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Teen Pregnancy : Serious And Detrimental Consequences Essay

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Problem: Teen pregnancy results in serious and detrimental consequences for the child, teen mother, and society as a whole. Having a child during adolescence makes it harder for teens to achieve their educational, career, and life aspirations and also affects the future potential of their children at a high cost for taxpayers. Teen mothers are less likely to complete school and have a greater risk to be single parents. Only 30% of teens who get pregnant before the age of eighteen ever graduate high school. Only 1.5% of teen mothers earn a college degree by the time they are thirty ("Adolescent Pregnancy Rates."). Low levels of educational achievement by teen parents result in less employment opportunities and earnings later in life. The repercussions of dropping out of school contribute to an ongoing cycle of economic hardship that goes on for generations. More than one third of Mississippi teens under the age of eighteen lived in poverty. Because there are so many teen parents below the poverty level, the need for public assistance comes into play. In Mississippi, forty nine percent of females under the age of 18, reported receiving public benefits and food stamps. For single mothers, it is more difficult to control and direct household activities without the help of a second adult ("Impact on Education and the Economy)". According to the National Campaign to Prevent Teen and Unplanned Pregnancy, eighty percent of teen fathers do not marry the mother of their first

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