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Teenage Birth Rate Essay

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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 …show more content…

The study’s aims were “to uncover the prime motivators for early sexual involvement, examine attitudes towards pregnancy and contraception, explore peer and family influences on sexual decision-making, and identifying the youth’s preferred sources of information and advice on sexual matters” (Aarons & Jenkins, 2010). The findings revealed that sexual intercourse among adolescents is influenced by various biological and psychosocial factors, such as physical and hormonal changes during puberty, lack of parental supervision or guidance, peer pressure, misinformation about contraception, alcohol and tobacco use, and low school performance (Aarons & Jenkins, 2002). Youth in the study group reported preference of clinics over schools for sex related education and services. The study concluded that intervention is imperative in order to delay and prevent pregnancy.
Statistic have shown that children from teen parent experience a greater risk of growing up in poverty, living in a single-parent family, having poor performance in school, and more vulnerable to substance abuse (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 2017). Similarly, teen pregnancy can also affect the mother on every aspect of her life, such as psychological, emotional, physical, and financial. The pregnancy can be an overwhelmed process for many and this will lead to feelings of intense emotions, such as excitement, fear, confusion, frustration, and resentment.

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