Pregnancy prevention is a large, complex issue. It affects many different parts of society. There are financial implications and social costs. Components of effective pregnancy prevention efforts include abstinence, comprehensive sexuality education, contraception, increased condom use among sexually active teens, access to clinical services, funding, and implementing specific prevention programs like Be Proud, Be Responsible, or Reducing the Risk. From an advocacy perspective, each of these is a distinct issue.
Students can choose to advocate for one of the above issues, or brainstorm one of their own.
It's important to focus in on a particular issue because when you try to advocate for too many different things, efforts get diluted. One good way to help youth decide how they would like to focus their advocacy efforts is to hold an educational forum related to pregnancy prevention and then facilitate a brainstorming session so that they can decide which issues are a priority. Youth advocating with other youth is a great place to start in regards to pregnancy prevention efforts. There has been research citing the efficacy of peer education efforts, and from observation, it's clear that youth with enthusiasm and energy influence their peers. Therefore, we recommend that teens target peers, parents, and community members for education about pregnancy prevention.