School Based Assessment

English A

Theme : Teenage Pregnancy

Topic: How to Prevent Teenage Pregnancy

Candidate Name: Shaneilla Donegan

Candidate Number: 1000460433

Name of School: Happy Grove High

Centre Number: 100046

Name of Teacher: Mrs. Nickeisha Marson

Territory: Jamaica

Date of Submission: June 2021

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 Table of Content

Content Page

Plan Of Investigation 3

Artefacts for Reflection 4-8

Reflection 1 9

Reflection 2 10

Reflection 3 11

Group Artefacts 12-20

Written Report 21

Overview of Oral Presentation 22

References 23

Plan of Investigation
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The theme of my SBA is “Teenage Pregnancy” and my topic is “How to Prevent Teenage
Pregnancy” I decided to research this topic because several teenagers who are pregnant in my
community and are also school dropouts. I expect to enhance my summary writing skills and my
analytical skills. I can find information on the internet by viewing YouTube for videos and
presentations; newspapers for articles; and visiting the Women’s Centre for brochures and
pamphlets. I will mainly be researching, reading and listening to information and then recording
the information in summary format and also using my presentation skills for my Oral
Presentation.

Artefacts for Reflection

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 Artefact 1

https://jamaica-gleaner.com/article/news/20210324/womens-centre-nfpb-partner-reduce-teen-
pregnancy

The Women’s Centre of Jamaica Foundation (WCJF) is partnering with the National Family
Planning Board (NFPB) on its Teenage Pregnancy Prevention Campaign, dubbed ‘Live Life
Before You Give Life’.

The campaign is aimed at preventing pregnancy, especially second pregnancies in adolescent

girls.

WCJF executive director, Dr Zoe Simpson, said the WCJF is pleased to have been included in
the campaign, as it is very relevant to the work of the organisation.

“We are happy to be partnering with the NFPB with this campaign, because it fits snugly into the
work that we do to delay second pregnancies. Yes, we are concerned about the first pregnancies
also, but the second pregnancies, we recognise, will spike the rate of adolescent pregnancy in
Jamaica,” Simpson said.

She highlighted the WCJF’s success story regarding the prevention of second pregnancies, and
pointed out that the campaign will work in tandem with the measures to ensure success.

The executive director disclosed that the second-pregnancy rate at the WCJF has remained below
two per cent since its inception.

“This is primarily because we have included contraceptive counselling in the intervention and
the encouragement of the girls to use a contraceptive method correctly,” she explained.

Simpson, however, pointed out that this requires parental consent, which the foundation must get
prior to engaging the girls, as many in the cohort are under the age of 17.

“Because the girls are minors primarily, we have the conversation with the parents and we
receive the consent from the parents to have the conversation with their girls and the consent of

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the parents to introduce the girls to the use of a contraceptive method,” the WCJF head
explained.

She added that the girls, for the most part, recognise the worth of their education, and that it is
something that the WCJF encourages them to prioritise.

She also highlighted the fact that having a solid education is usually a deterrent and is helpful to
reduce the rate of adolescent pregnancy.

“So the girls prioritise their education, they return to school, and the research has shown us that
the girls who enrol in this programme of intervention delay having a second child until much
later in their lives,” Simpson said.

She added that the majority, approximately 70 per cent of them, complete their secondary
education, while pointing out that one of the factors that contribute to the second-time dropout of
the girls from high school would be a second pregnancy.

The WCJF head pointed out, however, that the foundation is not seeing this in their population
(graduates) “because we encourage the girls to use the long-term contraceptive methods and we
partner with the NFPB to receive the methods”.

Simpson added that the girls are also encouraged to go to health centres in their communities to
receive contraceptive methods in the youth-friendly spaces that are being promoted.

Another methodology that has been adopted by the WCJF in preventing second pregnancies is to
work with the young men who impregnate the girls.

“We also emphasise the fact that they, too, are an important part of the campaign to reduce
adolescent pregnancies. We encourage the young men, therefore, to advance their own person, to
advance their education and to become responsible parents, to take responsibility for their
sexuality and also to support the girls as much as they can in terms of delaying sexual intercourse
together inasmuch as they are friends,” she stated.

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Simpson said that over the many years, the WCJF has advocated for the girls to be brought into
the use of the long-term contraceptive method “because we can well appreciate that adolescents
are perhaps not given to using the pills that you have to take every day”.

One viable alternative, she states, is the Jadelle implant, which, once inserted, will work for an
extended period and the girls are likely to forget about it.

She said that the girls are also encouraged to become responsible in terms of following up with
their health centre appointments and ensuring that everything is in place, and that they are
protected if they are sexually active.

The executive director, however, pointed out that there are some girls who are not willing to use
a contraceptive method, and that at the WCJF their choices are respected.

She further noted that inasmuch as it is commonly believed that abstinence is not a reliable
method, “we have found that it is for a significant percentage of the population, who recognise
the consideration that abstinence also makes sense, so if a girl doesn’t want to use a method, she
has that right, and we respect that right”.

“We really don’t want any of the girls to have a second pregnancy any time soon. We, therefore,
hold hands with the NFPB and walk together to encourage the girls to live their lives before they
give a life,” she said.

Meanwhile, behaviour change communication coordinator at the National Family Planning

Board, Marion Waysome-McIntyre, explained that the NFPB/WCJF mass media campaign,
titled ‘Live Life before you Give Life’, was recently launched.

The campaign has developed a large amount of educational materials, which include flyers,
posters, social media, and infographics. Sexual and reproductive health services, which include
condoms and Jadelle contraceptive implants, have also been provided at various sites in 12
parishes across the island.

Intrauterine Devices (IUD) and Depo-Provera injections are also among the options for teens.

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 Artefact 2

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b_LNNqSibFw

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 Artefact 3

https://www.google.com/imgres?imgurl=https://www.cdc.gov/vitalsigns/larc/images/
infographic-B_570px.jpg&imgrefurl=https://www.cdc.gov/vitalsigns/larc/
index.html&docid=dIZ6zDLXo2Ge_M&tbnid=UTF1pHderUn_gM&vet=1&w=570&h=422&so
urce=sh/x/im

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 Reflection 1

My first artefact entitled ‘Teenage Pregnancy Prevention Campaigns’ says teenagers need
guidance and authority and both boys and girls should be educated about what happens to their
bodies during puberty. They also advise them to practice sexual abstinence. I think greater efforts
should be placed on campaigns that educate and support teenagers to engage in avoidable
practices that prevent pregnancy.

My second artefact ‘Preventing Teen Pregnancy’ says pregnancy can be prevented by implant,
IUD, pills and male condoms. To which I agree that sexually active teens should consider these
options. I would share this information with teens in my community.

My third artefact published by ‘The Women Centre of Jamaica Foundation’ focuses on

prevention of second pregnancies. They have successful intervention programs such as
contraceptive counselling and continuing education.
I agree with these measures because they are for their protection.
More programs should be designed for teen moms to be overcomers and achieve success.

Reflection 2
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My first artefact by Women’s Centre, “we” mentioned several times is inclusive language which
was used by the author to ensure that all members of the institution were concluded. Statistics
were used to highlight the pregnancy rate at the WCJF institution and the number of girls under
the age of 17 that were included in contraceptive counselling. It was also used to state the
percentage of children who have completed secondary education. The use of authority from a
major organization provided the article with  exclusivity and evidence about Teenage Pregnancy.
The use of research give the article validity and the use of formal language provided
professionalism.            
My second artefact ‘Preventing Teen Pregnancy’ used CAPS letters as signals to the audience.
They help the reader to identify important words and official titles, Bullets points were used to
list important details, Pictures were used to give an illustration, Statistics, and formal language in
Standard English were also used to show approximation and to provide a sense of
professionalism.
My third artefact entitled ‘Teenage Pregnancy Campaigns’ uses statistics and examples to show
the rate of how fast Teenage Pregnancy rises. Formal language was used to provide a less casual
impact.

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 Reflection 3

With the completion of this School Based Assessment I have gained more insights; the
ability to understand ideas and the ability to solve problems. I have also enhanced my
summary writing skills and my analytical skills; learn how to recognize and verify
information.

Artefacts for Written Report

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 Artefact 1

https://mckoysnews.com/three-main-causes-of-teenage-pregnancies/

Three Main Causes of Teenage Pregnancies – Ackeem Smith

 May 19, 2017
Teenage Pregnancies are regular occurrences among our girls in our global society. Furthermore,
it is important to note that nearly all teen pregnancies are unintended.

The United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) defines Teenage pregnancy as a teenage girl,
between the ages of 13-19, becoming pregnant. The term in everyday speech usually refers to
girls who have not yet reached legal adulthood, which varies across the world, who become
pregnant

Pregnant teenagers are faced with the same pregnancy-related issues as other women. However,
there are further concerns raised for those under 15 years of age, as they are less likely to be
physically developed to sustain a healthy pregnancy or perhaps to give birth. For girls aged 15-
19, risks are associated more with social issues than the effects of age, according to the United
Nations Children’s Fund.

There are three main factors that contribute to females under twenty becoming pregnant:
1. Lack of Knowledge on safe sex
2. Peer Pressure
3.  Absent Parents
Lack of knowledge on safe sex

Sometimes teenagers may not have the knowledge required to make informed and responsible
decisions of whether they should be sexually active or not. Therefore, those teenagers who are
uninstructed about safe sex are more likely to have an unintended pregnancy, because of
ignorance. Moreover, some teens may not fully understand the emotional and biological aspects
of sexual relations, as a result of this, the information that is relayed to them through videos,
movies or friends may be incorrect, but out of innocence and ignorance, they opt to be engaged.

Peer Pressure

Secondly, direct or indirect peer pressure is another cause of teenage pregnancies. During
adolescence, teenagers may often feel internal pressure to do the things that their peers are doing
just to be ‘recognized’ and not rejected or ridiculed. Many times teens allow their friends to
influence their decision to have sex even though they are not fully educated about the

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consequences of the act. They have sex to be seen as adults or appear sophisticated, but the end
result is a young girl hanging from a tree and a teenage boy on the run. It is just a sad reality.

Absent Parents

Finally, the absence of the parents is another cause of teenage pregnancies. Parents play an
integral and exceptional role as it relates to the development and enforcement of ethical values.
A break down in the family can affect the proper guidance and support of a teenager. Teen girls
are more likely to get pregnant if they have limited guidance from their parents. Many parents
have busy lives that prevent them from providing guidance that their young teenagers need to
make good decisions on issues as sex, according to the website Parent Dish. When teens find it
fearful to talk to their parents about sex, because they will be shunned or they are absent, they
will turn to friends and have conversations in search of information, resulting in misinformation
and possible teen pregnancy.

In concluding, teenage pregnancy is evident in our global society. Teen girls and teen boys
should be properly monitored and cared for in the society. Teenagers should be well
knowledgeable of sex and parents should not fail to relay information essential for their
development. Having relayed the information, teenagers will more be able to make informed and
responsible decisions so as to mitigate the teenage pregnancy rate in our global society.

Teenagers should make wise decisions for their life, for the choices they make today will affect
their future.

About the Author: 

Ackeem Smith is a 19-years-old student at the William Knibb High School, he is currently in the
upper sixth form. He aspires to be a lawyer, a politician and the prospective Prime Minister of
Jamaica.

Read his full biography. 

Artefact 2

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Teenage Pregnancy: Causes, Effects and Preventive Measures

Teenage Pregnancy:

 Teenage pregnancy is a pregnancy that occurs in teen girls between the ages of 13-
19 years.
 Although precisely not a teenager, a young girl 12 or under who is pregnant also
fall into this definition of teenage pregnancy.
 According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), 194,377
babies were born in 2017 to 15 to 19 year-olds.
 Teenage pregnancy is also widely known as adolescent pregnancy.
 According to the U.S. Department of Health & Human Services in 2014, about 77
percent of the pregnancies were unplanned.
 Teenage pregnancy can risk the health of teen mom and even of the child with an
adverse effects on health.

Global Facts on Teenage Pregnancy:

 Almost 16 million girls aged 15 to 19 years and 2.5 million girls under 16 years
give birth each year in developing regions (UNFPA, 2015)
 Complications during pregnancy and childbirth are the leading cause of death for
15 to 19- year-old girls globally (World Health Organization, 2015)
 Every year, some 3.9 million girls aged 15 to 19 years undergo unsafe abortions
(Guttmacher institute, 2016)
 Adolescent mothers (ages 10 to 19 years) face higher risks of eclampsia, puerperal
endometritis, and systemic infections than women aged 20 to 24 years do.
 Twenty-three million girls aged 15 to 19 years in developing regions have an unmet need
for modern contraception. As a result, half of the pregnancies among girls aged 15 to 19
years in developing regions are estimated to be unintended (Guttmacher institute, 2016)
 Adolescent pregnancy remains a major contributor to maternal and child mortality, and to
intergenerational cycles of ill health and poverty.
 Every day, 20,000 girls below age 18 give birth in developing countries.
 Nine in 10 of these births occur within a marriage or a union highlighting the scourge of
child marriage.
 According to UNFPA, out of 500 million adolescent girls in the developing world, more
than 3 million of them aged 10 to 19 live in Nepal.
Why Do These Early Pregnancies Occur?
 According to World Health Organization (WHO), some girls/women get pregnant
because they are unable to refuse unwanted sex or to resist forced or coerced sex.
 Others do so because they do not know how to avoid a pregnancy or are unable to
obtain contraceptives, including emergency contraception.

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  Still, others get pregnant because their pregnancy is wanted by themselves or by
influential people around them.

Main Causes/Factors Contributing to Teenage Pregnancy:

 Lack of parental care

 Lack of formal and informal education
 Lack of sex education
 Insufficient communication and supervision by parents.
 Poverty
 Peer pressure
 Low educational level
 Negative family interactions
 Single parent families
 Sexual abuse or Rape
 Substance abuse
 Socio-economic status
 Family history of teenage pregnancies
 Forced marriage
 Child marriage
 Lack of school fees
 Desire for children
 Insufficient knowledge of contraceptive devices
 High social and economic costs of teen pregnancy and childbearing can have short and
long-term negative consequences for teen parents, their children, and their community.
 High risk of Low Birth Weight (LBW) child
 High chances of premature infants
 Anemia
 Pre-eclampsia
 High risk of Infant mortality
 Drop out of school
 Lower school accomplishment
 Unemployment/ underemployment as a young adult
 Lack of proper emotional support and cognitive stimulation by the children who are born
to teen mothers.
 Behavioral problems and chronic medical conditions of the children
 Higher chances of foster care settlement of the children.
 Teen mom goes through various mental stress due to unplanned pregnancy such as:

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  Sleepless nights
 Insomnia
 High chances of postpartum depression
 Baby blues: Woman experiences symptoms like mood swings,
anxiety, sadness, overwhelm, difficulty concentrating, trouble eating,
and difficulty sleeping for one to two weeks after giving birth which
collectively known as ‘Baby Blues’.

More chances to experience posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) that includes more severe and
significant symptoms than baby blues. Likewise, the teen mom can have additional symptoms of
postpartum depression like-

 Difficulty bonding with baby

 Overwhelming fatigue
 Feeling of worthless
 Anxiety
 Panic attacks
 Thinking of harming own self or the baby
 Difficulty in enjoying activities

Mitigation Measures for Preventing Teenage Pregnancy:

1. Abstinence

 Self-restraint from sexual activity at early age is the best way to prevent teenage
pregnancy.

2. Contraceptives

 Using contraceptive devices or emergency pills during a sexual intercourse helps in

preventing teenage pregnancy and early parenthood.

2. Communication

 Active and positive interaction between child-parent regarding sex education or

difficulties may prove beneficial to step down the barriers of early pregnancy.

3. Provision sex education in higher secondary schools along with the

consequences.
 Targeting messages at teen boys, not just at the girls.
 Increasing the availability of condoms to teens.
 Encourage mentoring by older teens to younger teens regarding teenage pregnancy
and consequences.

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5. Organizing community-based programs on teenage pregnancy and adverse effects.

6. Schools should provide adolescent-friendly health services along with counseling.

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 Artefacts 3

December 5, 2011
Educational Failure: Pregnancies to skip school

Low quality educational systems could be increasing adolescent pregnancies

It is common to blame pregnancies for school desertions. However, a new study by the Inter-
American Development Bank (IDB) suggests that some adolescents in Latin America and the
Caribbean are looking to get pregnant to skip school because they don’t perceive that completion
of their education will contribute to an improved life outcome.

Contradicting conventional wisdom, the study “Educational Failure: Pregnancies to Skip School”
has found that low quality education system, in addition to a lack of educational and emotional
stimuli to continue studying, have made pregnancy a deliberate choice for some young women.
Accidental pregnancies are not the main cause of school desertions.

The aim of the study, carried out in Peru and Paraguay, was to interpret quantitative data that
shows that adolescent mothers have less education than other women, and that the relationship
between teenage pregnancy and levels of education appears to be stronger in Latin America than
in other parts of the world.

This is the first time a study has sought to understand the causes behind school desertion among
Latin American teens who become pregnant, based on interviews with the teens themselves.

According to the report, in many cases pregnancies are actually sought rather than actively
prevented. Students who are performing poorly in school find pregnancy to be a good excuse to
quit school. The study also indicates that in many cases young women choose not to use
contraceptives because getting pregnant is a way of adding meaning to their lives.

”Educational Failure: Pregnancies to Skip School” asserts that young women who leave
school immediately after finding out they are pregnant are students who already were performing
poorly and are a number of years from completing their secondary studies. It is less common for
a student who is performing well to abandon her studies when a pregnancy occurs.

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Emma Naslund-Hadley, an IDB education specialist and leader of the study, states that “many
adolescent women are in a situation of such complex disadvantage that to them a precocious
pregnancy will accelerate their life path rather than alter it. Policy makers, educators, and parents
have the responsibility to teach values and aspirations that will help adolescents develop life
goals that go beyond replicating the socio-economic deprivations of their parents.”

According to data collected by the IDB in six countries (Bolivia, Haiti, Colombia, Nicaragua,
Peru, and Dominican Republic) the relation between adolescent pregnancies and educational
levels is stronger in Latin America than in other regions.

A majority of teenage mothers do not attend school despite having attended in the past: between
67 and 89 percent of teen mothers abandon school compared to 14 to 35 percent of women who
do not have babies during their teens. Likewise, the proportion of women who complete at least
the compulsory level of education before leaving school is lower among teenage mothers:
between 32 and 55 percent do so compared with 55 to 62 percent of women who do not give
birth in their teens.

Women who had their first baby in their teens, have a two to three- year school deficiency when
compared to other women and are 14 times more likely to leave the school system than other
women. This is very worrisome considering that, according to the Ibero-American Youth
Organization (OIJ by its Spanish acronym), the pregnancy rate amongs adolescents in Latin
America is 80 per thousand or 50 percent higher than the global average.

In addition, according to OIJ, Latin America is the only region in the world whose adolescents
have experienced a fecundity increase in the last 30 years.

The qualitative study collected information through interviews donein Pery andParaguayin an
effort to discover, among other things, the motivations that led to certain decisions and behaviors
and to interpret the correlation between pregnancies and education. The study was carried out in
Lima and Asunción, where 118 women were interviewed, 80 of them were between the ages of
23 and 33. Thirty-eight had given birth to their first baby during their adolescence and 42 of
them became mothers later. The study also included 26 adolescent pregnant women, and 12 of
their mothers.

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The study was qualitative in nature, and representativeness was not sought.

According to the report, the group of mothers who were interviewed had low aspirations for their
future and did not believe they had the power to transform their existence through education.
From this qualitative data, it was concluded that some teens would be looking to get pregnant to
avoid goingto school. Their expectations of having a life different from that of their parents were
small or nonexistent. Therefore, in their view, a pregnancy would not dramatically alter their life
path, but just accelerate it.

What can be done?

If pregnancies are being sought and not actively avoided, the study maintains that policies
seeking to reduce the rate of adolescent pregnancies need to do more than simply inform and
give access to contraceptives.

Schools play a vital role in the socialization of the next generation, and educational systems need
to assume the task of both directing and evaluating programs that aim to reduce teenage
pregnancies. “In addition, they should impart values and aspirations that help young women to
develop life goals. For teenagers who become pregnant and give birth, schools must provide the
support they need to continue their education, including tutoring, mentoring care, flexible hours,
and childcare,” says Naslund-Hadley.

Written Report

For our School Based Assessment (SBA) to be completed successfully under the theme
“Teenage Pregnancy” my group of four participants came together and shared similar interests
to complete the School Based Assessment (SBA) effectively. In selecting our topic there were

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disagreements, however we came to the conclusion to select this topic because this is an issue
that affects mainly all teenagers. All the team members then choose their individual topic that
they wanted to gain more information about or learn more about based on the theme Teenage
Pregnancy. We battled through completing our portfolio to the best of our abilities. We were able
to select the most suitable pieces of artefacts to answer our research questions
1.Why are teenagers mostly affected by Teenage Pregnancy?
The three most suitable pieces that we choose to answer the research question was three online
articles. In order for the group to effectively analyze the three pieces we used the very helpful
English guide ‘The Ultimate S.O.A.P.S.Tone’ . We sighted the purpose for the targeted audience,
found the appropriate tone and compare the pieces. These pieces were selected because they
answer the research question perfectly. The difficulties that were faced with group members was
that most of us didn’t seemed interesting in completing the work, but this was resolved by calling
a group meeting and we discussed the importance of the SBA, and everybody started to
cooperate in completing the work.
In studying these pieces to find an answer to our research question we found out that there are
multiple ways that teenagers are affected by teenage pregnancy, it explained in (Teenage
Pregnancy. Causes, Effect and Preventative Measures, September 20, 2019 that girls who get
pregnant because they are unable to refuse unwanted sex or resist forced or coerced , and they
have a lack of sex education. Next we move to our other artefact ‘Education Failure’:
Pregnancies to skip school, December 5, 2011. This article states that low quality education
educational systems could be increasing teen pregnancies. We found out that teenagers in the
Caribbean are looking to get to skip school because they don’t perceive that completion of their
education will contribute to an improved life outcome. Lack of education and emotional stimuli
to continue studying , have made pregnancy a deliberate choice fir some young girls. The fact is
that students who are performing poorly in school find pregnancy to be a good excuse to quit
school. Our third and final artefact ‘Three Main Causes of Teenage Pregnancy, May 19, 2017’ it
speaks about peer pressure being one of the main effect of a teen becoming pregnant, teenagers
may often feel internal pressure to do the things that peers to be ‘recognized’ and not rejected or
ridiculed and so these often times end up getting pregnant. The pieces impacted us in many
different ways; one group member said “ it help me to have a better understanding about teenage
pregnancy and the consequences it brings”, another said “ it helped me to understand and see life
of a teen from a different perspective, it helps me to behave and understand their situations
without criticizing”, another said “it helps me to improve my summary writing skills and
research skills”.
The new things that we all learned is that most teens get pregnant on purpose to avoid school.
Team effort is a good thing because we get to listen to other persons point of view and are also
able to communicate with each other and to learn new things from each other. Working with
other people may be difficult at times but it is worth it in the end.
Overview of Oral Presentation

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References

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https://www.spotlightnepal.com/2013/11/10/teenage-pregnancies-growing-challenge/

https://www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/adolescent-pregnancy

https://americanpregnancy.org/unplanned-pregnancy/teenage-pregnancy/

https://www.researchgate.net/publication/
234160186_Factors_contributing_to_teenage_pregnancy_in_the_Capricorn_District_of_the_Limpopo_
Province

http://www.southsudanmedicaljournal.com/archive/may-2016/factors-contributing-to-and-effects-of-
teenage-pregnancy-in-juba.html

https://www.verywellfamily.com/teen-pregnancy-risk-factors-2611269

https://www.livestrong.com/article/146681-what-are-the-causes-of-teenage-pregnancy/

https://thinkprogress.org/5-simple-strategies-to-reduce-teen-pregnancies-that-worked-in-this-rural-
south-carolina-town-c5b92e670bc0/

https://www.healthline.com/health/pregnancy/teenage-pregnancy-effects#other-factors

https://youth.gov/youth-topics/pregnancy-prevention/adverse-effects-teen-pregnancy

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