Risky Sexual Behavior

When we look at influences, it is hard to say what precisely is the main pressure of teen pregnancies in the United States is. Each year, almost 750,000 teenage women, in the United States of America, ages 15 to 19 become pregnant (U.S. Teenage Pregnancy Statistics, 2006). Worldwide, rates of

Each year, more than 600,000 teens become pregnant, and 3 in 10 will become pregnant before they reach age 20 (Secure et al., 2015). Rates are higher among black and Hispanic teens, with 4 in 10 becoming pregnant by 20 years of age, compared with 2 in 10 white teens (Secure et al., 2015). Even though over time the overall rate of teen pregnancy has decreased, it’s still very high and has a large impact on the teen parents as well as the families.

Based on the readily available images broadcast from films, MTV and other mass media, one might assume that the teen pregnancy epidemic is on the rise. In one respect, this health risk condition has rarely been more culturally visible than it is right now. However, it does bear noting that teen pregnancy has actually been on the decline in the United States over the last two decades. According to the source provided by Sheets (2012), "from 1990 to 2008, the teen pregnancy rate decreased 42 percent (from 117 to 68 pregnancies per 1,000 teen girls)."

In the 1950s, the frequency of teenage births in the United States was already high, and since that, time has decreased, although the number of births outside marriage has increased. Thus, in 1990 the rate was 61.8 births, pregnancy rate - 116.9 per 1,000. The incidence of teenage pregnancy has decreased significantly in the 1990s. This decline is observed in all racial groups, but Teenagers, African Americans and Hispanic teens remain higher frequency compared with Americans of European and Asian origin. Guttmacher Institute, about 25% of this decline carried her share of sexual abstinence and 75% - on the effective use of contraceptives. However, in 2006 the first time in 14 years, the incidence of teenage births has increased. This would imply that the incidence rates of teenage pregnancy are also on the rise, but marked by the rise could be linked to other sources: for example, reducing the number of abortions or a decrease in the number of abortions.

Sex, impulsivity, and substance abuse have been individually linked with several pieces of past research. Risky sexual behavior and substance abuse have been linked and although it is a small to moderate linkage (Ritchwood, 2012), other factors could increase this relation. Impulsivity has been linked to both risky sexual behavior and substance abuse (Deckman & DeWall, 2011; Moeller, 2002). The mediator in this relationship could be a thrill-seeking personality trait (Grossman et al., 2004), such as the sensation seeking facet of impulsivity. There has not been any previous study that has suggested a mediator between risky sexual behavior and substance abuse, even though there is a clear link between

The two main risks of becoming sexually active at a young age are unintended pregnancies and STDs. Both of which can easily be prevented by a proper education in the use of condoms and contraceptives. Annually almost 615,000 teenage girls become pregnant with 82 percent of the pregnancies being unplanned, (Guttmacher). These girls are typically unready to handle pregnancy and motherhood, lacking the mindset for patience, maturity, and sacrifice the life of a mother requires. Young people ages 15-24 account for 25 percent of all new HIV infections in the U.S. and make up almost one-half of the over 19 million new STD

Teenage pregnancy and disease have not only created a problem for the US in the past, but have also created a problem that the US still struggles with today. For example as early as 1988, “50% of female adolescents and 60% of male adolescents 15 to 19 years of age had engaged in sexual intercourse, more than 1 in 10 teenage girls was pregnant, and 1 in 6 sexually experienced teens had a sexually transmitted

Programs that encourage abstinence have become a vital part of school systems in the US. These programs are usually referred to as abstinence-only or value-based programs while other programs are called as safer-sex, comprehensive, secular or abstinence-plus programs which on the contrary promote the usage of effective contraception. Although abstinence-only and safer-sex programs disagree with one another, their core values and stand on the aims of sex education is to help teens develop problem-solving skills and the skill of good decision-making. They believe that adolescents will be better prepared to “act responsibly in the heat of the moment” (Silva). Most programs that have been currently implemented in the US have seen a delay in the initiation of sex among teens which proves to be a positive and desirable outcome (Silva).

According to the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), teen birth rate in the United States (U.S.) has been continuously declined for the past 20 years, yet the U.S. is still ranked the highest in teen pregnancy when compared to other developed nations (U.S. Department of Health & Human Services, 2016). The term teen pregnancy is denoting young females being pregnant or giving birth under the age of 20. According to the CDC, in 2015, there were 229,715 babies born to adolescent females ages between 15-19, or a total of 22.3 live births per 1,000 in this age group in the United States; almost 89% of these births were from unmarried mothers (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 2017). There are disparities in teen birth rates

Recent statistics concerning the teen birthrates are alarming. About 560,000 teenage girls give birth each year. Almost one-sixth of all births in the United States are to teenage women. Eight in ten of these births resulted from unintended pregnancies. By the age of eighteen, one out of four

Over the past two decades, the rates of teen pregnancy have grown dramatically. According to the Prevention of Teen Pregnancy, approximately every thirty-one seconds ateenager becomes pregnant in the United States. This is unbelievable, however that is the truth that no one can deny. Many people think that teen pregnancy don't effect them unless they get pregnant or one of the family members in teenage get pregnant. However teen pregnancy really affects our communities and country. Approximately, over eighty-five percent of teenage girls who become pregnant every year do not plan their pregnancies and only fifteen percent of pregnancies are prepared. The causes of teen pregnancy is unsafe sex or poor sex education in

Teenage pregnancy is a common thing here in America. It seems teens are getting pregnant more than the average married couple. There are some risk factors teen moms face and there is also another great turn outs. There is a major difference between the two. It’s important to tell teens the turnouts of teen pregnancy for the good and bad parts. There are risks of having sex, teen moms can make a difference for her and the baby, the risk of having HIV and/or any other STD’s, and the effects on the baby and mom. The numbers are inconceivable for studies:

"Teen pregnancy in the United States: In 2015, a total of 229,715 babies were born to women aged 15-19 years old, for a birth rate of 22.3 per 1,000 women in this age group. This is another record for U.S. teens and a drop of 8% from 2014. Although reasons for the declines are not totally clear, evidence suggests these declines are due to more teens abstaining from sexual activity, and more teens who are sexually active using birth control than in previous years. Still, the U.S. teen pregnancy rate is substantially higher than in other western industrialized nations, and racial/ethnic and geographic disparities in teen birth rates persist (cdc.gov)." As teenagers (in the United States), we are peer pressured or tempted to try new things. Some teens tend to try out drugs, and alcohol. However, some are having unprotected sex in which, is leads to having babies. This is called, teenage pregnancy. This has caused the United States to create records based off of the statistics and facts given from, researchers across the United States. In order to help prevent teenage pregnancy in the United States, teenagers must understand why, having a baby now isn’t such a smart move on their part.

The teen pregnancy rate had decreased by the maximum of about 55 percent. Most teen birth rates had also gone down about 64 percent, but yet teen pregnancies and birth rate for teenagers ages 15-19 in the U.S still remains one of the highest comparable countries. Due to parenthood, most of teen moms drop out of school. More than 50% of teen mothers never graduate to get their diploma. Sexually active teens that don’t use any type of protection has a 90 percent chance of becoming pregnant within a year, 84 percent of teen pregnancies are unplanned.

According to statistics one million girls get pregnant each year. At least sixty percent of pregnancies result in births, thirty percent are abortions, and fifteen percent are miscarriages. About twenty-five percent of teen moms have another child within twenty four months of their first kid. Teen pregnancy is a problem in many parts of the world. But the United States has the highest teen pregnancy rate among any other country. Only about fifty percent of teen moms actually graduate high school, and less than two percent of teen moms earn a college degree by the age of thirty. Statistics also show that most teenagers that have a child are at a higher risk of behavioral, social, and physical problems. With all these statistics, most would