Case #3: Teen Pregnancy

Teen pregnancy is when a woman younger than twenty years of age gets pregnant. Although the number of cases has dropped significantly, more than half-million young teens in the United States become pregnant (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention [CDC], 2021). Pregnant teenagers have difficulty coping with these new changes, which places them under much stress and risk for serious health conditions, such as gestational hypertension. Many contributing factors can increase the possibility of teen pregnancies, such as economic, education, and social status. Healthcare professionals should be aware of these factors and educate these individuals about preventative measures for teen pregnancies.

Health Assessment

Performing an accurate health assessment of the community can help healthcare professionals address different manners and develop a solution to the population’s health problems. There are several parameters that healthcare professionals should address when conducting community assessments concerning teen pregnancies. These parameters can include income, education, social support networks, and living environments.

Plan of Action for Teen Pregnancies

Preventative care and education are the first steps in addressing the situation. The Youth Risk Behavior Surveillance System has shown that one of the common health-risk behaviors among youth is sexual behaviors that have been linked to unintended pregnancies and STDs (Stanhope & Lancaster, 2017).  Teaching teenagers about safe sex practices, such as contraceptives and birth control pills, can help prevent these health problems. Schools should be able to provide classes to the students about sexual education. A healthcare professional should address contraceptive measures, safe sexual intercourse, and sexually transmitted conditions in these classes. These classes should be used for prevention, not to scare the students. If students are scared, they will feel intimidated to ask questions or seek help, risking their health. Many parents avoid talking to their children about this subject, so it is essential to provide parents with resources about the benefits of speaking to their children about safe sex practices and ways they can approach their children about the subject.

Family Developmental Stages, Structure, and Function

There are different stages in the family cycle, each contributing to a family developmental task. Each family structure and function is different based on the individual. As healthcare professionals, it is essential to address the family structures of our patients, as this can contribute to or hinder the care we give to our patients.

Here is a list of some of the family stages with their essential tasks (Stanhope & Lancaster, 2017):

· Married couple: Role development and establishing a relationship as a family begins.

· Childbearing families with infants: Family routines and rituals are developed. New parents learn new roles and maintain couple time and intimacy.

· Families with preschool children: Understanding growth and development for their child and discipline is established. Energy depletion is expected in this stage.

· Families with school-age children: Family boundaries are established as the child spends more time with others outside of the home.

· Families with adolescents: Teen increases autonomy, and the family adapts to new family communication changes.

· Families launching young adults: Families adapt to their new roles as young adults move in and out of the home.

· Middle-aged parents: Retirement and the future is addressed.

· Aging parents: Adjust to new living situations and death.

References

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (2021, November 15). About teen pregnancy. https://www.cdc.gov/teenpregnancy/about/index.htm

Stanhope, M., & Lancaster, J. (2017). Foundations for population health in community/public health nursing (5th ed.). Mosby.