Youth Issue: Teen Pregnancy

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Table of Contents

Abstract
Summary
Introduction
Discussion
Conclusion
References

Abstract

Teenage is a very difficult time. Youths tend to indulge in sex during this period influenced by sexual depiction in the popular culture. This creates interest in sexual acts and this often results in teenage pregnancies. It is the responsibility of the family members and peers to choose the right lifestyle. Once this is achieved a teen can avoid teenage pregnancy and lead a life inclined towards a better career and a better life in the future.

Summary

With the commercialization of sex, more people, especially teenagers, feel the pressure of taking part in premarital sex not realizing the difficulties the girls might have to face once they become pregnant. Teenagers should not have sex just to fit in or feel grown up and be popular among their friends. Most teen parents enjoy raising a child, as they feel responsible for it. Sex should be a wonderful emotional experience and not out of pressure. By avoiding sex at early age, these teenagers prevent teen pregnancies and single parent families and secure their bright futures. Only when the parents of these teenagers openly discuss sexuality and the harmful effects of teen pregnancy with their teenagers are they most likely to understand the risks involved with sex and pregnancy and thus will act in a more responsible manner. A single parent or teen parents have to give up their youth to raise another. Babies also affect the emotional state of its parents causing changes in their relations. Most of the teenagers succumb to pressure and their lack of boldness prevents them from saying no to sex at a young age. Thus, teenagers should realize the problems they and their families can face if they get pregnant.

Introduction

With the commercialization of sex, more people, especially teenagers, feel the pressure of taking part in premarital sex not realizing the difficulties the girls might have to face once they become pregnant. These teenage girls, and even boys, need to understand that one of the major ways by which teen pregnancy and even single parent families can be avoided is by saying no to sex. Teenagers must be sexually responsible in order to prevent unplanned or unwanted pregnancy. If they do not feel ready to have sex, they should choose to boldly say no to their partners and not succumb to pressures from their partners. Teenagers should never assume that just because theirs friends are having sex they should too since their friends might just be bragging about it. Everybody should make the choices for themselves since no one has the right to tell them what they should do with their body. It is a private and individual decision. Teenagers should not have sex just to fit in or feel grown up and be popular among their friends. (Mayers, 2008)

Most of the teenagers who have sex and end up pregnant have to take care of their family alone and thus, end up regretting their decision. Some of them go through the pregnancy and have to face the hardships of having to raise a child, at times even alone. However, most of them opt for abortions, which create further complications and health problems for them. They should talk to their parents and friends who can make them realize having sex until a person is old enough, may not always be good. They should properly understand their feelings and make the best choice for their future by saying no to sex until and unless they want to and are of the proper age. (Wells & Feinberg, 2009)

Discussion

Sometimes the body may make a person feel that he or she is ready but an individual should also give importance to his or hers emotions, values and beliefs and should think about the difficulties they will face if the girl involved gets pregnant. Therefore, if one feels unsure and nervous then they should take a step back and think about the real reason for having sex. The choice is up to the teens themselves and by saying no to sex before age, not only do they secure their futures but also avoid health related problems. (Wells & Feinberg, 2009)

Most teen parents enjoy raising a child, as they feel responsible for it. It takes a lot of hard work, time, energy and dedication in raising a life and support from the family. However, the pros of teen pregnancy are outweighed by the cons. Although a child becomes the greatest source of satisfaction and joy for its parents, most of the teen parents are not able to deal with the demands of a baby. Grown adults have proper education, are financially stable and have the emotional support of their families. Most of the teen parents are single and do not have the emotional support of either their family or partners. Pregnancy can cause a lot of complications since the bodies of the teenage girls are not properly developed, strong and mature enough to bear a child. This can also affect the baby’s health. Most of the teen mothers do not get proper nutrition and thus, the babies are born prematurely having low weight. Even the mothers have to face problems like anemia, high blood pressure, risk of catching STDs and obesity. (Dickens, 2000)

Sex should be a wonderful emotional experience and not out of pressure. Thus, teenagers need to wait till they reach a proper age and are in an adult and committed relation or are married. It is best for them to abstain until they are ready to build their own family and are able to take care of it. In addition, sometimes these teenagers feel guilty for having sex and this weighs heavily on their conscious. If they are pressured into it then they start to wonder whether their partners truly care for and respect them. Thus, sex sometimes causes problems among the couples as they lose their faith and trust in each other. They should avoid sex and rather indulge themselves in activities and dating only. (Bensussen-Walls & Saewyc, 1999)

Teenagers should also not have boyfriends and girlfriends and have sexual activities among themselves just because they are bored but rather enjoy their adolescence with their friends. Even if they have boyfriends and girlfriends, they should be able to decide for themselves and have a say in the relation. Teenagers need to stay away from people who pressurize them into having sex and they should be bold enough to say a firm no and even report people who force them, since it is almost like rape. In addition, parents need to talk openly with their teenagers about sex, use of contraception and build their values and morals so that they understand that by deciding to abstain from sex they are doing the right thing. By avoiding sex at early age, these teenagers prevent teen pregnancies and single parent families and secure their bright futures. Only when the parents of these teenagers openly discuss sexuality and the harmful effects of teen pregnancy with their teenagers are they most likely to understand the risks involved with sex and pregnancy and thus will act in a more responsible manner. Until and unless these teenagers understand the values, behaviors and roles that a mature man and woman have to play in society they should not indulge in casual sexual activities. (Kennedy, 2006)

A single parent or teen parents have to give up their youth to raise another. They will no longer be able to socialize anytime they want to and party at night. They also have to finish their schooling while taking care of their babies, uptime. Their responsibilities increase since they are solely responsible for the baby and have to take care of its need, like dressing, bathing, changing and feeding. Since the baby is completely dependent on its mother, she has to provide love and attend to it when it cries or falls sick. Raising a child is also very expensive. As most of these teen mothers lack proper education and even financial support from their families, they do not get proper jobs or places to live. Most of them cannot go to college and finish their education since having a child affects their plans too. (Allen, 2006)

College becomes very tough if one has a child to care for. They also cannot afford babysitters and thus, have to tend to the babies themselves all the time. Financial instability also has an effect on the living conditions of the child and its future. Babies also affect the emotional state of its parents causing changes in their relations. The demands of raising a child could be very stressful for its young parents, especially for the single parents, since they are completely new to parenting. They have to juggle between their jobs and schooling and at the same time take care of the child. (Jaccard, Dodge & Dittus, 2002)

Conclusion

The life of a teenager is not an easy one. They frequently have to face difficult and important decisions that affect their entire life. Most of the teenagers succumb to pressure and their lack of boldness prevents them from saying no to sex at a young age. Thus, teenagers should realize the problems they and their families can face if they get pregnant. They will have to face problems in school and discrimination from friends. Their families may not support them and some even have to face poverty. They have to understand that by saying no to sex, and saying it repeatedly till they are ready, saves them from a lot of trouble and tension. They have to maintain a strict body language and speak confidently and clearly so that their partners get the point. They also need to be cautious of pressure lines and not fall for them. Even though at that time the decision not to have sex may not seem proper, eventually it saves one from a lot of hardships. Teenagers need to understand that just because everyone is having sex does not mean that even they should since they are not everybody are should maintain their individuality and self-respect. (Kirby & Miller, 2002)

References

Allen, J.P. (2006). Preventing teen Pregnancy and Academic Failure: Experimental Evaluation of a Developmentally Based Approach. Child Development, 68(4), 729-742.

Bensussen-Walls, W., & Saewyc, E.M. (1999). Teen-Focused Care Versus Adult-Focused Care for the High-Risk Pregnant Adolescent: An Outcomes Evaluation. Public Health Nursing, 18(6), 424-435.

Dickens, H.O. (2000). Teenagers, Contraception, and Pregnancy. Journal of Marital and Family Therapy, 1(2), 175-181.

Jaccard, J., Dodge, T., & Dittus, P. (2002). Parent-adolescent communication about sex and birth control: A conceptual framework. New Directions for Child and Adolescent Development, 2002(97), 9-42.

Kennedy, P. (2006). Saving Our Children from Children: Conquering Teen Pregnancy Challenges for Our Youngest Mothers. AWHONN LIFELINES, 1(2), 13-16.

Kirby, D., & Miller, B.C. (2002). Interventions designed to promote parent-teen communication about sexuality. New Directions for Child and Adolescent Development, 2002(97), 93-110.

Mayers, H.A., (2008). The Chances for Children Teen Parent-Infant Project: Results of a pilot intervention for teen mothers and their infants in inner city high schools. Infant Mental Health Journal, 29(4), 320-342.

Wells, R., & Feinberg, M. (2009). Factors affecting member perceptions of coalition impact. Nonprofit Management and Leadership, 19(3), 327-348.

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