Teenage pregnancy is a major concern in today’s society; there are many factors in a teen’s life that can cause pregnancy. In addition, multiple challenges and hardships will come with teenage pregnancy not only for the female, but also for the male. Being a parent is very demanding and can be hard. The difficulties that come with an unplanned teenage pregnancy can have profound effects on their life. Their physical, mental, and emotional health will be affected by the sudden news that they will be responsible for taking care of a child in the upcoming months. Teens affected by an unplanned pregnancy will need to give up many things in order to become a parent. In addition, they will have to take on more responsibilities that come along …show more content…
Of the 273 adolescents studied, 15% had experienced sexual intercourse and/or oral sex. They were asked about their sexual behavior, puberty, academic achievement, self-esteem, depression, family structure and relationship, and exposure to sexuality through media. Both male, which were further into their puberty, and female before the age of 15 spent more time watching television, had low self-esteem, and had poor relationships with their parents. This study showed that the media and parents played a big role in influencing sexual behavior in adolescents (Savage, 2008). Teenagers go through many physical, mental, emotional, and social changes. In an article in Medline Plus, the biggest change during a teenager’s life is puberty, the process of becoming sexually mature. Puberty usually occurs between the ages of ten and fourteen for females and ages twelve and sixteen for males (Medline Plus, 2015). The American Pregnancy Association states, puberty is triggered when the pituitary gland , a pea-sized gland near the brain, signals the body to release hormones that stimulates the growth and development of reproductive organs as well as other changes throughout the body (American Pregnancy Association). According to The Department of Public Health and Social Services, as youth enter puberty, defining their own sexual identity is at the forefront of normal
Teen pregnancy has been a problem in the United States for years. Although rates have dropped since the 1990’s, teen pregnancy rates in the United States are still higher than other western societies. Teenage pregnancy is accompanied with many negative consequences such as shortened educational experience, diminished employment, larger family size, increased risk of single- parent and poverty. Teen mothers struggle on a daily basis, if you are one of them you should visit a psychoeducational group. Teen mothers should attend psychoeducational groups because they can teach teen moms parenting skills, social skills, and provide them with the support they
Teen pregnancy continues to be a problem in America even though the CDC documents a decrease from 2007-2009 in all racial groups. (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, n.d.). Reducing the number of pregnancies in teens 15-17 is a core indicator identified by Healthy People 2020 to assess the status of adolescent health. Children born to teens are at risk for health concerns from being of low birth weight and having poor prenatal care such as delayed development. (Magness, 2012). Repeat pregnancy, dependence on welfare, and poverty are some of the results of adolescent pregnancy. Teen mothers tend to have health problems such as hypertension, and anemia and are at high risk for early delivery. Magness looks at the issue from the teen’s viewpoint and discusses the idea that some teens become pregnant to provide stability in an otherwise chaotic life and can gain maturity from the experience. Emphasis on continuing their education after delivery can prevent repeat pregnancies. Lack of productive or positive social activities or guidance can leave room for a teen to indulge in risky behavior to occupy their time. Peer pressure and influence from present day norms can cause teenagers to give in to early onset of sexual activity (Kirven, 2014). Finding after school or extracurricular activities can promote a healthier self
Although teen pregnancy has often been associated with issues of principles and authority, for many teens it is full of hard decisions and change. A pregnant teen not only has
In recent years, teenage pregnancy has been labeled a major issue amongst teens that it can be known as an “Epidemic.” Is teenage pregnancy directly responsible for a host of society’s ills? Increasing teenage pregnancy rate translates directly into increasing rates of “school failure,” early behavioral problems, drug abuse, child abuse, depression, and crimes. Many social problems can be directly attributed to the poor choices of teenage girls.
Through this paper I will explain teen pregnancy issues and how it affects our teens and their children. I will discuss the physical/ emotional, medical and financial strain placed on teenage parents. Teen pregnancy can affect everyone in different ways. I will also so explain some programs to help with teen pregnancy.
Teenage birth rates, defined as live births per one thousand 15-19-year-old US females, declined by 10% from 2012 to 2013 from 29.4 to 26.5. In fact, the birth rate has been on a steady decline over the past 20 years, from 61.8 in 1991 to 26.5 in 2013. Teenage pregnancy represents both a health and social inequality in our society. Specifically, teenage childbearing is a public health issue because teenage mothers are more likely to experience negative social outcomes such as dropping out of school. This is a self-reinforcing cycle, as children of teenage mothers face higher chances of poor academic achievement as well as getting pregnant or getting someone else pregnant in their teenage years (CDC). Although the overall rates of teenage pregnancy have dropped, ultimately, the variations in the rates reflect the intersecting disparities regarding race and ethnicity, income inequality, geography, and environmental factors, which in turn affect access to medical care, education, and resources.
It is very common for young adults in the United States to become young parents as early as fifteen years old. In 2014, approximately 24 young women out of a thousand got pregnant from the ages of 15-19. Although this is about a 9% drop sing 2013, teen pregnancy is still a major issue among young, developing adolescents (CDC, 2016). This lifestyle shift has raised many personal concerns within young mothers and fathers about how they will raise their child, but most importantly, how they will prevent another unwanted or unprepared pregnancy. Although prevention in the form of birth control and educational programs are available to young adults, it is common for teenage parents to become pregnant once again shortly after having their first
An ongoing epidemic in the United Sates is teen pregnancy. In America, our society is run down by many problems. Most are caused by the older generation, but this problem has risen with the younger generation around the age of 15-19. The peak of the teen pregnancy trend started in 1990 when 60 teen girls out of 1,000 had a teen birth ("About Teen Pregnancy.”). For every 1,000 females in 2013, on average only 27 out of the 1,000 had gone through teen birth ("About Teen Pregnancy.”). Over the years, it seems that the trend is winding down and that less and less teens appear to becoming pregnant. In 2013, the teen pregnancy rate decreased by 10% since 2012 and 57% 1990 ("Teen Birth Rate | The National Campaign.”).
Adolescence is a time in a person’s life for them to discover and grow with who they are; during this time, learning about sex and sexuality are major topics for the adolescents, as well as their parents, to confabulate and embrace who they are. Adolescents should discover their sexual preference and further their education about themselves, along with their parents. If adolescents are not taught about sexuality and being sexually active, it can lead to either good consequences or bad consequences, it depends on the individual. They need to be taught about the risks and benefits about being sexually active, and how to emotionally and physically handle it.
Sexual behavior and activity is a normal part of life. Most people believe that there is a certain age that is appropriate to begin being involved in such activities and behaviors. Within society today and more so with the younger generations media is playing a major role in the lives of adolescents. What is seen on television, in movies, and on video games by adolescents is often imitated. This article discusses the topic of sexual content in the media and its effect on sexual behavior in adolescents.
The rise in teen pregnancy is often associated with three immediate causes. First, in these hard times, more and more teen
While many people are inclined to express indifference regarding this concept, teen pregnancy is one of the most controversial topics in the contemporary society. This experience can be devastating for some individuals, as the fact that they are raw makes it difficult for them to effectively deal with the problem. Society becomes more stressing and most teens who become pregnant come to express feelings related to shame and fear. The fact that these individuals are hesitant about letting their parents know that they are pregnant contributes to their problems and finding help sometimes becomes an impossible mission. Lack of life experience materializes into a more severe type of stress, endangering both the mother and the child.
Teen Pregnancy has become a constant form of societal acceptance. Amongst the ages of 15-19 three quarters out of a million of them ended up pregnant, while only a few of them had planned it. Because of hit television shows like 16 and Pregnant, Teen Mom, Teen Mom 2, and Teen Mom 3, media has made it acceptable for teens to attempt motherhood. In this case, teens are not taking in account the associated health risk and related issues like abortion, lack of care, and mental trauma. The children of teen mothers consequently suffer from the possibility of infant death, being born premature and with low birth weight, the possibility of blindness, deafness, chronic respiratory problems, mental retardation, mental illness, and cerebral palsy. These consequences are due to the fact that these girls have not fully developed themselves and will begin a cycle of teenage pregnancy. Therefore, teenage pregnancy is becoming a steady trend that many young girls seem to reluctantly fall into due to the negative influence of society.
Like Amy and Loeber (2009), when it comes to the ecological paradigm of teenage pregnancy, Corcoran, Franklin, and Bennett (2000) also believe one’s socioeconomic status is a huge factor that contributes to this problem. A person’s socioeconomic status a lot of times determines “education, expanded family size, single-parent household structure, and lessened resources in terms of employment and income.” These three authors claim that educational performance and goals “dictate the potential costs of child bearing at a young age.” Their studies have also shown that teenage girls’ relationships with the school setting and poorer performance in school serve a greater risk for adolescent pregnancy.
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.