Have you or someone you know been affected by teen or unplanned pregnancy? May 7, 2009, President Obama proposed approximately $164 million for a new teen pregnancy prevention initiative. This drive provides grants for evidence-based programs, research and evaluation.  According to Sarah Brown, CEO of The National Campaign to Prevent Teen and Unplanned Pregnancy, during an economic downturn and at a time when the teen birth rate is on the rise after 14 straight years of decline, it is particularly important that public dollars be devoted to those interventions that have evidence of success.

“This plan is allocating government money toward researching and finding innovative solutions for a national problem that has been occurring for years,” junior social work major Liz DiLeonardi said.

“Today’s young people are completely different from those of the past, and new methods must be found that effectively reach out to this population.” Abstinence-only programming will take up to 25 percent of the budget. The main goal of these programs is to encourage students not to have sex and does not talk about contraception, except to indicate its failings. However, plans like this one have proven ineffective in many cases.

According to the Wall Street Journal, it is unrealistic to believe that teens will not have sex and that programs need to teach that abstinence is the best choice, but contraception is needed if they do choose to engage in sexual activity.

“We have to look at all sides of this issue and certainly cannot just focus on abstinence-only sex education,” professor of social work Dr. Margaret McFarland said. “These programs have been successful with delaying first sexual experiences, but we still need to increase contraceptive use to reduce teen pregnancy.”

The Obama administration is funding a research project through Masterpiece Marketing, an independent research firm located in Lancaster, Pa. This undertaking looks into the journey that a young woman may take when she finds out she is unexpectedly pregnant for the purpose of being able to help others who might face this same situation in the future. The research project looks at demographics such as age, race, pregnancy outcome and location of residence. The project tries to determine the most common thoughts and fears individuals experience when seeking help during this time in their lives.

According to Masterpiece Marketing’s press release Oct. 6, 2009, entitled “President Obama’s Call Addresses When Local Research Project Asks: Has An Unexpected Pregnancy Changed Your Life?,” it also analyzes other circumstances, including what resources are consulted for advice or information, such as friends, family, counseling services or even the Internet. Also important is the role the father plays in making decisions about the pregnancy.

In the Masterpiece Marketing survey, questions concerning the father figure focus around the relationship the mother had with him before the pregnancy and the role the father has in the decision-making – if he helped with the decision, if he had no input or if the decision was made against the father – and whether or not the father will be helping to raise the child.

“Obama’s focus on the issue of the absent father is important because we know how much impact fathers have in the lives of their children,” McFarland said. “The teen mothers and their families often carry the responsibility of raising the children without the benefit of a father figure. We need to focus more on the male’s role in this issue of teen pregnancy.”

If you are or have been affected by this in the past 10 years and would like to participate in this secure, confidential survey or would like more information call the Masterpiece Research phone line at (717) 735-3957, ext. 2, or visit the Web site at .