Study shows unplanned pregnancy rates

When Ashley Melville went to the doctor's office in September, she planned to ask the physician about different types of birth control methods. She and her boyfriend of two years were engaging in sex regularly, and she hoped to prevent an unwanted pregnancy. After making her request, a nurse asked her to urinate in a cup so that as a precaution she could be tested for pregnancy. When the nurse returned with unexpected news, Melville couldn't believe the result. She was pregnant. At first, she was shocked, she said. She didn't believe she would get pregnant because her sexual relationship with her boyfriend had been going on for more than two years. Eventually, the shock gave way to nervousness about raising a baby and telling her parents and her boyfriend about the pregnancy. According to a study completed by Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University student Wendi Story, Melville is just one of the increasing number of college students who engage in sexual intercourse. Story's study suggests as many as 24 percent of college women have experienced an unplanned pregnancy. Most of these unplanned pregnancies were not a result of promiscuity, but occurred during a committed relationship. The study concludes that birth rates are highest among females between the ages of 20 and 24, and that the number of births to unmarried women is rising. Melville, 21, an ISU junior majoring in criminology and psychology, found out she was pregnant about two weeks before she turned 21. "I thought, 'What am I going to do? I have no money and still have to finish school'," Melville said. When she finally told her family about her pregnancy, they were excited, but her parents insisted that she finish school. Initially, one of Melville's biggest concerns about being pregnant was when she would have the baby. Her due date was April 15. "I was really worried that I'll go into labor during class or right before finals," she said. Melville talked to her teachers about her pregnancy early in the semester, and they were understanding, she said. They told her if she had to miss classes after the delivery, it was still her responsibility to talk with them and make arrangements to keep up with her work. Melville missed only one week of classes after her daughter's birth on April 7. Now she finds herself recovering from an emergency C-section, catching up on missed work and preparing for finals while taking care of a two-week old baby. Her family has been willing to help with babysitting so that Melville can finish her education and graduate in May 2009. Although both her family and her boyfriend's family are willing to take turns babysitting, she is worried that she might eventually have to miss class or work because no one will be able to watch the newborn. "It's been a rough couple of weeks," Melville said. "The baby has her days and nights mixed up, so I have had quite a few sleepless nights and I have class the next morning." Despite the obstacles she knows she'll face, Melville is pleased to be a young mother. But she realizes college women who face similar news don't always share her enthusiasm. Families and friends of college women who experience an unplanned pregnancy can assist their loved one by expressing emotional support and being cautious about the judgmental things they say about pregnancy and abortion, Story's study suggests. If that support isn't available, young mothers experience feelings of guilt, fear and a sense of isolation. Jolyn Guess understands some of those feelings. Life has been challenging and stressful for the 23-year-old, full-time student at St. Mary-of-the-Woods who has a 5-year-old daughter. Guess discovered she was pregnant during the November of her senior year in high school. She attended the ceremony with an obvious bump under her graduation gown. She was nervous about raising a child, especially at such a young age. The first few years were the hardest, she said. Her daughter's father was in and out of their lives and Guess had to depend on her family and friends to babysit while she worked. When her daughter turned 3 years old, Guess decided that in order to provide a good life for her child she would need a college degree. She has completed two years at Ivy Tech State College and is in her first year at St. Mary-of-the-Woods. She has three semesters to finish before she earns her bachelor's degree in paralegal studies. It has been difficult for this single mother to raise her child, go to school full time and work to support her family, but she doesn't regret it. In fact, she says it has made her more responsible. After five years of parenting she has some advice for soon to be or young mothers, like Melville. "Make sure you have a plan and make sure arrangements are made ahead of time," Guess said. "Don't overload yourself, especially after the baby is born. "You'll be tired all the time, (so) don't wear yourself out."

Educational News Service is a wire service of Indiana State University's journalism program that provides student-written, faculty-edited stories to Wabash Valley Newspapers.