The number of teen pregnancies keeps getting higher and higher as the years go by. According to the Alan Guttmacher Institute, nearly 800,000 women under the age of 20 have gotten pregnant. Although it has declined, the rate of teen pregnancies in the United States is the highest of all the nations. It is degraded by society in most places and there is a stereotype that those who become pregnant always drop out of school and ruin their future and career goals. In some places people think it would be better for teen moms to not go back to school. Teen moms have the right to an education just like everybody else. Although it is hard for teens to keep getting an education and pursuing a career, it should still be an option and can be done with …show more content…
Many think that the presence of someone who will have or has had a baby will make others want to do it too. “... an encouragement to her peers to also indulge in premarital sex just because they won’t be sent away should it happen to them” (Umutesi). In Tanzania, President John Magufuli, wanted to ban teen mothers’ education and arrest pregnant teens going to school because of the same reason. He banned them from going to school because he said that if he allowed them to go back every girl would start getting pregnant and the number of teen pregnancies would increase. He stated, “As long as I am president … no pregnant student will be allowed to return to school … After getting pregnant, you are done” (Magufuli). A report made in 2013 showed that more than 55,000 pregnant teens were expelled and not allowed to go back. Others also think that teen moms shouldn’t be allowed to go back to school because they should instead get a job in order to provide for their baby and so that they don’t fall into poverty. Also because they need money to pay for a caregiver if they are going to go to school. “Already being part of a vulnerable group in society, she must gain employment if welfare is not provided and reduce her country’s dependency ratio” (Manmohan). Also, the African American Policy Forum found that sometimes teachers encouraged teen moms to drop out because of all their absences due to …show more content…
There are many other worse things than pregnancy that can encourage others and whether someone else is easily influenced, it is not the person’s fault. Teen moms shouldn’t have to be punished because of someone else’s decisions. Even if they did also get pregnant, it shouldn’t interfere with their education because it is very possible to be successful just like everybody else. It can be done with the help of a program which is why there should be more programs available for teen moms. The case of Sherita Rooney has proved that it is possible to continue with education and go beyond high school education through the help of programs. Rooney, who had her first child at the age of thirteen, was able to continue with her education with the help of the Act 101 program and the Keys Program. They helped her with her grades, attendance, and even offered tutoring which was one of the biggest things that helped her be successful. She was able to graduate Montgomery County Community College and transferred to West Chester University were she hoped to obtain her bachelor’s degree in math education (Haugen 90). Another example of someone who was successful with the help of a program was Yolanda Castaneda. She became pregnant at the age of seventeen and was able to work towards her high school diploma with the help of the Sonoma County’s Adera Program. Another program that has helped
Across America, many teen pregnancy are becoming popular. Many students have been educated on this topic, while other have not. When teens make the faulty decision, they do not know about the consequences that come with it. Consequences end up in having a child, and having a child is a lot of responsibility. Teens tend not to have much responsibility as important as taking care of a child.
A new challenge has overcame this generation of society. Keeping teen-moms in school and graduating with a degree, is a circumstance the community should risk fighting for. This generation of humans, the thought of sexual activity is more common and there are higher risks of producing a baby. The importance of keeping pregnant teenagers in high school, is so influential for their education and their future career. Becoming a new mom would lead to new stressful situations, which may cost them to quit high school and get a job to care for their newborn. Having new ideas and ways to prevent dropout rates from increasing, could just save their education. There are some strategies that are more common in high schools today,
When considering the financial aspect of teen pregnancy, education regarding the issue should be provided with an increased attention because taxpayers end up billions of dollars on a yearly basis with the purpose of assisting teenage parents. In addition to this, society suffers because most teenagers who become pregnant are unlikely to finish high school. Children of teen parents are probable to suffer more health problems and to perform poorly during school, given that they are typically provided with underprivileged environments.
Bad news to see the growing disparity between the pregnancy rate of students in higher income white communities compared to power income communities to color. Approximately 70% of teenagers girls who give birth leaves school. Not everybody are open to the birth control products like others. They either leave schools so they can take of their kids or either were judge and like it. When having a kid you need to have time for them , as a student that has to go to school , work. Birth control could help them more. When they drop out of school , they likely face a life of economic in security ( Mangel ). Theses pregnancy rates play a key role in the significant disparity in high school graducation rates between these same groups of teen girls ( Mangel ). More than any other group of high school dropouts , girls who leave due to pregnancy report that would have stayed in school if they had recevied greater support from the adults at school ( Mangel
Teen pregnancy is surprisingly decreasing over the years. According to Farber, “the most recent studies have shown that there has been a decrease in the rate of pregnancies among all teenagers and among sexually active teenagers (16). Although this issue seems is decreasing this is still a problem faced by many teenage girls today. Each year, 7.5 percent of all 15-19 year old women become pregnant (Maynard 1). Not only does this issue affects the pregnant teen but it also affects the economy. Teen pregnancy affects graduation rates. Many teen mothers cite pregnancy as the key reason of them not finishing school. Only 40 percent of teen mothers finish high school (Teen Pregnancy Affects Graduation Rates). The 60 percent of teen mothers
Does the TV show ‘Teen Mom’ and ’16 and pregnant’ promote teenage pregnancy or educate their viewers about teenage pregnancy?
Teenage pregnancy and parenthood are often seen as strictly negative and problematic, with the moral panic surrounding them only growing as media and government play a role in perpetuating these ideas of negativity surrounding them. Though it is a contentious issue, what are often ignored are the underlying causes of the social phenomena that are teenage pregnancy and parenthood. The experiences of poverty and social exclusion by many pregnant teens and teen parents have not been proven to be more severe than what these young people were experiencing before, so it brings into question the validity of the moral panic as well as the aims of programs meant to decrease teen pregnancy and parenthood. Looking at teen pregnancy and parenthood, first
As a young mother times get tough. Teen parents have it a little harder than teens that who are without children. Being a teen parent can affect you in many different ways. How do I know? I’m a teen mom who’s still in school trying to get a diploma. I became pregnant at the age of 14 in the 8th grade. Gave birth to a beautiful baby boy who goes by the name Rodney at the age of 15, but yet I’m still in school trying to make some of myself and give my son a better life than I had growing up as a child. Being young and not having that mother figure who shows you everything is bit of a challenge. But don’t get me wrong my mother was and still is an amazing mother. By her dealing with five kids and one staying in
Three in ten American girls get pregnant at least once before age twenty, making it approximately 750,000 teen pregnancies every year. About twenty five percent of teen moms have a second child within twenty four months from their first pregnancy. More than fifty percent of teen moms never graduate high school and less than two percent are able to earn a college degree by age thirty. The United States is known to have one of the highest teen pregnancy rates spending seven billion dollars each year towards teen pregnancy costs. Teen moms are amongst one of the most stereotyped populations, being criticized for their actions, image, and high school dropout rates. They are constantly labeled negatively with terms such as slut, reject, bad mom, and single mom. Many of these stereotypes are seen throughout media and advertisements, support services offered to teen moms, and the abstinent religious perspective. Although many feel this is the right way to go about the situation, hoping to reduce the teen pregnancy rates, it is cruel, unfair, and not okay.
When a female becomes pregnant during her teenage years, it can have a lasting effect on the rest of her life. The Tennessee Department of Health states that when an adolescent becomes pregnant, she is "more likely to drop out of school, remain unmarried, and live in poverty" compared to someone who waits to have a child later in life (www.tn.gov). Currently, the teen pregnancy rate is declining in Tennessee. It went from a whopping 53.8 in 2008 down to 33.0 in 2014 (www.tn.gov). However, the teen pregnancy rate for Tennessee is still higher than the national average of 24.2. Stanhope and Lancaster state that decreased teen pregnancy is due from having less sexual activity and using contraception. Teen pregnancies still have an enormous impact on communities around the United States even though the pregnancy rate for teens is at its lowest since 1976 (Stanhope & Lancaster p.415). Prevention of teen pregnancy is the ultimate goal. With the proper education and resources, I believe teen pregnancy will continue to decline in the future.
Not only will birth control decrease risk for disease and teen pregnancy, it will increase the rate of teens receiving a high school diploma. Teenage girls are more at risk of dropping out if they become pregnant; however, if they had birth control, a higher quantity would not get pregnant and drop out. Saras Chung, author of “New Study Links Teen Pregnancy and Dropout, Spotlight Solutions,” asserts, “Teen pregnancy and high school dropouts are linked.” This expert opinion displays that vital consequences are linked to teen pregnancy. Chung also listed some statistics in the same article. She affirms, “One in three teen mothers earned neither a diploma nor a GED” (Chung). Some teenage mothers do not go on
Girls who gave birth while still in high school only 38% of them graduate. The reason the rest of them drop out is since they are forced to work in order to support their child. Nearly all cannot manage parenthood, school, work without family or friends help. With teenage mothers “Their children showed reduced educational attainment, had more emotional and behavioral problems, were at increased risk of maltreatment or harm, and showed higher rates of illness, accidents and injuries.” (Dennison P. 6) Just in the state of Texas, in 2012, there were 44 births per 1,000 girls’ state wide. Nationwide 50% of pregnancies are accidental in 2006. Teen parents also are a financial load to society, According to the National Campaign to Prevent Teen Pregnancy, in 2004, all together taxpayers paid more than eight billion dollars to help support health cares designed to help the 420,000 teenage mothers who gave birth in that year. “results from economic analyses suggest that implementing evidence-based teen pregnancy prevention programs, expanding access to Medicaid family planning services, and utilizing mass media campaigns to promote safe sex may reduce teen pregnancy and save taxpayer dollars.” (Without the help of drugs like Plan B or any type of birth control, a large amount of teenage girls will become unplanned mothers, making more of a financial burden to society.
Teen birth rates were high in the same states with the poverty and special needs issues. With Louisiana teen birth rate at 47.5 births per 100, ages 15-19(Wright). This means almost 50% of the children born during this time frame were born to underage mothers entering high school or just graduating. Typically, when a teen gets pregnant in high school they drop out. This is either due to having to get a job and support her now new family or even the embarrassment of her situation. In the south, particularly many teens are made to marry at young ages due to pregnancy and forced to grow up. This situation is avoidable if parents would push their children to finish their high school education and recognize how important receiving their diploma is.
In August of 1997, researchers Joseph P. Allen, Susan Philliber, Scott Herrling, and Gabriel P. Kuperminc conducted an experimental study on teenage pregnancy and its negative effects. This experiment took place in the United States at 25 different testing sites nationwide. Before the construction of their study, the researchers began to take a particular interest in two social problems that they planned on correcting. The social problems they focused on were 1. teen pregnancy and 2. academic failure. Their goal was to prove that these two social problems directly correlated with one another as well as find a solution to the persistent lifelong consequences that come with these dilemmas. Therefore, the study “Preventing Teen Pregnancy and Academic Failure…” will describe these problems, develop a method to prevent the problems, and provide the results of their experiment.
Teen pregnancy is a very controversial social issue and the vast majority of Americans consider the outrageous rate of teen pregnancies a severe issue, certainly a problematic occurrence that is believed to be a moral decline in our country. Teenagers are physiologically capable of reproducing but not emotionally or financially prepared to be parents at such a tender age. Through various research studies a plethora of determinants has pin pointed teens unprecedented pregnancies. One cause of this problem is the apparent indication of social separation or disadvantage. Within this issue you would find poverty, single parent households, educational disadvantages on the parents behalf, a lack family/parental support, and unemployment. A child’s educational performance, inappropriate sexual acts, and inferior apprehensions about their futures play a vital role in teen pregnancies as well. Amongst the listed disadvantages the three that take precedent are lacks of family communication, sexual abuse, and poverty. Furthermore, teen mothers do not fit the ideal ideology of the normative scheduling of motherhood, therefore, ultimately resulting in negative consequences for them and society. What needs to be understood is, as to why the numbers of teens are becoming parents at such a vernal age.