The journal article by Jerry D. Marx, Fleur Hopper Faith-Based versus Fact-Based Social Policy: The Case of Teenage Pregnancy Prevention published in Social Work, Volume 50, 2005, is dedicated to the idea of teenage pregnancy in the United States. The authors develop the idea from the evaluation of former President Bush’s policy based on religious approach towards the problem of social legalization, for example, abortion, gay marriages, teenage pregnancy, particularly, calling him the best religious president among his predecessors who did not permit such immoral initiatives. The policy of a wider engagement of different religious foundations and organizations so that to lessen the rates of teenage pregnancy in the United States was provided by George Bush Jr.
The historical cut of the USA foundation gives additional points as of support of the traditional intentions of Americans to prevent social drawbacks by means of a religious framework. It concerns the analysis since the puritans first having settled on the American continent until nowadays. Faith-based initiatives outlined by the authors in the article are faced to the time when “immorality was a reason for poverty” in the society, and every step of human beings was controlled by church-administered policy of “abstinence-only-until-marriage”. This old-fashioned type of solution seems to be effective because there is no reliable alternative for social programs aimed to touch upon teenagers’ souls and minds.
Such an approach to the past is not surprising due to the official statistics. In accordance with it, the US is a major leader of teenage pregnancy rates among other well-developed countries, and the data show such numbers of correlation as of the frequency of such phenomenon in masses: in the year 1997, the rate of pregnancy among teenagers was 93.3 pregnancies per 1,000; the teenage birth rate for the same year was 52.3 per 1,000. (280+) In contrast, in the Netherlands, this indicator in the same year was only 8.2 per 1,000.
Then the evaluation of social, economic, and personal expenditures within adolescents is taken into account so that to make stresses on the educational, financial, and personal social negative factors. In other words, teenagers are not able to behave as parents when being yet children. Moreover, the lack of high school completion is a point that prevents teenage mothers from developing their further work and carrier prospects. This results in low earnings of money.
To prevent unwanted pregnancy and cases of abortion, as a result, the government of the United States provides and financially supports the “abstinence-only-until-marriage” education program for adolescents. Some of the social organizations, namely the National Campaign to Prevent Teen Pregnancy, Advocates for Youth, Sociometrics Corporation, Child Trends, etc., made several reviews full of information as for sexual responsibility and ways of pregnancy prevention on the initial stages. These education programs found some sort of positive effect on teenagers but failed in terms of the start of sexual activity among participating teens. Fortunately, the researchers found other programs of how to prevent teenage pregnancies numbered in 50 curriculum examples. Though, the legitimacy of social perspectives is considered to be the core element for the further evaluation, consideration, and prevention of teenage pregnancy rates.
Works cited
Marx, Jerry D., and Fleur Hopper. “Faith-Based versus Fact-Based Social Policy: The Case of Teenage Pregnancy Prevention.” Social Work 50.3 (2005): 280+.
Every passing day, reports show that more and more young girls in their teen ages are getting pregnant. Further statistics show that America is experiencing more of this phenomenon that all other developed countries (Voxpox 16). The point to understand is how children in their teens get involved in sexual activities. In addition, some parents understand that the contemporary society has experienced a great change in sexuality and hence want to understand how they can address the issue. Subsequently, this paper will identify the rate of teenage pregnancy and the factors that contribute to higher rates of this phenomenon. Finally, this paper will highlight the strategies have been developed to address the issue.
Statistics on the number teen pregnancies
Statistical research on teen sex reveals that nearly half the numbers of teens nationally lose their virginity when they are 17 years. The research also shows that females engage in sexual activities much earlier than males with an age margin of three years so that a girl might have her first sexual intercourse at age 15 while a boy may have his at 18 years. Research also shows that each year, nearly 1 million women under 20 years become pregnant nationally while at least 4 in every 10 conceive before turning 20. (Hong, par 4)
Effects of poverty on teen pregnancy
One of the causes of the high levels in teen pregnancies is attributed to poverty and the social inequalities in both Britain and America. Studies done by Selman reveal that there was a remarkable difference in the socio-economic gap with the introduction of contraceptive drugs in the early 20th, century where large families were associated with a poor background (Population Council, par 6). Poverty is seen to be a factor that is most closely associated with teen pregnancy in more recent studies which bring to our attention that teens living in financially unstable communities are reported to have higher risks in early pregnancies. Teen mothers are therefore unevenly concentrated in poor communities while few teen parents are found in areas where people are financially stable. (O’Halloran 1)
The media’s contribution to teen pregnancy
The media is also an area to be blamed when it comes to the increasing cases of teen pregnancies. New reports show that boys and girls who watch steamy television shows are more likely to engage in sexual intercourse and therefore more prone to contribute to the number of teenage pregnancies. The same study shows that kids who watch television for long periods are also less likely to get pregnant. This is because they do not have the time to engage in other social activities apart from watching T.V. This only becomes true if the content is not steamy T.V but if the child watches scenes with sexual innuendoes then they are at a greater risk of engaging in sexual activities as compared to a teen who does not watch steamy programmes. (Parker, par 6)
Self –esteem contribution to teen pregnancy
Self –esteem is also a contributive factor to the number of pregnancy cases recorded. Studies indicate that females with high levels of self-esteem are likely to engage themselves in sexual behaviours while those with low self-esteem are also found to be sexually active. A study done came to the conclusion that low self-esteem in males will lead to engagement in sexual activities in the same way high self-esteem will lead to the same indulgence but there is no significant explanation that separates the two relationships since they all lead to increased sexual activity that increases the number of teen pregnancies. (Robinson and Frank, Par 4)
Risks associated with teen pregnancy
There are a number of risks involved in teenage pregnancies and the most crucial is the fact that teen mothers are usually at a higher risk of being exposed to pregnancy-related complications because more often than not they do not receive prenatal care in their early stages of pregnancy for fear of their parents and the society’s reaction to their current states. The teens also expose their babies to risks such as premature birth and probabilities of the baby being underweight (Little and Rankin 13).
Teen mothers are at a higher risk of smoking and using drugs as compared to mothers who are 25 years and above. Smoking increases the risk of children who are delivered with little birth weight which is associated with a list of a variety of childhood disorders. Such infants usually have under developed body organs which can develop into serious complications such as bleeding which occurs in the brain. Another problem associated with smoking is the likely hood of the teen mother to give birth to a still born baby (Banarjee et al 4).
Consequences of teen pregnancy
There are varied consequences involved with teen pregnancy. Teen mothers are likely to discontinue with their educations and most end their educations at high school level which will result to them depending on welfare, which has the effect of increasing the number of unemployed individuals in the state and increasing the dependency ratio per capita. Since these parents will lack financially their children will be at a higher risk of joining gangs thus contributing another negative factor in the society (Saunders 67; Contemporary Sexuality 5).
Education programmes as a preventive measure against teen pregnancy
Conducting an education program on sex with the aim of educating youths when they are still young about the changes that are yet to occur in their bodies prepares them psychologically and prevents them from having prudish behaviours which is one of the reasons why girls get pregnant during sexual intercourse at early ages. The sex also exposes them to sexually transmitted diseases such as HIV/AIDS but with the programmes aimed at educating youths, these will be prevented as they will be advised on preventive measures such as the use of condoms which prevents STI’s and contraceptives which prevent unwanted pregnancies (Corle, par 3).
Campaigns as a method of preventing teen pregnancy
An aggressive campaign aimed at enlightening youths against premature sex at tender ages has been started and is supported by public figures such as Barack Obama. In support of the campaign, every first Wednesday in May since 2002 has been set aside to celebrate the National Day to Prevent Teen Pregnancy. Special agencies have also been set aside such as the US organisation called Stay Teen which aims at campaigning thoroughly against teen pregnancies. Through such projects, and the effort shown by the media and literature writers through books and movies to support the campaign, it has become the sincere hope of many that these efforts do not go to waste (Christenson and Rosen, Par 20; Suner et al 73).
Conclusion
In conclusion of the findings, the study reveals that the highest percentages of teen pregnancies are reported in the United States as compared to other European countries. Statistics also point out that most adolescents loose virginity even before reaching 17 years and a comparison between boys and girls sexual activities shows that females engage in sex earlier than males by a margin of 3 years. Poverty also is seen to contribute to teen pregnancy while low or high self-esteem is seen to bring the same effect which is a rise in the number of premature sex (Population Council, par. 4). Teen parents are at greater risks of giving birth to premature babies and smoking cigarettes and other consequences such as dropping out of school. Campaigns are also being undertaken in the hope of reducing the percentage of youths involved in teen pregnancies. The research done by several articles including this one does not seek to scare the youths as it may appear, but it wants to bring to light the dangerous effects brought about by youth’s engagement in premature sex.
Works Cited
Banarjee, Bratati., Dutt, Debashis, Sengupta, Bhaswati., Mondal, Maitraeyi and Deb, Sila. Teenage Pregnancy: A socially inflicted Health Harzard. Department of Community Medicine, Maulana Azad Medical College. New Delhi, India.
Christensen, Sue and Rosen, Ann. Teenage pregnancy. 1996. Web.
Contemporary Sexuality. American Association of Sexuality Educators, Counsellors and Therapists. 2009; 43(7): 3-6
Corle, Sharon. State Inovations to Prevent Teen Pregnancy. 2006. Web.
Every person in their life is forced to make decisions. Sometimes, it is challenging to find the best option because there is always a fear of making a mistake and regretting what has been done. It is especially puzzling to decide something for an adolescent whose worldview has not yet fully formed. Teenage pregnancy is an awkward issue when a girl faces burdensome alternatives that can drastically alter her life. Therefore, before making a decision, she must carefully weigh everything and consider each option’s positive and negative consequences.
Teen Pregnancy: The Different Options to Address the Problem
The Alternative Ways Out of Crisis Situation
The problem of teen pregnancy can be solved in different ways. Kristi Kanel (2018) claims that every crisis can include both danger and opportunity. Thus, there are such options:
The girl may decide to keep the child and prepare to become a mother. According to data, 11% of all births occur during the teenage age worldwide (Ghose & John, 2017).
She can decide to give birth to a baby and leave him in the hospital.
Teenagers can have an abortion or terminate a pregnancy at home using herbs, medicines, or folk methods and try to live as if nothing happened.
The girl can give birth to a kid and let his grandparents raise him if they do not mind.
Thus, there are at least four alternative ways to address this problem.
The Consequences of Each Option
Each alternative that a girl can choose has both positive and negative sides. The first option is the birth of a new person and the opportunity for the young mother to love and raise him. However, the adolescent will probably give up her school and face the risk of failure in her future career. The advantages of the second alternative include a chance for the girl to continue studying and the removal of the risk of further infertility. On the other side, she will always know that her child considers another woman his mom, or worse, that he lives in the children’s home. The termination of pregnancy allows continuing education and building the life of dream, but it will be a heavy burden on the teenager’s soul and may lead to infertility. Although the fourth option offers the opportunity to study and be close to the child, the girl will still move away from him and will not become a full-fledged mother. Thus, any choice carries positive and negative consequences with which the girl then has to live.
The Values Influencing Decision and the Best Option
Speaking about the values that can influence this decision, it is worth mentioning religious and cultural ones. In general, any religion prohibits abortion; any culture is against murder. My inner convictions also rank the third alternative as the most inappropriate. According to my values, education and career are significant parts of life, but a child is not a toy that can be taken, left, or even broken. A frightened teenage girl may try to terminate the pregnancy without informing other people because of a period of “risk-taking behaviors and social-affective sensitivity” (Van Hoorn et al., 2019, p. 129). However, her decision will also affect the child’s father, who has a right to know about the baby, and the girl’s parents. The main thing in making a decision is still the girl’s values because she will have to take responsibility for her choice. As for me, I have concluded that the best way out of this situation is the first option. Although it is essential to get an education and build a career, the life and happiness of the baby are more important.
After completing this process, I can say that it was hard enough to consider all situations from different angles and make the only right decision for oneself. However, creating a list of each alternative’s positive and negative points can significantly help people in various crisis situations. While looking for all the pros and cons, a person already subconsciously understands which solution is closer to them.
References
Ghose, S., & John, L. B. (2017). Adolescent pregnancy: An overview. International Journal of Reproduction, Contraception, Obstetrics and Gynecology, 6(10), 4197-4203.
Kanel, K. (2018). A guide to crisis intervention (6th ed.). Cengage Learning.
Van Hoorn, J., Shablack, H., Lindquist, K. A., & Telzer, E. H. (2019). Incorporating the social context into neurocognitive models of adolescent decision-making: A neuroimaging meta-analysis. Neuroscience & Biobehavioral Reviews, 101, 129–142.
Teen pregnancies are considered overwhelming to the economy, teenage mothers, and their parents in most nations. Such pregnancies risk the education life of teenage mothers as most drop out of school to care for their children (Maemeko et al., 2018). In addition, the government spends a considerable amount to facilitate care for these children, and thus teen pregnancy is an added expense. Therefore, a national campaign to end teenage was introduced to improve the lives of adolescents.
Most people would describe teenage life in Ohio as refined. Since 1991, the teen birth rate has declined by 69% to 2019, and most of the current teen births are to seniors (Hamilton, 2020). Parents play a significant role in guiding and counseling their children to prevent their girls from getting pregnant at a young age. The campaign has helped parents provide the necessary knowledge making the raising of children relatively easier in Ohio. The dream of most parents is to ensure their children lead to a successful future which may be affected by the occurrence of unplanned teenage birth (Maemeko et al., 2018). Teen birth rates have declined for all ethnic and racial groups, although cases between the groups vary. A positive change in teen behavior is evidenced by decreased pregnancy rate of 59% by 2013 from 1998 (Hamilton, 2020). Thus, the campaign sensitizes the effects of teenage pregnancies.
Accordingly, the government is now spending less on supporting children born to teenagers’ financial and health aspects. The national campaign to end teenage pregnancy is moving towards achieving the set objectives in Ohio. It is a journey to better social lives as teenagers are embracing knowledge towards preventing unplanned pregnancies. In conclusion, the national campaign has had a considerable impact on Ohio teenagers.
References
Hamilton, B. E. (2020). State teen birth rates by race and Hispanic origin: the United States, 2017–2018. Web.
Maemeko, E. L., Nkengbeza, D., & Chokomosi, T. M. (2018). The impact of teenage pregnancy on academic performance of grade 7 learners at a school in the Zambezi region. Open Journal of Social Sciences, 6(09), 88. Web.
The rates of teenage pregnancy in the United States are still high. Despite this, the American media does not pay enough attention to the issue. At the same time, teenage pregnancy can and should be regulated, with the participation of adolescents, their friends, parents, teachers, advocates, health workers, and the media. This paper aims to address the issue of teenage pregnancy in New Jersey and identify the parties that influence young people’s decisions related to sexual behavior.
Teenage Pregnancy in the Media
American CNN journalists write about Tanzania, and Sierra Leone bans for pregnant teenage girls to visit schools, El Salvador teenage raping, immigrant teen’s abortion, and Indian child brides, but pay no attention to US problems. ABC News materials are mostly dated 2016-2017 and earlier, but some of them are notable. The most recent news is dated December 2018, and it is about killing a teenage pregnant girl by her ex-boyfriend.
Also, two ABC News story articles address the topic of young future moms’ and school principals’ relationships; in both cases, schoolmasters behave extremely incorrectly. The director of the Christian school, “Heritage Academy,” Maryland, where Maddie, a 17-year-old, had her classes, forbade her to attend graduation ceremony (Wright & Hawkins, 2017). Therefore, the girl’s parents organized a private party for her on their own. Maddie also received $ 16,000 from a local human rights organization and many gifts for her future child from supporters around the US.
Nonetheless, Maddie was disappointed with the principal’s and teachers’ attitude, as they stopped talking to her and ordered her to sit at the end of the class, separately from other students. This happened after Maddie wrote several letters to the principal and teachers, in which she apologized for upsetting them and asked for forgiveness (Wright & Hawkins, 2017). Parents, and a boyfriend, who studied in college and had a job in a neighboring state, supported Maddie, saying they do not share the views of the school principal. Maddie’s father even decided to leave the school board after the incident. This story allows concluding that although the “Heritage Academy” is a Christian school, its leadership and teachers had demonstrated anti-Christian ethics when it came to school reputation.
In another case, the expectant mother, Hannah Talbert, posted on Instagram photos, which showed her growing belly. The editor Anderson Bonilla selected some for publication in Surveyor, the school’s yearbook (McGraw, 2016). The director of Mount Vernon High School, New York, immediately called both the editor and Hannah and banned the publication. Moreover, a new clause was introduced in the school rules, according to which the editor was deprived of the right to publish images without the principal’s consent (McGraw, 2016).
Hannah was surprised by the director’s reaction, noting that she didn’t want anyone to find her photo provocative. She said, “It’s just skin and just a baby in there… I’m not trying to be provocative. I think it’s because I’m 17” (McGraw, 2016, para. 8). The school administration did not comment on the event; however, journalists suggest that the decision was made out of fear of harming the school’s reputation – just like in the first case.
Aberdeen.com presents two convincing materials on the lack of parents’ attention to their children’s sexuality education, noting that teenagers are more open to dialogue than their parents. There is also an article on the factors that influence the decisions to start a sexual life, where authors note that peers are the greatest influencers of each other’s choices. There is also disturbing material about expectant mothers trying to reduce the weight and size of their unborn children by smoking cigarettes. Besides, there is an article that reveals all the secrets of sexting.
Decision-Making Factors
Since adolescents are part of the society they live in, they are transmitters of its social norms. According to a study conducted through the analysis of social media posts, female teens who violate social standards often face bullying, shaming, and stigma (Barker, Subramanian, Selman, & Austin, 2019). Common arguments against teenage pregnancy range from potential socioeconomic harms to “life-course rationales that view adolescence as a special, carefree period in life” (Barker et al., 2019, para. 4). Scientists conclude that health workers should change preventing teenage pregnancy strategies, which provoke condemnation of pregnant young women.
The good news is that parents and friends influence the opinions of teenagers more than society does. According to the study, parents’ and friends’ advice to delay sex and use contraception was associated with lower sexual intentions and higher levels of contraception use (Donoghue et al., 2017). Scientists also emphasize that peers have a more significant impact on teenagers than parents. The possibility of an open dialogue with teenagers seems to be extremely important since individuals usually make wrong decisions being isolated or under pressure.
However, while parents and peers are interested in the well-being of a teenager, the media may have mercantile goals. Scientists assume that it is important to help viewers understand “how the media influences their beliefs and behaviors in dating and sexual relationships” (Rodenhizer, Siller, MacPherson, & Edwards, 2019, para. 1). This conclusion bases on the results of a study of college women’s perceptions of Jersey Shore and 16 and Pregnant / Teen Mom and dating violence attitudes and behaviors.
Most participants believed that Jersey Shore and 16 and Pregnant / Teen Mom depicted dating violence. Scientists also found that dating violence commital related to opinions that the Jersey Shore was a fun show to watch (Rodenhizer et al., 2019). Moreover, encouraging views toward dating violence were inversely related to opinions that Jersey Shore was abusive. Scientists did not conclude that these shows contributed to the promotion of dating violence, but the results of the study show they did.
Teenage Pregnancy Related Laws
Parental involvement (PI) laws are a controversial issue; still, it should be discussed. Recently, scientists revised evidence that PI laws do not affect teenage decisions on sexual behavior. They found that PI laws may “increase in the probability that sexually active minor teen females use birth control” (Sabia & Anderson, 2016, p. 55). To date, thirty-six states apply laws that require a teenager to notify or obtain the consent of one or both parents to terminate a pregnancy (“Abortion and parental involvement,” 2019).
However, advocates managed to convince the Supreme Court to amend the laws and protect the interests of teenagers. According to the latest amendment, parents cannot veto their child’s decision on abortion. On the other side, these laws are urging adolescents to tell parents about their problems and get their support (“Abortion and parental involvement,” 2019). In this regard, human rights activists emphasize that if teenagers are not sure if they can trust their parents, they should contact a qualified healthcare provider.
Teen Prevention Education Program in New Jersey High Schools
The Teen Prevention Education Program (PEP), which operated in New Jersey and North Carolina High Schools, should also be discussed. Throughout the course, 11th and 12th-graders delivered workshops on sexual health topics to 9th-grade students (Rotz et al., 2016). Participants were selected through an application process to serve as peer educators and trained by the faculty advisors. The goal of educating program included reducing teen pregnancy and transmission of HIV / AIDS and other sexually transmitted infections (STIs).
The program statistics showed slight changes in perceptions of birth control, having sex at current age, being pregnant, or got someone pregnant, and changes in intentions of having sex and using contraception. The issues of decision-making – refusal skills, thoughtfulness, visiting clinic for STI-testing – and PEP-communication cases, like speaking to a healthcare practitioner, were discussed in the workshops (Rotz et al., 2016). There is also information that three school medical centers were organized recently in three public schools in New Jersey (Howe, 2019). However, scientists do not provide information about the work of the center’s staff regarding teenage pregnancy.
Thus, the issue of teenage pregnancy in New Jersey was discussed. Two revealing stories of schoolgirls from neighboring states – Maryland and New York presented a comprehensive view on schoolchildren and teachers’ relations. To summarize it, peers, parents, society, the media, and laws all have considerable influence on teenager’s decisions about sexual behavior. Teen PEP program launched in New Jersey and North Carolina High Schools deserves special attention, as a highly beneficial project which has already shown its first results.
Barker, K. M., Subramanian, S. V., Selman, R., & Austin, S. B. (2019). Gender perspectives on social norms surrounding teen pregnancy: A thematic analysis of social media data. JMIR Paediatrics and Parenting, 2(2), e13936.
Donoghue, C., Bonillas, C., Moreno, J., Cardoza, O., & Cheung, M. (2017). Young people’s perceptions of advice about sexual risk-taking. Sex Education, 17(1), 73-85.
Howe, J. (2019). The implementation and operation of three school-based health centers in New Jersey. Web.
Rodenhizer, K. A. E., Siller, L., MacPherson, A. R., & Edwards, K. M. (2019). Reality check! Perceptions of MTV’s Jersey Shore and 16 and Pregnant/Teen Mom and dating violence attitudes and experiences. Journal of Interpersonal Violence.
Rotz, D., Goesling, B., Crofton, M., Trenholm, C., Manlove, J., & Welti, K. (2016). Interim impacts of Teen PEP in New Jersey and North Carolina High Schools (No. 74b7aa859c364d8c920644a131a769f8). Mathematica Policy Research.
Sabia, J. J., & Anderson, D. M. (2016). The effect of parental involvement laws on teen birth control use. Journal of Health Economics, 45, 55-62.
Teenage pregnancy refers to a situation where girls get pregnant and give birth before the age of 20. Planned Parenthood (cited in CDC, 2015) says that most teenage pregnancies occur among girls aged 18-19 years. Many of these births are results of unplanned pregnancies. They account for 20% of unplanned pregnancies in the United States (HHS, 2015). Although the rate of teen pregnancy in the United States (U.S) is slowly declining, the CDC (2015) says that in 2013, 273,105 babies were born from teenage pregnancies. According to the global statistics on teenage pregnancy, the US has a higher teenage birth rate than most developed countries, including Canada and the United Kingdom (U.K) (HHS, 2015). This is a worrying concern.
Justification of the Problem
Teenage pregnancy is an important public health issue because it affects societal and population health. For example, girls who become pregnant before their 15th birthday are likely to suffer from increased health risks during pregnancy because their bodies are usually underdeveloped to sustain a pregnancy and carry it to full term (WHO, 2015). However, the negative effects of pregnancy for teenage mothers who are above 15 years are more socioeconomic than biological. Teenage pregnancy, if unresolved could lead to negative socioeconomic outcomes for the teenage mothers and their families. The WHO (2015) says that many teenage pregnancies that end in birth often lead to poor emotional and physical health for the new mothers. The babies are also likely to suffer from poor physical health. Research also shows that teenage pregnancies also increase the chances that a mother and her child would live in poverty and possibly have poor educational outcomes (WHO, 2015). Such eventualities would limit their prospects of getting a good job. Based on the above-mentioned effects of teenage pregnancy, it is important to consider it an important public health issue.
Resolving the Issue
Years of research have revealed what works and fails when tackling the problem of teenage pregnancy. Relative to this assertion, decades of research have revealed that quality sex and relationship education emerge as the top solutions to managing this problem because they help teenagers to make informed decisions about their reproductive health (HHS, 2015). The same research also reveals that increasing access to effective contraception is also crucial in minimizing incidences of teenage pregnancy. The two factors are interdependent because sex education is pointless if teenagers do not have access to contraceptive services. Similarly, teenagers would be unable to make the right choices of contraceptive services if they did not have proper sex education. Therefore, tackling the teenage pregnancy problem in America revolves around the two issues – quality sex and relationship education and adequate access to effective contraception.
Historically, teenage pregnancy was not regarded as a social problem, it was rather a norm. Fifteen-years-old mothers were not an exception for the rule, but rather the rule. Even nowadays in many countries teenage pregnancy is a norm due to various historical, political, economical and cultural reasons. Nevertheless, in developed countries teenage pregnancy is a problem which is regarded as a social dysfunction.
Thus, Americans are preoccupied with the problem and try to solve it. Admittedly, numerous cases of teenage pregnancies cause various social and economical constraints. The teenage pregnancy leads to economical problems of the entire country since many young women who could obtain education and work for the sake of the country have to seek country’s assistance.
Teenage parents do not have means to support their new families and this causes aggravation of hard economical situation in the country. Apart from various economical issues, the teenage pregnancy leads to such social and cultural problems as degradation of citizens since young people do not self-develop but simply try to find any way to support themselves and their families taking any job which does not require any qualification.
It goes without saying that to find a solution to the problem it is important to identify the causes for the problem. It is possible to point out four major causes of teenage pregnancy: the lack of parental care, poverty, peer pressure and influence of media. It is important to have a deeper look at each cause to find the most appropriate solution to the present social problem.
When considering the causes of teenage pregnancy it is necessary to point out that the most significant one is the lack of parental care. Thus, one of the manifest functions of the family is to be the meaningful unit which supports the accepted social order and is a support of the state.
However, there is a very important latent function of the family which presupposes that the family introduces new citizens (children) into the society, and these citizens are to form the same socially relevant unit in future. Nevertheless, not all families manage to fulfill these functions.
There are many reasons for that: economical constraints which a family faces, personal problems (parents are divorcing). There are also incomplete families where only one parent is trying to rear a child (or children). Besides, many adults are now concerned with their career goals and have no time for their children. All this leads to the lack of parental care and children have to learn basic rules themselves.
In such families parents do not explain to their children the difficulties of teenage pregnancy. Thus, the function of one organ (parental care) fails to function in the appropriate way and other organs go out of order: teenagers do not understand all outcomes of their actions and this often leads to teenage pregnancy.
In regards to the lack of family care it is possible to consider the problem from conflict perspective. The major idea of this perspective, i.e. the idea of inequality and change, can also help outline the problem. Thus, the eternal conflict between generations (parents do not understand children and vice versa) leads to children’s rebel.
Pregnancy is often regarded as a privilege of adulthood, and teenagers have intimacy with their partners to escape from the order established by their parents, the order which the children regard to be incorrect. Basically, the lack of parental care leads to the lack of communication and, therefore, understanding between teenagers and their parents, which causes the teenage pregnancy.
As far as the poverty and its impact are concerned, it is possible to point out that the lack of economic resources often leads to teenage pregnancy. Admittedly, poverty is social dysfunction itself and it causes other social problem, teenage pregnancy. Social consensus presupposes that all citizens work and support their state and the state supports its citizens. The imbalance in the society leads to the establishment of the new order in the society.
The new order in the reality of the United States presupposes that people try to gain at least some money without seeking ways of self-development and promotion on the social ladder. In such situation teenagers are not preoccupied with their future to the great extent since they obey the established order.
They do not think of the great responsibility of bringing up children since the only way of life they accept does not exclude having children (poor people do not really believe that they can give something better to their children or sometimes they do not they have to give anything to their children).
When regarding the influence of poverty of the teenage pregnancy, it is possible to point out that inequality pays essential role in the process. Admittedly, not all people are exposed to economical resources equally.
This leads to the development of other types of inequality: poor people have fewer opportunities to obtain the necessary or prestigious education, gain the same respectability and social status, etc. The absence of these opportunities can have two effects on adolescents. On one hand, teenagers do not see other way than go on low-paid job and continue the destiny of their poor parents.
Such teenagers are less concerned with making efforts to obtain education, so they are less responsible. They enter sexual relationship without considering possible consequences. On the other hand, teenage pregnancy can be regarded as possible way of trying to obtain resources from those who have them. Many girls (and sometimes boys) try to have an affair with a person who pertains to another social layer. This is regarded as means of obtaining resources of people who have more opportunities.
Thus, teenagers try to become a part of a more well-to-do family (marriage as a means of distributing resources). It is important to add that these two causes of teenage pregnancy (the lack of parental care and poverty) are interconnected since in poor families there is often the lack of parental care. The lack of economical resources (poverty) leads to the lack of responsibility in teenagers who do not see opportunities to change the established inequality.
The next cause of teenage pregnancy to be considered is peer pressure. Admittedly, all people live in numerous strata within one society which co-operate promulgating certain values accepted in the society. Thus, age is one of those strata which influence people’s behavioral patterns.
The majority of teenagers are subjected to this influence greatly. It is even possible to state that peers have their own subculture within the society. It goes without saying, that this subculture is not about music or dancing style appreciated, it is about an individual’s behavior: whether he/she is regarded as “cool”, or he/she is an outsider.
On one hand this social phenomenon can be characterized by a manifest function: teenagers are united by certain values. They have their own space (without parents and teachers) where they can feel free and responsible for their actions. This “space” has another, latent, function which shapes the individuals’ behavior. Of course, it also leads to social dysfunction, teenage pregnancy. At certain age it is regarded to be a norm to start sexual life, but peers rarely discuss consequences of this sort of life.
Usually teenagers’ sex life can be characterized by the word “carefree” since they are only preoccupied with acting like others (having sex) without going into details (trying to prevent pregnancy). Basically, the rules existing in teenagers’ subculture/stratum/age group can be regarded as a social consensus, which, nevertheless, can lead to social problems, like teenage pregnancy.
This cause of teenage pregnancy can be also regarded in terms of conflict perspective. As has been mentioned above, peers form a group which, as any other group, has numerous inner conflicts since the members of the group strive to obtain the leadership within the group or at least be as anyone else, rather than an outsider.
In terms of this struggle for the status teenagers try to find the way to prove they are worthy. Admittedly, sex is regarded as a sign of coolness, so those who want to gain respectful status in the group choose this way.
Moreover, it is quite common that teenagers press their peers to have affairs. This is often regarded a kind of manifestation of leadership. Thus, teenagers who want to be leaders make others start sexual life, and this influence enables the former to set or prove their high rank within the group. Unfortunately, many teenagers follow unwritten rules of the age stratum without being psychologically and even physiologically ready for this.
As has been already mention the peers do not care of possible consequences of their pressure on this or that person. Interestingly, the peer pressure often leads to teenage pregnancy which is not regarded as the sign of coolness, but makes a person an outsider, rather than a leader of the group. Thus, peer pressure is one of those influential causes of teenage pregnancy since it is accepted that sexual relationship is cool, but teenagers are not ready for the responsibility required by the start of the sexual life.
Finally, the last cause of teenage pregnancy to be considered is the influence of media. Admittedly, media has started playing a very important role in societies. By all means, the manifest function fulfilled by the media is to bring news and certain knowledge to every citizen of a state. At the same time, the latent function of the media presupposes that media reflects the social consensus and the major values and principles accepted by the state, and it also develops certain stereotypes which influence people’s behavior.
It is also important to point out that the majority of teenagers are exposed to media on various levels, so it is hard to escape from forming stereotypes promulgated by media. For instance, media romanticizes early sexual relationship and does not explicitly reveal the essence of the problem of teenage pregnancy.
Teenagers, especially girls, dream about love or freedom, but forget to consider such issues as contraception, pregnancy and the future of their child or their future in a role of teenage parent. Media does not depict “the dark side” of being carefree. Therefore, teenagers are not aware that the problem is a really burning one. The majority of teenagers think that this happens to somebody else, and cannot happen to him/her. Media only supports such way of thinking.
If to consider the problem in terms of the conflict perspective, it is possible to focus on the idea of struggle. In this cases the effect of media and peer pressure are quite similar. Media creates an image of self-confident young people who are not afraid of risks and changes. This is regarded as an ideal for many teenagers. They start struggling to gain the same image.
Their actions can often cause conflicts in family, school or even in their peer surrounding, but teenagers consider this conflict as a sign that they have chosen the right pass to become different, to become better or the best. Of course, teenage pregnancy is not regarded as the goal to be achieved to become just like some “great” person from the TV. It is rather an unpleasant outcome on the way to certain status.
However, teenagers do not pay attention to that risk. They are more concerned with possible changes in their life. Basically, media influence is a very potent cause of teenage pregnancy since adolescents are subjected to stereotypes which are promulgated via media, i.e. available everywhere and every minute.
Thus, since the major causes of teenage pregnancy are considered it is possible to outline possible solutions to the problem. Since parental care is the most significant factor causing teenage pregnancy it is necessary to pay attention to parental upbringing.
The government, educational establishment should help parents understand the importance of their influence and their personal example. Parents should explain to their children what are the basic principles of true responsibility and freedom of adulthood. Teenagers should not find out about sex from their peers or some movies or poor quality programs.
More so, this “education” of parents should be held on all social layers: for rich and poor people as well. As far as not well-to-do families are concerned it is essential to pay more attention to such children in their adolescence. It is necessary to make them see other ways. They should understand that self-development and education can help them gain higher social status.
Admittedly, these measures will help neutralize the first three causes, since if a teenager has enough parental care he/she will never act unreasonably only because somebody told so. Parents should become the authority for teenagers and this will keep adolescents from many problems, including teenage pregnancy. Finally, the final cause, the negative influence of media, can be also diminished. Media should share responsibility for education young people.
Government will have to implement certain legislation and launch initiatives which encourage media to promulgate reasonable behavior and responsibility of teenagers. Thus, in conclusion it is possible to point out that the four major causes of teenage pregnancy (parental care, poverty, peer pressure, influence of media) should be taken into account when solving the problem. The solution presupposes the active position of government and educational establishments which can influence the spread of certain values in society.
It is important to discuss the concept of pregnancy before delving into what teenage pregnancy really is. Pregnancy, in broad terms, is a condition whereby a female human being carries a fetus in their womb. This is because of the fertilization caused by fission of the male sperm and female egg in the fallopian tube.
The fetus grows gradually in the womb eventually becoming a human species with all organs well developed after nine months after which the baby is born. It is also crucial to note that this development can happen in the body of any woman who has menstrual cycles irrespective of the woman’s age (Kaplowitz, 2006).
Teenage refers to the age between thirteen years and twenty years. This is the period when most, if not all human beings, are at their puberty stages and are very sexually active. At this stage though, neither the female nor the male are ready to assume the role of parenthood as they themselves are still considered as minors.
Unfortunately, most teenagers are so curious and most have the urge to have sex at this early age. Since most of them are, do not have much knowledge regarding sex, most female teenagers end up being pregnant at this minor age. This is what is referred to as teenage pregnancy as the women in question are not yet above twenty years old.
Teenage pregnancy in many countries is considered illegal. This is because the pregnant women are still minors who should be at the care of their parents. In most cases, these minors become pregnant without their conscious knowledge and most are not ready to carry pregnancies at this age.
There many cases reported of teenage pregnancies in not only the United States but also the world over. These cases vary from one region to another depending on the region’s economic status. It has been recorded that the poorer the region the higher the rate of teenage pregnancy. This therefore means that teenage pregnancy is more prevalent in the developing countries than in the developed countries.
A study showed that out of every 143 teenagers become pregnant out every 1000 in sub Saharan Africa. This compared to 2.9 teenagers out of the same number in south Korea is an alarming rate and can be reason enough to say that poverty is a major contributor of teenage pregnancy as countries in the sub Saharan region are poor. It is alarming per se according to research that about 13.5 million children are born of teenagers. Majority of these teenagers are mostly in the developing countries.
Effects of Teen Pregnancy
Among the issues stated earlier, there are more causes of teenage pregnancy rather than curiosity and being sexually active. Studies have shown that teenage pregnancies in the developed countries are associated with lower economic status, lack of education and are in most communities a taboo.
Most of these teenage pregnancies are outside marriage as it is very unusual to find a minor in this case a teenager being married in the developed world. Teenage pregnancy in the developed world is highly stigmatized and is considered a social ill (Macionis, 2010).
On the other hand, though not as socially accepted, communities in the developing countries do not stigmatize teenage pregnancy. This is because; teenagers are married off to older men way before they are adults. It therefore follows that teenage births are well within marriage in most communities in the developing countries.
In the sub Saharan region of Africa, therefore, many women give birth to their first children before the age of eighteen. Some communities like the Maasai in Kenya have been known to marry of teenage girls to older men leading to the high number of teenage pregnancy in such communities.
In the western world, especially in Western Europe and middle income countries like South Korea and Singapore, there have been decreased rate of women fertility. Because of this, the age at which women give birth has increased reducing the number of teenage pregnancy.
Teenage pregnancy can also be attributed to poor or lack of sex education among teenagers in most countries and communities. In fact, this could be the major contributing factor of teenage pregnancy. Very few teenagers understand the issues regarding sexual intercourse and the use of contraceptives. In a study done in the United States, about 53% of all teens lack information regarding sexual intercourse and the use of contraceptives.
US record the highest number of teenage pregnancies among the developed world. It is usually very rare for parents to approach the issue of sexuality to their teenage children. This education is not also offered in schools or is sometimes offered in limited quantities and quality. Lack of sexual education therefore contributes a lot to teenage pregnancy.
There is also the issue of peer pressure and drugs and substance abuse. Most teenagers are pressured to have sex at an early age by their peers. This is more so with girls who are easy prey for older men. A girl is more likely to be involved in a sexual act as a teenager as would a boy.
It is wrongly considered trendy by many girls to have sex way off before they become adults. It has been observed that most teenage girls at the age of between 15 and 18 will have sex with men the age of 25 and above. These men are way off beyond these girls in terms of age and experience. They would therefore very easily lure these girls into having sex with them. Young teenage have a false conception that having sex with their boyfriends would result to the boy friend loving them more.
There is also the issue of drugs and substance abuse. Most teenagers are very outgoing. They may be involved in drugs and substance abuse. Considering that these drugs especially alcohol are easily accessible, they abuse these drugs which as a result impair their judgment.
A teenager is more likely under the influence of alcohol is involved in unprotected sex, as would an adult. Such cases in most cases result to teenage pregnancies and are unintentional. Most teenage pregnancies although whether under the influence of drugs or not are unwanted and unintentional.
Another major cause of teenage promiscuity leading to teenage pregnancies is the explicit exposure to the media. Most often than not, the main stream media portrays sex and sexual activities as trendy totally misleading their audience teens as a result. The media instead of contributing to educational matters these days concentrates instead on what is appealing to their audience.
Educational stuff or material most of the times lacks an adequate audience and is not good for business. This has led to the media having content that are positively inclined to sex thus totally misleading the teenagers who happen to form the widest and the majority of their audience.
Most teenage girls who end up being pregnant are also associated with single parenthood especially in families that lack a father figure. It seems to be a cycle where young women get children out of marriage resulting to single parenthood thus interfering with the social structure of what a family ought to be.
Lack of a father figure who in most cases denies having fathered the teenage babies affects a lot teenage girls in such families. Such girls are pushed by circumstances to seek father figures in older men who in most cases take advantage of them leading o teenage pregnancies thus perpetuating the cycle (Ellis, 2003).
There are also psychological factors that lead to teenage pregnancy. Some parents become over protective especially about their teenage daughters. This stringent upbringing can result to rebelliousness on the part of the teenage girl due to the feeling of lack of love and freedom. This couple with the lack of proper sexual education and bombardment from the media and other factors will most often than not lead to the teenager being involved in sexual activities. This in most cases lead to teenage pregnancies.
The issue of poverty in the developing countries prevents the teenage girls from using contraceptive if they even know about them at all. Considering that teenagers are sexually active, it becomes an obvious fact that these teenagers are going to take a risk by having unprotected sex leading in most cases if not all too teenage pregnancy.
Having highlighted some of the causes of teenage pregnancy, it is important now that we see the effects or the impact of teenage pregnancy to the young individual mothers as well as to the society (Macleod, 1999).
Giving birth can be strenuous to an adult woman who is fully aware of her condition and who is having adequate prenatal care. It thus can be detrimental to a teenage girl whose body is not even fully developed to give birth.
Most teenagers will not disclose their conditions to their parents or to any one else unless it is their secret confidant. This becomes potentially dangerous to the teenage girls due to the lack of prenatal care and the fact that her body is not fully developed to carry a pregnancy. A pregnant teenager requires even more prenatal care than her elder counterpart does.
This is because her body is still developing and requires a lot of nutrition to do so. This therefore calls for extra care to a pregnant teenager in order to have both the mother and the child developing on well without any complications. Lack of this care might be potentially dangerous to teenage mothers and can lead to the death of either of them or both. In case of a stillbirth, the teenager may be severely impaired psychologically.
How to Prevent Teenage Pregnancy
Considering the stigma that comes along with teenage pregnancy especially in the western world, most teenagers prefer not to expose their condition thus risking both their life’s and that their unborn babies. Going on with their daily lives as if nothing is happening in their bodies can be potentially harmful and dangerous to the pregnant teenagers.
This is what usually happens to many pregnant teenagers leading to birth complications. These complications can harm the mother as not to have the ability to have any more children or can even kill her and her baby. It should be noted here that teenage mothers despite their age could give birth to very normal and healthy babies if given proper and appropriate prenatal care.
There is also the issue of abortion. Most teenagers are encouraged by their peers to carry out an abortion whenever they get pregnant. Some go through the process successfully after visiting qualified medical practitioner where this practice is legalized. In countries where abortion is illegal, the teenagers are forced to go to unscrupulous medical personnel or try to induce abortion themselves. Death of both the teenage mother and the child is usually the result in most such cases.
Other than the physical and health complications associated with teenage pregnancy, there are other social and environmental effects associated with teenage pregnancies. At the top of the list of these effects is the loss of an opportunity to continue with one’s education.
Most often than not, a teenager, who has given birth is forced out of school to assume the responsibility of parenthood. This happens in most developing countries in the sub Saharan region where there is prevalence of poverty.
Parents of such teenagers are in most cases not capable of supporting both the teenage mother and the child. The teenage mother subsequently leaves her education. Lack of education means that it is very difficult for the teenage mothers to secure any meaningful employment. This leads to a perpetuating the cycle of poverty (Treffers, 2003).
Psychological problems on the part of the teenage mother coupled with the trauma and the stigmatization can result to a teenage mother committing suicide. There are cases of teenagers, which have been recorded of teenage suicides due to pregnancy leading to children growing without parents. Other than the teen mothers, the teen babies are also affected both physically and psychologically.
A teenager baby could be born with health complications due to poor prenatal care. This coupled with poor postnatal care may result to impaired growth and other health complications. The child may also be affected psychologically especially in cases where the parent neglects the child or the parent takes away her life leading to a life without parental care (East and Jacobson, 2001).
Teenage pregnancies can although be substantially be lowered especially in the regions where there are most prevalent which is the USA and sub Saharan Africa. There should be proper sex education in schools and at homes. There should be limited sexual content in the media and more of sexual education. The sexual content in the media should also be limited to a particular group of audience rather than being exposed to everyone.
The society should be made aware of the social and physical implications of teenage pregnancies to avoid stigmatization so that the few teenage pregnancies occurring as a result can be cared for appropriately instead of being ignored completely.
All in all the most important aspect of preventing teenage pregnancies or lowering the cases of teenage pregnancies is the creation of awareness not only to the teenagers but to the entire society as well. The society should be made aware that teenage pregnancies in most cases are a set back to the economy as they bring about uncontrolled population growth among many other effects.
References
East, P.L., Jacobson, L. (2001). The Younger Siblings of Teenage Mothers. USA: Yale University Press.
Ellis, B. (2003). Child Development, Father Figure Influence. Journal of Child Development, 23. 4: 4-5.
Kaplowitz, P (2006). Pubertal Development in Girls: Secular Trends. Journal of Child Development, 23. 4: 41-55.
Macleod, C. (1999). The Causes of Teenage Pregnancy. Cape Town: Cape Town Publishers.
Teenage pregnancy is the pregnancy of underage girls during their adolescent period, normally between the ages of 13 to 19 but this range varies depending on the age of the menarche and the legal age of adulthood, which varies from one country to another. The rate of teen pregnancy is on the rise world wide due to changing lifestyles and increased fertility rate hence raising lot of social and economic concerns in the society.
Causes
The possible causes and predisposing factors of teenage pregnancies are early marriages, sexual activity during adolescence, inadequate sex education, sexual abuse, pornography, drug abuse, lower education levels, and high poverty levels.
Socioeconomic Effects
Teenage pregnancies results into the dropouts of the teenage girls from schools. The dropouts mostly affect high school girls due to the dominant peer pressure factors and inadequate sex education.
The education of teenage a girl is significantly affected because she must drop out of school in order to prepare and take care of her baby. Statistics shows that, the teenage pregnancy is the major reason for the young girls’ dropouts in high school. These dropouts have great negative impacts on the education potential and the bright future of the girl child.
Teenage pregnancies are prone to many obstetrics complications as compared to mature women due to physiological and morphological factors. These complications demands extra healthcare attention that is very expensive, especially to the poor families. There are also serious health’s risks associated with teen pregnancies that can permanently affect the health of a teenage mother if there is no consultation of a professional obstetrician during delivery.
Social stigma and stress negatively affects the self-esteem of a pregnant teenage. When a teenage becomes pregnant, she develops fears about unplanned pregnancy, becomes frustrated, and begins to lose self-esteem and hope, as it seems to her that she has reached a premature destiny of her life.
The pregnant teen has fears of disclosing her pregnancy to any one not even his boyfriend who impregnates her, because she is worried about what they will say about her pregnancy condition. She develops stigma and confusion wondering on what kind of image she will portray to his friends, family, and teachers. She contemplates on the options of either disclosing the bad news and keep her pregnancy or keep the secret and do abortion.
Prevention
Schools are required to develop programs and workshops that will provide opportunity to the students to develop their youth positively and become busy as idle minds are devils workshops.
Drug abuse and pornography should not be allowed in school because it encourages early sexual activity in teens. Girls need skills on how to avoid and protect themselves against predisposing factors and situations that prove to be very dangerous to their safety. Sex education will enable girls make their informed decisions and be responsible to their own actions and consequences.
Conclusion
Teen pregnancy is a major problem affecting girl child education worldwide. The increased teenage pregnancy rate is due to the change in lifestyles such as availability of pornography, drug abuse, peer pressure, increased fertility, and poverty.
Teenage pregnancy poses many challenges to the families and education system translating into serious socioeconomic problems in the society that need immediate attention to address. Teenagers are young and quite innocent on the consequences of teenage pregnancies, so they need proper parental and school guidance on the knowledge of sexuality and pregnancy.
Teenage pregnancy can be defined as a pregnancy that occurs in young girls below the age of twenty, regardless of whether they are married or of adult age (Christensen and Rosen 1). Teenage pregnancy has been increasing at an alarming rate, especially in the United States, Africa, and the United Kingdom. It has become a global concern because it affects not only the teenager and her family but society in general. An Increase in teenage pregnancy will, in the end, lead to increased child poverty as well as degradation of the child’s well-being.
Causes of teenage pregnancy
One of the major causes of teen pregnancy is the absence of affectionate supervision from parents or guardians. In the current society, parents are either too busy or too permissive. Apart from the provision of basic needs, parents and guardians are not involved in the emotional stability of the girl child.
Teenagers, especially girls, go through intriguing situations and changes in which they need parental support to understand and accept the changes. In case they lack this affectionate supervision from their parents, they seek answers from boyfriends who “seem” to be giving the affection and attention that ends up in a pregnancy.
Another major cause of teenage pregnancy is peer pressure. As children grow into their teenage hood, there is increased pressure to fit into certain peer groups. The peers may then push the girl into having sex to fit well in their group. In addition to this, modern society allows teenagers to have a lot of time and space with the opposite sex on their own, which results in instances of pregnancy at teenage hood.
Other factors key to this concept are sexual abuse as well as the use of drugs and alcohol. Teenagers are exposed to alcohol and drugs, making them lose control over their sexuality when drunk, thus leading to pregnancies. Sexual abuse, on the other hand, occurs when girls go for sex for pleasure without understanding the sexual impact. It is also evident when an adult sexually victimizes a teenage girl or a minor (Health Care Veda Ezine 1).
The lack of sex education in schools for teenage girls has also contributed to increased teen pregnancy. This is because it leads to indulgence in sexual activities without understanding the possible effects. It is, therefore, important to let girls understand issues surrounding sex and their sexuality as well as the possible impacts.
This is the duty of teachers, religious, parents, and the entire society to impart knowledge (Christensen and Rosen 1). On the other hand, the media has contributed to teenage pregnancy by advertising and showing programs, talk shows, as well as playing songs that advocate for sex. This makes teenagers practice what they see in the media, thus ending up with pregnancies.
In most cases, teenagers do not have the knowledge of using and accessing contraceptives, something that contributes to teenage pregnancies. Other factors, such as socio-economic and environmental issues, are instrumental in causing teenage pregnancies.
Effects of teenage pregnancy
The effects of teenage pregnancies are many and unpleasant. Besides getting pregnant, teenage girls and their children are at risk of being infected with STDs, including HIV/AIDS. Additionally, there are health implications associated with early sex and pregnancies, such as obstetric fistula, infant death, maternal death, eclampsia, and cervical cancer. In addition, other complications come about due to the undeveloped pelvis of the teenage girl (Health Care Veda Ezine 1).
Teenage pregnancy also brings about physical and psychological trauma to the girl since she is faced with many dilemmas exposed to her by the family and society. It also makes the parents feel ashamed because of their alleged negligence as viewed by the public or society (Christensen and Rosen 1). Lastly, teenage pregnancy has largely contributed to child poverty since the girls are forced to drop out of school to take care of their babies.
Conclusion
It can thus be concluded that teenage pregnancy is a problem for the entire society. Moreover, since it is largely caused by factors in society, it is the obligation of every member of society, including religious leaders, parents, teachers, and teenagers themselves, to participate in addressing the issue.
Works Cited
Christensen, Sue, and Rosen, Ann. Teenage Pregnancy. 2011. Web.
Health Care Veda Ezine. What are the causes of teenage pregnancy? 2011. Web.