Adolescent pregnancy is a complex issue associated with risk factors and poor outcomes. Teen parents often struggle with medical issues and fail to fulfil their educational and economical potential. A variety of approaches has been attempted to prevent teenage pregnancies, including the infant simulator programs. Infant simulator programs aim to provide a realistic experience of parenthood. They are used as sexuality education programs intending to promote delay in initiation of sexual intercourse and reduce the risk of unintended pregnancies. Baby Think It Over (BTIO) program is widely used in America and Virtual Infant Parenting (VIP) is an Australian adaption of BTIO. BTIO and VIP programs are delivered in several schools including educational session and caring for a baby simulator. Participants receive a doll to look after that requires to be fed, burped or changed and measures and reports a number of times on mishandling, crying time and caring. Although there have been positive feedbacks of the infant simulator program, the studies show that it is not necessarily effective enough in changing students’ perspectives and behaviours. Despite its intention, the result shows that it perhaps even increased the teenage pregnancy rates. The following factors limit the effectiveness of the intervention; neglecting the male’s involvement in young parenthood, the students who desire to be a teenage parent and delayed sex education in schools.
In order to deliver effective sex education in relation to preventing unintended pregnancy, the intervention needs to direct both males and females. The strategy based on infant simulator was mostly focused on teenage girls, neglecting the ‘fathers’ in the setting of teenage pregnancy. The research (Quinlivan & Codon, 2005) shows that males involved in teenage pregnancy have typically higher rates of risk factors such as drug and alcohol abuse, lower socioeconomic status, educational disadvantages and exposure to violence than females. When males participated in the program, it was rare to see them responding with enthusiasm to carrying around and caring an infant simulator. There was a major difference between males and females for the total amount of times the infant simulator cried (Didion & Gatzke, 2004). Males were more likely to allow the babies to cry and handle them roughly. In this experiment, female students reported that male participants did not take it seriously and view the activity as ‘playing with dolls’ (Barnett & Hurst, 2004). The comments of participants reflect societal expectations of gender responsibility for parenting and contraception. Dallas, Wilson, and Salgado (2000) reported that teenage fathers did not see taking care of a baby as part of their role. This may account for the fact that boys were perceived as being less serious about simulator program. The studies indicate that the program was an inappropriate approach to educate male students about unintended pregnancy and contraception and to promote delay in initiation of sexual intercourse. Male’s involvement in parenthood takes a large part, however, the infant simulator program had failed to address the issue of teen pregnancy to them. It had insufficient examination about male’s perception towards early childbearing. (Didion & Gatzke, 2004).
The aim of an infant simulator program is to prevent teen pregnancy but it might be sending the opposite message to someone who would like a baby to love and care for. Participants with the positive view of young parenthood overlooked the negative aspects of the intervention. The study conducted by Brinkman et al. (2016) examines the impact of the Virtual Infant Parenting (VIP) program on pregnancy outcomes of birth and abortion in Australia. The findings from this study show that the participants had a higher risk of pregnancy than the group of students who did not care for infant simulator. According to the study (Brinkman et a., 2016), most of the girls who took care of the infant simulators found it exciting and gained the confidence of being a parent. Moreover, Chavaudra (2016) indicates that many adolescents at particular risk of becoming teenage parents tend to enjoy the attention while caring for the infant simulator and it reinforces their desire to have a baby. The statistical data (Kralewski & Stevens-Simon, 2000) displays that caring for the infant simulator led to a slight increase in a number of students who desired to have a baby as a young parent after they cared for the infant simulator (from 12% to 15%). Although this study is limited due to its small sample size (n=109). The studies (Brinkman et al., 2016; Chavaudra, 2016; Kralewski & Stevens-Simon, 2000) show that the infant simulator-based VIP program provided inadequate education about hardships of parenting. The students underestimated the care required for the baby, however, being a parent is more than feeding and nappy changes. The program was unsuccessful in delivering comprehensive education detailing in consequences of pregnancy in terms of finances, emotions and future achievements. The intervention overstates the positive and diminishes the negative impacts of teenage pregnancy.
The issue associated with sex education in schools also limit the effectiveness of the infant simulator program. Many schools postpone sexuality education program until the later years of high school when students are thought to be more mature. When giving sex education to the teenagers who are already sexually active, it has little impact on their risk-taking behaviours. By high school, the developed brain of adolescent might have already evolved towards a desire for early parenthood. The purpose of the infant simulator program, in hopes that students will re-think about engaging in unprotected sexual intercourse or to delay initiating in sexual activity, may not be effective. The students who participated in BTIO were in the senior years of highs school from 10th grade to 12th grade. In contrast to what may have been expected, the result displays that there was no significant difference between students who experienced BTIO and who did (Somers, & Fahlman, 2001). This may be due to the fact that this program appears to be too late for some students (Hillman, 2000). The study conducted after BTIO shows that there was a greater impact for younger students than older students (Barnette, 2004). Teenage pregnancy is an outcome, not a cause. Therefore, in order for the infant simulator programs to be more successful, they need to start earlier than high school (Hillman, 2000).
Using infant simulators as a strategy to cure for teenage pregnancy has unsuccessfully met its intended goals to reduce pregnancy rates. It shows what it is like to have a baby, but failed to demonstrate how to prevent. The experience involving simulator babies was not suitable for teenage boys and had minimal impact on their attitude towards contraceptive and risk behaviours. The program lacks in examining male’s perception and encouraging their participation. The infant simulators for teenagers who idealise parenthood led to increased desires for them to have a baby sooner. Caring for a baby doll can never replicate caring for a child, yet the program provided little knowledge of difficulties and consequences as a young parent. The sex education is mostly aimed at senior students in high school. It needs to start earlier than high school to be achieve more positive outcomes. These issues indicate that there has been little impact on the views of the participants. The infant simulator programs are unsuccessful in achieving its goals to effectively provide sex education and contraceptive program and promote abstinence.