Tukea Teini Raskaus

The title for my project means Support teen pregnancy. The purpose of this MDG's action project was to choose an indicator that focuses on Millennium Development Goal. I chose target 5 which is to improve maternal health-women caring for children. The topic I chose was pregnancy care before and after a baby is born to a teenage mother. I had to pick a country who has a better example than the United States. I chose to compare Finland to the United States because their teenage pregnancy rate is 9.1%. The United States pregnancy rate is 29.4%. What I learned in this action project was that the United States has the highest teenage pregnancy rate out of many other developed countries. A challenge that I faced during this action project was finding sources. How I overcame this challenge was by doing a lot of research for my statistic. What I most enjoyed about this project was learning more about another country. The one thing I am most proud of is my graph. I think I represented my data in a unique way.

                                         Photography JV Bottle percentages 2013*

The Honorable Mark Kirk

230 South Dearborn

Suite 3900

Chicago,IL 60604


Dear Senator Kirk,

I am JV and I attend Global Citizenship Experience High School in Chicago. I’m writing to you to ask for your support for pregnancy care before and after a baby is born to a teenage mother in the United States. As a high school student studying maternal health, I want to draw your attention because the United States has the highest teenage pregnancy rate out of many other developed countries.

The United States current data for teenage pregnancy is 29.4%. Births for every 1,000 females 15-19 in this age group give birth to 305,420 babies each year. In 2011 the rate for teenage pregnancy was 31.3% for every 1,000 females. The rate dropped 6% which lead to 29.4%. About 82% of teenage pregnancy is unwanted with this rate for teenage pregnancy young girls get lower educational levels, higher rates of poverty, and poorer life outcomes. (Hamilton, 2010) Teenage mothers end up being on welfare with a low pay job or no job at all living on family support.

For this issues I did some research and came across Finland. I choose Finland to compare with the United States because I think Finland is doing a amazing Job with controlling teenage pregnancy. Finland's rate for teenage pregnancy is 9.1% for every 1,000 female in Finland. (A Nation’s Gift) Finland's teenage pregnancy rate is really low and I think as a country they really care about teenage education. In Finland schools they demand sex education for ages 12-19. I think that is one reason why their rate is low. I think that the U.S. gives sex education too late. Finland teaches young girls and boys about sex education and what could happen. I think by teaching at a young age about pregnancy and STD’s can really influence them not to have sex. Finland also cares about teenage mothers and expecting mothers by giving out baby boxes. The boxes Finland gives out is filled with baby clothes, bottles, wipes, and all baby essentials. Finland government office offers the baby box or 140-euro, the mothers choice.

The graph above shows the percentages for teenage pregnancy In United States and Finland. Each bottle shows the percentages in milk. The left bottle shows the United States teenage pregnancy rate which is 29.4%. ( Hamilton,2010). The right hand bottle shows Finland's teenage pregnancy rate which is 9.1%. (Hamilton 2010). On each side of the bottles are labels showing various statistic: births for every 1,000 females, age groups that get pregnant, and the number of babies that are born each year from a teenage girl.

My desired outcome is to see teenage pregnancy rate drop in the United States. This high rate for teenage pregnancy in our country makes the United States look like they do not care about teenage education. As a teenage girl I would like girls my age to have the same education that I’m getting. I will also like to see the United States help teenage mothers with the example of the baby boxes. I think that would really help teenage mothers especially mothers who can not afford to buy baby essentials. I think if Finland can send out baby boxes and they are a small country the United states can too. 

Thank you,

JV

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• "Teen births rates". thenationalcampaign.org. Martin, J.A. Hamilton, B.E. Web 2010. September 26, 2013.

• "U.S teenage birth rate at a new low,government report show". .reuterscom . Lisa Maria Garza. September 6, 2013. Web. September 30, 2013.

• "Finland’s Baby Boxes Expectant Mothers": A Nation’s Gift.

           apartmenttherapy.com. N.P. N.D. Web. September 26, 2013.