There are many methods that can be used to prevent teen pregnancies and significantly reduce the birth rate. Doctors and parents play a key role in preventing teenage pregnancies. As adolescent birth rates increase, adolescent girls must have access to prevention measures for them to be effective. With permission from a guardian to take preventative actions, children can prevent themselves from becoming parents at such a young age. Parents should properly educate their child on the subject of sex and communicate with them daily to determine if other methods should be considered. The most common and effective type of prevention is the use of contraceptives. Teenagers need to learn about these contraceptives to avoid pregnancy and that's where sex education comes in. With greater knowledge of contraceptive methods and other ways to prevent pregnancy, many adolescent girls can take precautions to avoid getting pregnant. Pregnancy rates are high, which has led to the invention of pregnancy prevention programs. These programs are designed to communicate at the adolescent level to help them better understand the consequences of sexual intercourse. According to Henderson et al., “Adolescents who have difficulty imagining themselves as parents may not view an unplanned pregnancy as a potential consequence of unprotected sex; nor can they perceive an unplanned pregnancy as a negative event. Several studies have demonstrated that adolescents often underestimate the demands of parenting and tend to perceive minimal negative social consequences associated with teenage pregnancy. Hacker, Amare, Strunk, and Horst (2000) found that more than a third of the female students in their study believed that education was about...... middle of paper ...... "Models d Contraceptive Use Across Adolescent Sex: The Role of Relationships, Partners, and Sexual Histories” Demography 44.3 (2007): 603-621. Internet Academic Research. . and Kathryn D. Lafrenière. “Baby, Think About It: Using Role Play to Prevent Teenage Pregnancy.” . et al. "Explaining the recent decline in adolescent pregnancy in the United States: the contribution of abstinence and improved contraceptive use." 156. Academic Research Completed. Internet. March 16, 2014. Saunder, Jeanne A. “Adolescent Pregnancy Prevention Programs: Theoretical Models for Effective Program Development.” American Journal of Sex Education 1.1 (2005): 63-84. Academic research completed. Internet. March 14. 2014.