Although the pregnancy rate in adolescents has declined steadily in the past 10 years, it remains a major public health problem with lasting repercussions for the teenage mothers, their infants and families, and society as a whole. Successful strategies to prevent adolescent pregnancy include community programs to improve social development, responsible sexual behavior education, and improved contraceptive counseling and delivery. Many of these strategies are implemented at the family and community level. The family physician plays a key role by engaging adolescent patients in confidential, open, and nonthreatening discussions of reproductive health, responsible sexual behavior (including condom use to prevent sexually transmitted …show more content…
The earlier teens get prenatal care, the better chance they have for a healthy pregnancy, delivery, and baby. Pregnant teens are at a greater risk for complications during pregnancy including premature labor, anemia, and hypertensive disorders such as high preeclampsia and eclampsia.
It is essential that teens get involved in childbirth education classes that are specifically developed for the teenage population. These classes can teach teens vital information concerning pregnancy, good nutrition, and a healthy lifestyle, as well as the processes of giving birth and the factors involved in being a parent. Classes like this can also act as a support group.
Risk Factors
• teen PreeclampsiaExtreme youth (younger than fifteen) and/or pregnancy less than two years after the onset of menstruation
• Poor nutrition or being under- or overweight before pregnancy
• Poor pregnancy weight gain
• Infections such as chlamydia or others sexually transmitted diseases
• preexisting anemia, smoking, or alcohol or drug use
• Poverty and lack of social support or appropriate heath care
• Lack of general education and age-appropriate prenatal care and nutritional education in particular
• Unfortunately, teenage mothers are also more likely to drop out of school and to experience financial hardship
Nutritional Needs
Dietary intake is one of the most important and one of the most controllable factors for a healthier outcome for both the baby and the young mother. As with all
Teen pregnancy falls into the category of pregnancies in girls age 19 or younger (NIH). Although statistics have shown a decrease, the number of teen pregnancy in the U.S. is still relatively high compared to the rest of the world. Sexual health is one of the top priorities in early adolescence health in the United States. Consequences of having sex at a young age generally results in unsafe sex practices. The consequences can be due to the lack of knowledge about sex education, and access to birth control/contraception (NIH, 2005). Due to the lack of knowledge and access to birth control, adolescents involve in risk taking when they start to explore sexual intimate relationships.
Multiple factors influence the rate of teen pregnancy. Some of the most important factors influencing pregnancy rates are socioeconomic status, education, and family income. With low socioeconomic status and income, parents may not always be present in their children’s lives in order to educate them on sex. School districts, then, take on the responsibility to educate teenagers on sexual intercourse and safe practices, but some fail. Stanger-Hall, K. F., & Hall, D. W. provided statistics showing that while many schools push abstinence-only programs, they show little to no positive impact on preventing teen pregnancies (Stanger-Hall, K. F., & Hall, D. W. (n.d.)). While abstinence may work for some, it is not realistic to believe that all teens will abide by it. Teens need a comprehensive sexual education with emphasis on safe sex practices, which is where Be Safe, Not Sorry comes into play. The comprehensive program will cover all
Teen pregnancy is very risky to the baby. Pregnant teen can struggle with many medical issues during their pregnancy. Premature births are common is young parents. A full term pregnancy is forty weeks, any birth before thirty seven weeks is considered a premature birth. The earlier the child is born the more medical problems the baby can have, such as developmental issues. Along with premature birth usually comes low birth weight. Teen parents can have poor eating habits, they could
Society in general is currently addressing the social problem of teen pregnancy in several ways. One of the most important is an increase in parent’s willingness to not only bring the issue up and discuss it with their children, but also allowing educators to address the issue in schools.
The teenage birth rate has always been at an all-time high in the United States. In 2009, alone statics from the Disease control prevention estimated “13.5 births for every 1,000 teens” (Blue). Bringing a child into this world is a blessing, unfortunately, sometimes the timing can be off. A child is a huge responsibility sad to say not every person can handle the full-time duty of being a parent. It can get complicated when you are a mother at such a young age. For this reason, teenage girls should acquire birth control methods to prevent getting pregnant, abstinence can help teenagers from catching an std, and allow them to stay focus stopping the drop out rate of teens moms in high schools.
Researchers have found a wide range of outcomes in terms of schooling as a result of giving birth as a teenagers. While some scholars argue that adolescent pregnancies have a significant negative impact on education, at times even reporting that teen mothers receive up to three years of less schooling than their childless counterparts, an overwhelming amount of evidence suggests that early childbearing has no substantial impact on educational attainment, negative effects being minimal and often
Teenage females would have to go through a series of evaluations that include, like a review of her medical history, a pelvic exam, an explanation of the risks and benefits of different types of birth control. For instance, Depo-Provera generally isn't recommended for young teens because it may affect bone mass. Hormone in Depo-Provera is absorbed from the muscle of the buttock or upper outer arm. Hormones enters the bloodstream Hormones travels through the bloodstream until it reaches the uterus, Hormones changes lining of the uterus so that pregnancy cannot occur. Hormones also travel to the pituitary gland. This prevents the release of LH and FSH hormones with the pituitary gland. Without LH and FSH, growth of egg and ovulation will not occur . Without ovulation, a woman or young teen becomes pregnant. There are also emergency means of birth control as well. For example, Plan B One-Step is available over-the-counter without a prescription. Next Choice One Dose is
Teen pregnancy has more risk than an adult having a baby. “They have a higher risk for pregnancy-related high blood pressure and its complications. Risks for the baby include premature birth and a low birth weight”(Teen Pregnancy). According to the article Teen Pregnancy teens
Teen pregnancy is more prevalent in the United States, than one would think. Even though the number of pregnancies has lowered, there are still an estimated 31pregnancies per 1000 teens. Unfortunately, there are immense consequences from teen pregnancy. These occurrences are due to many circumstances that can be changed, such as, more education, peer pressure, and today’s culture. However, there are ways to prevent all this from happening; using contraception, being aware, or even abstaining from it. Teen pregnancy is an ongoing issue in our country with many causes that can be changed by taking preventative measures to keep teens from suffering consequences that will change their lives forever.
Teen pregnancy prevention is one of the most controversial subjects in today’s society. Many will argue that peer pressure and the area you live in are contributing factors to most adolescent pregnancies. No matter what geographic location you reside in, the problem is usually in the home, in the school system, and the cost of contraception and the barriers in obtaining it. The biggest predicament regarding the issue of adolescent pregnancy is the question of prevention. Preventing teen pregnancy includes problems such as the availability of birth control, sexual education among children and adolescents, and parental involvement.
Teenage pregnancy is a new form of epidemic that is sweeping across the nation worldwide. No one can actually point fingers on who is to blame or why this situation has increased in numbers over the past years. As years progress and society changes, people have been adjusting to the fact that teenagers are getting pregnant, and that there is nothing we can do to change it. Although many think that teenagers make mistakes and that pregnancy is an automatic consequence, there is a way to prevent this outcome from happening. By introducing different kinds of sex education programs at an earlier age, the teenage pregnancy rate will decrease. Even though we cannot eliminate the problem, we can educate our teenagers so that this issue can be
Comprehensive sex education with an emphasis on birth control is a much more effective educational tool to prevent teen pregnancy than abstinence-only education. Fortunately, teen pregnancy rates have fallen dramatically in the past 20 years. “In 2002, the rate of pregnancy was 75.4 for every 1,000 women between the ages of 15 and 19, from 116.9 in 1990 (Teen
Pregnant adolescent females should be assessed for weight gain adequacy, compliance with prenatal vitamin-mineral supplement recommendations and appropriateness of macro- and micronutrient intakes. They have increased nutritional needs for iron, zinc, folate, calcium, protein, and calories at the time of peak growth. Adolescents who are most most likely to become pregnant typically have poor nutrition and socioeconomic background. Due to the increased nutritional needs in pregnancy, the pregnant adolescents may be competing for nutrients with their fetus [24].
Teenage childbearing is serious social problem in the United States. The rates of teen parenting are at is lowest, but the numbers still remain an issue. Teen parenting has been associated with negative outcomes for the parents and their children. Many teenage parents and their families are unaware of the disparities when becoming a teen parent. With outcomes of teen childbearing being identified, teen pregnancy prevention needs to be further addressed. Addressing teen pregnancy and methods of prevention will help strengthen families and promote healthy development in the future. Evidence- based teen pregnancy programs, parent involvement, and community involvement need to be implemented to help decrease teen pregnancies and rates and sexual risk behaviors; a comprehensive approach would be the most beneficial for youth.
Pregnancy among adolescents has been a registered ongoing issue ever since the early 1950s. There are many key aspects to teenage pregnancy, such as historical details, causes & effects, interventions, and relative theories associated with these aspects. This article will review and explain each key aspect in detail, while also giving feedback and insight on different interventions and available resources.