Section 5: Opposing Arguments and Validity to the Statements Teens should be responsible to take precautions to avoid a teen pregnancy themselves. Many people could agree with this statement, although, there are some people who would argue this. Some might say that it is the parent's responsibility to watch over the teen and make sure they use the right precautions, or most likely just abstain from sexual intercourse. Other people could blame society for popularizing this issue that really does not need to be popularized by adolescents. No matter who is at fault for this increasing problem, it needs to be put to an end. People blame the parents of the teens that get pregnant because they believe it is their responsibility to be watching …show more content…
They are suppose to be aware of what their child is doing, where they are, and who they are with, but they failed to do any of these things. However, teens should act responsibly and take issues into their own hands and do the precautions to avoid an unintended pregnancy. Teens know exactly what they are doing when they engage in sexual activities and they know exactly what they are risking; an unintended pregnancy or an STD. They should not expect their parents to be there every second and tell them what not and what to do (pathos). “Teenagers tend to believe that having sex is harmless and that the negative consequences they learn about in school will not happen to them” (“Partner Violence, Teen Pregnancy Linked”). This statement made by Victorious Nelson tells us that the teens do not take this seriously whatsoever. They think “that will not happen to them”, when it can easily can happen to anyone that does not take proper precautions; teenager or not (logos). “Becoming a teenage mom causes chaos and stress in the life of the young woman and her family. Most teenagers do not fully understand what they are getting themselves into when they engage in sexual …show more content…
People in my family have experienced teen pregnancy before and luckily they, and the child, ended up being okay. My aunt was pregnant as a teen with two of my cousins, and she did not end up finishing high school. My dad ended up taking better care of my cousins then my aunt did. I chose this topic because I believe this is a very important topic, and that this problem needs to be minimized. Teen pregnancy affects the community around me because it could potentially happen to anyone if the necessary precautions are not acted upon. I do not want any girl, at my school or any other school, to be looked down on or degraded just because she messed up, and that little mess up cost her more than ever imaginable. Overall, I would like to provide an answer to this problem. If all sexually active teenagers took the necessary precautions and they were more aware of the consequences than the rate of teen pregnancies will decrease in years to come. Schools should provide more education on SexED and on the precautions they should be taking when it comes to sexual activity, and parents should not be afraid to talk to their children regarding their sexual relationships. Nonetheless, it is the teen’s responsibility to take action and prevent from teen pregnancy to happen to
Teen pregnancy is an issue in United States, it is one issue that should wait until teens are married and know what they are doing with their lives. This issue came about in the early in the 1950’s – 1960’s. Teen pregnancy is a teenage girl between the ages 13-19 (girls who haven’t reached adulthood) having unwanted or wanted babies. Janet Bode once stated in her book, “Emotions run everywhere, scared, sad, disappointment and preparation for what is about to happen” (Bode 51). If we do not act now, teen pregnancy will be out the roof. Teen pregnancy needs a stop put to it no matter what, teens are still children themselves and they are still learning how to take care of themselves:
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 a growing epidemic in the United States. Teen girls are becoming pregnant at an alarming rate, with a lot of the pregnancies planned. With television shows broadcasting shows such as “16 and Pregnant” and “Teen Mom”, it is giving teenage girls the idea that it is alright to have premarital sex and become pregnant. It is in a way condoning teen pregnancy.
In the article “Abstinence Is the Best Policy in Preventing Teen Pregnancy” posted on the Opposing Viewpoints database, it is argued that teenagers are incapable of assessing and considering the risk of premarital sex and comprehension of the challenges in facing an unwanted pregnancy. The article goes on to say that while they are maturing, teens are drawn more to risky behavior including sexual behavior, and “as those choices get more risky […] guidance and limits from parents that are reinforced by peers, teachers, and other authority figures are critically important”. This article also challenges the results of sex education by stating that it is merely educational and shown to inform rather than change teens
It has been receiving a great deal of public and official attention recently, including expressions of concern from President Clinton (Trad, 1999). However, the most extensive dilemma regarding the issue of adolescent pregnancy is the question of prevention. Preventing teen pregnancy includes such problems as the availability of birth control, sexual education among children and adolescents, and a greater sense of support for pregnant teens. However, before society can begin to successfully prevent pregnancies among teenage girls, the underlying causes and facts about the dilemma must first be exposed
One cause of teen pregnancies is that teens have lack of knowledge that they need to make positive decisions about sex. According to livestrong.com, “teens do not have the knowledge needed to make informed and responsible decisions about whether or not to engage in sexual activity that can alter their life”. (Langham) Some teens also do not have
Summary: The National Campaign to Prevent Teen Pregnancy wrote the article called, “Teen Pregnancy Is a Serious Problem,” stating that teen pregnancy is an issue in todays’ world. There are many negative effects of being a teen mom. In the United States, teen pregnancy is seen as being “ok” because it is normal in today’s world. Adolescents don't know how quickly a pregnancy can happen. When they asked the girls why they became pregnant they said, “It just kinda happened.” Also, many teen moms have more than one child before the age 24. A recent study
Parents should consider speaking with teenage daughters about the necessity of birth control to bring awareness of sexually transmitted disease, pregnancy, and teen drop outs. It’s stated that 10,000 teens and young adults are contracting HIV between the age of (13-24), and many of them have multiply partner which puts them at a high risk of contracting a STD or HIV. So many teens are sexually active, but are not using protection which causes them to become pregnant. Statistic states that children who are born to teenage mothers has a high chance of having health problems, dropping out of school, incarcerated, and giving birth at a young age. Teenagers who get pregnant in high school tends to drop out. If they drop out that will not have the skills and credentials to function in today’s society and work place.
Each year around 90,000 adolescents become pregnant in the United States. Around 51% of adolescents pregnancies end in live births, 35% end up in induced abortions, and 14% result in miscarriage or stillbirth (Frick, 2007). Historically, the highest teen pregnancy rates in the United States were during the 1950’s and 1960’s before the legalization of abortion and the development of many the current forms of contraception(Frick, 2007). Rates enlarged steadily until 1991; since then, the birth rate among teenagers has decreased 35% for 15-17 year olds(Frick, 2007). Three in 10 teen American girls will get pregnant at least once before age 20. That is nearly 750,000 teen pregnancies every year. In 2013, there were 26.6 births for every 1,000 adolescent females ages 15-19, or 274,641 babies born to females in this age group. To prevent teen pregnancy, we should teach them abstinence, safe sex by using protection, and communication skills to discuss prevention from peer pressure.
Nearly 50% of teenage parents had never told their parents that they were sexually active until they were pregnant or had a significant other that became pregnant. (Planned Parenthood Federation of America) Many teens don’t want to tell their parents or ask for help with sexual issues they’re having an with education systems not properly educating students, many adults and teenagers are unaware of risks and issues that can come up later in life. With funding for planned parenthood going down it is becoming increasingly important to support and educate teenagers and minors in general about abortion and teenage pregnancy. “Everyone is doing it” Is a saying that is heard over and over, and if
Teen pregnancy plays a huge role in today's society. Article of Teen Pregnancies in the United States on CDC.com states “In 2014, a total of 249,078 babies were born to women aged 15–19 years, for a birth rate of 24.2 per 1,000 women in this age group.”, this quote sttresses the amount of new born babies born to women who are yet still babies themselves! Teens have sex, catch std’s and some get the ”best of both worlds” who end up with both; a baby and a std. It's a repeated cycle that 60% of teen girls fall victim to. Everyone thinks babies are so cute until it's their baby and can't just “give them back to their mommy”, because they
Endersbe, “Almost 500,000 babies are born to teen mothers each year.”(Endersbe,1) but many teen parents do not plan for a child or even consider wanting one. There are more girls getting pregnant now than there was 20 years ago and most schools in the US have a course that can inform them on the precautions in having sex at a young age and that teen pregnancy is something that they can prevent. These courses or programs teach young adults to be safe and hold off on sex. However, schools are enforcing the use of contraceptives if teens do choose to engage in sex. Because Americans encourage safe sex they want to teach young minds to be safe and use protection. With the knowledge that teens developed about safe sex, there are now “78% of teens using contraceptives during sexuual intercourse.” (Endersbe, 6) which is a good
Even though many are getting pregnant there are also many who don’t get pregnant. They aren’t getting pregnant because they are getting protection. Joyce Tsai states, “…teen pregnancy rates have declined 51 percent and teen births are down 61 percent…” (1) which is a big improvement for teens. Some teenagers are irresponsible and don’t use protection when they are having sex so the girl gets pregnant and they don’t know what to do. Schools are also helping teens be a little more prepared and responsible about their sex lives. A woman from Planned Parenthood in Mar Monte says “…the move to offer condoms to middle school students at school-based health centers, where nurses, counselors and trained professionals can help students make more responsible decisions, is more important than ever.”(Tsai 2). She explains that students will be more responsible if they get everything they need at school by professionals. There are parents who are outraged by this because they think giving students condoms is a bad influence for them to have sex. As a result of that research has proven giving condoms to these students does not encourage them to become sexually active in any way. One parent says it is their responsibility to teach their kids about sex, “I’m one of those parents that believes in being open with my kids… it comes down to parents to teach their kids values and morals…” (Tsai 2). Even though many teens are
A topic in American society that has proved to be an ongoing, and growing issue is that none other than teen pregnancy. In recent years, teen pregnancy rates have been increasing, which ultimately led to the topics increase of public and media attention. In American society teen pregnancy is often associated with negligence, as well as being irresponsible. In American society sex education for children is underdeveloped and instead society tends to use fear and shame to highlight/combat the dangers of unsafe or underage sex. American society uses fear to instill the idea that if you become pregnant as a teenager you are a burden to society. Along with fear society loves to shame its young women who have unfortunately stumbled upon the
"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.