preview

Abortion In European Countries Essay

Satisfactory Essays

1. What are some factors that might explain why the US has a much higher rate of teen pregnancy than European countries?

While the rate of pregnancy in 15-19 year olds has been declining (59.9 births per 1000 women in 1990 to 24.2 births per 1000 women in 2014 (Office of Adolescent Health)), it is still quite high when compared to other developed areas of the world such as Europe. The reasons for rates of teen pregnancy is a complex issue with many causes, however, the leading causes for high rates for teen pregnancy are a lack of contraception availability and lack of knowledge (such as from fact based, comprehensive sexual education). The US is lacking in both (Berk). While nearly all US states teach about the benefits of abstinence, many states do not teach about other effective means …show more content…

What might be some reasons why the US has a much higher rate of abortion than many European countries?
One reason that the US may have a higher abortion rate than much of Western Europe is due to the fact that the US lacks having a well funded social welfare system to help vulnerable parents raise their children, such as those found in Europe. For example, in 1996, the US changed the welfare system from Families with Dependent Children (AFDC), a welfare program which provided money to help care for children for as long as the parent was eligible, to Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF), which has strict lifetime limits (ASPE).

3. What factors might explain why the American South has much higher rates of teen pregnancy than the rest of the US?

As noted earlier, lack of comprehensive sexual education can increase teen pregnancy rates, and the south tends to be lacking in comprehensive sex education and instead trying to use abstinence only education, which is much less effective. Another reason may be the demographics. Black and Latino women tend to have a higher teen pregnancy rate (Office of Adolescent Health), and the south has a higher population of these

Get Access