With nearly 420,000 people living in the Berks County area (https://www.census.gov), an estimated 36 per 1,000 teens will become pregnant (https://bccf.org). This rate is even higher in major cities such as Reading, with as much as two thirds of the overall contribution to the statistics coming from the city.Knowing this, it is only expected that the numbers will rise. It is up to us, the people of Berks County, to educate the youth of the county about the risks of pregnancy and implement ways to keep our teens productive within the growing community.More than 41 percent of Reading’s population of 88,000 now live beneath the poverty line, less than $22,000 for a family of four (https://www.pbs.org). This is highly contributed to the teen pregnancy rate, as more teens are getting pregnant than graduating high school and entering into a sustainable workforce. In order to fix Readings poverty issue, we must address the fact of an increase in the population below poverty, the teens getting pregnant. These children will grow up in unstable homes with less opportunity than other children in Berks County.More sex education should be taught in our schools and we must encourage safe sex at a reasonable age. There should be more things for these teens to do, to keep them occupied productively. Boys and Girls clubs are a great past time. It helps connect the youth and find role models for those growing up in poverty. After school programs like study halls or sports are also something that can be started in our major schools in Berks county. Study halls and tutoring are one way that we can promote productivity. Not only will the teens be occupied with school work, but they will also be learning more and getting a head start in graduating.Sports can be an outlet for the youth of Reading and Berks County. Looking at teens like Lonnie Walker, sports are one way that we can inspire the youth. If one kid from Reading, Pennsylvania can overcome the odds, then so can everyone else.Free clinics and community health organizations help promote safe sex and a healthy lifestyle. This is crucial for the people of Berks County to have the support needed for a pregnancy or free contraceptives and information. The advertising of jobs, career fairs, or work-related opportunities can influence teens to start their careers and make money to support their home.Vocational opportunities are excellent for Berks County, if students do not have the motivation to go to college, they can still have a successful career. Although the statistics are against us, we teens of Berks have the power to change our community. The implementation of more recreation and productivity in our environment can help reduce the urge to have unsafe sex. Educating our youth with safe sex practices is vital to our schools across the county. Having support and access to contraceptives will reduce the number of teens becoming pregnant and hopefully change the outlook of the lives our youth in Berks County.
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