Who Will Listen? Rural Teen Pregnancy Reflections

Nurse practitioners, especially those who work with adolescents in rural communities, are often frustrated in their efforts to discourage teen pregnancy. Though the rates of teen pregnancy rates are higher in rural communities, barriers often inhibit open conversations about prevention. Rural high school students were asked to discuss the question, “Is teen pregnancy a problem in our community?” The participants acknowledged pregnancy and sexual activity prevalence and discussed consequences, causes, and prevention strategies. These findings could help decrease the resistance that providers often face when initiating conversations with teens and their parents about sexual issues, especially pregnancy consequences and prevention methods.