

Seventeen youth (28 percent) stated that age 16 is the age someone should be before having intercourse, and 14 youth (23 percent) stated that age 18 is best. Nine (15 percent) said “when prepared,” five (8 percent) said “over the age of 20,” and four (6 percent) said “when married.”

 The majority of Hartford teens surveyed would prevent pregnancy by using contraceptives.

When asked what they would do to avoid pregnancy, 31 respondents (51 percent) mentioned some form of contraception, with condoms receiving the most number of specific mentions at 14, and “protection” receiving 8. However, a large number of teens also cited abstinence, which received 21 responses (35 percent). Only three (5 percent) mentioned abortion as a means of preventing pregnancy.

When asked where they would go if they wanted contraceptives, 13 youth (21 percent) mentioned a clinic. A doctor and Planned Parenthood received 11 responses each (18 percent). Hospitals and drug stores received five responses each (8 percent).

 It may be important to note that six of the youth surveyed (10 percent) said they didn’t know where to go for contraceptives. This could be an important issue for policy makers who are concerned with reducing the number of births to Hartford teens.

When it comes to sex, many parents feel that they have lost their children to the influence of peers and popular culture. The national survey finds a different picture. When asked who influences teens’ sexual decision-making the most, teens said parents were more influential than any other source. When asked where they learned the most about preventing teen pregnancy, 34 percent of teens said “parents,” while 10 percent said “friends” and only 6 percent cited the “media.”

 Parents are also the first resource for many Hartford teens, but friends are almost equal in their influence. Hartford teens also had very specific comments about the effectiveness of prevention-oriented public service announcements. 

Hartford parents play a key role their teens’ sexual decisions, but friends are also an important influence.

The Hartford survey asked this question in two different ways – where they would go when seeking advice or someone to talk to, and where they would go for information about sex. A family member was the top answer to both questions, with 37 total responses (30 percent). Friends received the second highest number of responses at 32 (26 percent). Teachers and counselors received 7 responses each (6 percent). Five youth (4 percent) mentioned their doctors, and two (2 percent) would seek information about sex on the Internet.

It may be important to note that seven youth (6 percent) responded “no one” to this question. However, it was unclear whether these youth felt they had no one to talk to, or whether they would refuse to discuss these issues with anyone.

Most Hartford teens have heard prevention-oriented public service messages, but are split as to their effectiveness. Forty-six of the respondents (76 percent) recall having heard public service announcements about teen pregnancy prevention, substance abuse prevention and the like. Of those, 21(35 percent) think they are effective, nine (15 percent) think they are not, and 29 (48 percent) said they sometimes are. When asked if they would change anything in their lives as a result of exposure to a public service announcement, 24 (40 percent) said “maybe,” 18 (30 percent) said “no” and 16 (26 percent) said “yes.”

4.       The national survey finds that many youth and adults do not believe that young people in their community are getting a clear message that teen pregnancy is wrong. Only 57 percent of teens strongly agree that they are getting this message clearly. When asked why a teen would get pregnant or get someone pregnant, 23.2 percent of teens said there is a lack of sufficient motivation to avoid pregnancy.

Hartford youth, when asked what types of programs or services would really help teens, gave a variety of responses, including information about safer sex, better communication and job preparedness.

Hartford youth want access to information and services that will help them prepare for the future.

When asked what type of things they’d like to learn about at the next summit, or to give their opinion on programs or information that would really help teens, twenty-seven participants (45 percent) asked for information about sex, safer sex and pregnancy. Nine (15 percent) mentioned suicide and depression. Five (8 percent) mentioned communication and relationships. Four (6 percent) mentioned making money, jobs or college. And eight (13 percent) said they would welcome any information offered to help teens.

What do these responses mean for Hartford’s community leaders?

The Hartford youth who participated in the “I am 4 Real” survey want access to information and services to help them make informed choices. They do not envision themselves becoming parents at an early age, but the majority does not believe it is necessary to wait until they are beyond their teen years before becoming sexually active. They want access to contraception if they are sexually active. Some would choose abstinence as a primary means of preventing pregnancy.

 Hartford teens will turn to family members for information or advice about sex, but a nearly equal number will also seek information from peers. They don’t believe everything they hear in the media.

 What can the community do to help our youth? Parents, youth serving agencies, the health care community and the public school system all have vital roles to play in ensuring that systems are in place to provide youth with a vision for a future that does not include becoming a parent at an early age, and access to information and services that will inform and protect them.

1.        Parents who are uncomfortable talking with their children about sexuality should ask for help. Free training is available by contacting Breaking the Cycle at 236-4872.

2.        Youth need support for informed decision making. This means skill-building programs that support abstinence along with comprehensive education about sexuality.

3.        Sexually-active youth need confidential, affordable access to contraception.

4.        Youth-serving programs should offer teen pregnancy prevention components that have been proven to be effective. Funders should support programs that include teen pregnancy prevention components.

5.        We need to continue dialogue with youth to seek their opinions about the programs, services and media messages that will help them most.

For information about the National Campaign to Prevent Teen Pregnancy, or the “With One Voice” survey, see www.teenpregnancy.org.

[ Up ]