Lifeline Pregnancy help clinic

Teen Pregnancy has become a big problem in America.  There are so many tough issues surrounding the problem of teen pregnancy.  Teen pregnancy is a problem because teenagers are too young to take care of a child adequately.  They are usually unmarried and have no mate to help them take care of the child.  Sometimes, if the teen does take the child to term, her parents have a large role in helping to raise the child.  There is some good news however because teen pregnancy rates have been declining since 2009.  In dealing with teen pregnancy, health educators seek to prevent teen pregnancy, while also offering support to those who have already become pregnant.  

Teen Pregnancy prevention is important because of the effect teen pregnancy has on society.  It puts an incredible amount of stress on girls who are unable to take care of a baby.  That’s not the only problem.  In view of the nation’s present economic stress, teen pregnancy costs the United States about 7 billion dollars every year.    The two major forms of pregnancy prevention are abstinence and contraception.  Abstinence is the surest way to avoid teen pregnancy as contraceptives can occasionally fail.  Abstinence can be difficult for teenage girls because of social pressure to fit in with their society as well as their own natural desires urging them toward sexual activity.  Even though abstinence can be a difficult, it is still the best form of prevention.  Because teenagers lack self-control, it is important that health educators teach about the proper use of contraceptives in order to prevent teen pregnancies.  

The statistics on teen pregnancy seem to be getting better, although there is still a lot of work to be done.  Every year about 2 million women lose their baby before it is born.  These babies die because of miscarriages, complicated pregnancies, abortions, and still births.  Every year there are about 6 million pregnancies, so that means that about 30% of babies do not end up having a live birth. 

The next thing that health educators seek to do is to offer support to those pregnant mothers in need.  There are various pregnancy centers in communities whose mission is to help teen mothers.  In Kirksville, the pregnancy center is called Lifeline pregnancy center.  Lifeline offers many different services in order to help women in need.  These services include ultrasounds, pregnancy tests, counseling, educational classes, service referrals, baby supplies, clothes, spiritual support, and awareness events.  These are all free of charge and are a necessity for women who feel helpless and trapped.  Lifeline seeks to support women by listening to them and showing them compassion.  They seek to provide information to pregnant teens in order to help them make an informed decision.  They do not pass judgment on the teenage girls nor do they force them into making a decision about the life of their baby.  The best thing that lifeline can do is show love to those who come to them in need.  They also seek to offer parenting advice so that the teen mother does not feel completely lost if she chooses to raise the child herself.  The mission of Lifeline Pregnancy Center is essential to the community of Kirksville as well as to those girls who utilize their services.

 

Lifeline also seeks to provide information regarding abortions to those women in need because many people do not have all the facts.  Lifeline describes many of the various types of abortion procedures in detail because most women do not have an adequate knowledge of how abortion actually works.  Lifeline describes the pill which kills the embryo and then causes the body to expel it.  Another type of abortion is manual vacuum aspiration.  This procedure involves using a long thin needle with a suction attached to it causing the embryo to be sucked out.  Suction Curettage is the most common abortion procedure.  In this procedure, the doctor uses metal rods to pry open the cervix and then puts a suction tube into the uterus and sucks the fetus’s body apart.  The doctor then uses a curette to scrape the uterus so that there are no fetal remains left in the uterus after the procedure.  Another procedure is called dilation and evacuation.  In this procedure, a couple days before the abortion, the doctor uses many thin rods of seaweed to open the cervix, he then takes forceps and pulls the fetus’s body out.  The skull of the fetus is smashed in this procedure to make it easier to remove the rest of the body.  After the procedure, the doctor uses a curette to scrape the rest of the parts out.  The final procedure is called dilation and extraction but is more popularly known as partial birth abortion.  In this procedure, the doctor again uses the rods of seaweed to open the cervix a couple of days early.  Then the doctor uses forceps to grasp the fetus by its legs.  The doctor then delivers the fetus until everything is exposed except for its head.  Then the physician cuts open a hole at the base of the skull.  A suction tube is placed in the hole and the brain is sucked out.  This causes the skull to collapse down making it easier to extract the rest of the fetus.  These abortion descriptions are accurate, and lifeline hopes that they may discourage women from rushing into abortions.  Lifeline fights for a noble cause to help women in their struggles with pregnancy.  Lifeline is a beacon of hope to the pregnant teens around Kirksville.

Works Cited

"Abortion Education." Lifeline Pregancy Center. 13 Sep. 2011. <http://lifelineprc.com/abortion.html >.

"Home." Lifeline Pregnancy Center. 13 Sep. 2011. <. http://lifelineprc.com/index.html>.

"Statistics." American Pregnancy Association. 13 Sep. 2011. http://www.americanpregnancy.org/main/statistics.html.

"Teen Pregnancy Stats, Facts and Prevention." Family First Aid. 13 Sep. 2011. <http://www.familyfirstaid.org/teen-pregnancy.html>.

 Alexander Boerckel

Adair Residents need to go to the Y! They need to take advantage of this great opportunity!

Over the past few years of living among the residents, I've realized that their quality of life is so much different than my hometown. Adair County is located in the rural area of northeast Missouri. As of 2010, it is home to 25,607 residents, all scattered among four cities and two villages. Over half of this population is made up of adult citizens. Many of these adult residents do not live within the towns and can be somewhat secluded from the rest of the community due to the necessity of commuting to reach the more populated areas of the county. When community members were asked, “What brings everyone together?” the majority of the responses are essentially, “Meetings, events, errands, and work.” A major element of a good quality of life is social wellness. The children citizens in the Adair community have the opportunity to socialize through school and after-school programs, in addition to having more free time than their parents. Adults tend to forget about the importance of socialization and label it as a lower priority, especially in this area, where farmlands and wide open spaces are the norm. Human beings need to interact with each other and the Adair County community offers a variety of ways to do just that, I just don't think the adult community is taking advantage of it as much as they should.

Some elements of a good quality of life is good physical and mental health. According to MICA and the Prioritization of Selected Risk Factors in Adair County, the number one risk factor for adults is “Obesity.” The number two risk factor in adults is “No Exercise.”, and the number three risk factor is “Mother Overweight”. According to OSEDA’s “Summary of Social and Economic Indicators for Adair County,” over 24.9% of Adair County residents reported their health was “fair or poor” compared to 16.9% statewide reports. OSEDA’s studied also showed that high blood pressure and cholesterol were also prevalent among Adair County residents, which can be a possible result of inactivity. Lack of physical activity is a risk factor that can be minimized and eliminated in a number of simple ways.  

Since adults can sometime have difficulty making time for themselves and their well being, they need to find ways to combine the different elements of good health and well being. Socialization and physical fitness are both aspects of life that the Adair County YMCA attempts to enhance in the Adair County community. As stated above, they try to achieve this by offering activities and programs to all ages of the community. The great thing about the adult programs offered is that, like the Adair County YMCA itself, it’s tailored to the community’s desires. All adult programs are either the same price, member or non-member, $2 more for non-members, or FREE! With these options, community members don’t have to commit to a membership at the YMCA, and they can still participate in activities that keeps them fit, active, and social.  Also, while the activities do consist of sports such as basketball, soccer, and volleyball, there are less intense programs such as yoga in the mornings (once the kids are dropped off at school) for those who just want to enhance their piece of mind. There are also programs that are simply opportunities to adults in the community to socialize and get to know each other better, such as coffee talks and dinners. A new round of programs start every fall, winter, and spring, which gives adults a chance to participate in such activities almost year round. 

The adult citizens in Adair County need to embrace their health and enhance their lives. The YMCA provides excellent programs to allow its community members to do just that. Many of the children, young adult, and senior citizen programs are being taken advantage of, but the adult programs are lacking in participation. Adults need to realize what a great opportunity they have sitting right in front of them and take it! They need to drive, walk, bike, or call the Adair County Family YMCA and, not necessarily buy a membership, but join one of the programs, get active, get involved, and get healthy!