The Problem Of Teenage Pregnancy

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

For many years teen pregnancy has been a national social problem. Views have changed over the years as society has started to adapt to the thought of teen pregnancy. “Growing evidence suggests that pre-existing academic and economic hardships play a role in the continuing struggles of teen mothers. While 85% of young women who delay having their first child until at least twenty or twenty – one obtain a high school diploma or GED, only 63% of mothers who give birth by age seventeen do so” (Crosson- Tower p255)

Young mothers tend to struggle to feed their children especially if they are single parents and they have to work. In research, done by Penman-Aguilar, Carter, Senead, and Kourtis, it explained the socioeconomic disadvantages related to the social determinant of teen childbearing. They first explained that the birth rate among teenagers in the United States has decreased drastically during the past few years, but they also explained that even though the numbers have dropped teens having a child so young can limit ones social and financial well-being (Penman-Aguilar et al. 2013, pg. 6). The researchers’ as well explained that teen motherhood has substantial costs for both the mother and the infant; teen motherhood can be considered that it is an indicator of suboptimal sexual health. According to Penman-Aguilar et al. (2013), social determinants of health are “complex, integrated, and overlapping social structures and economic systems are linked to lack of opportunity and to a lack of resources to protect, improve, and maintain health” (pg. 6), here it is explained that teen motherhood can be beyond the family or the individual. This was an important part of the opening of their research because it explains how there are possible theories about community-level socioeconomic factors may also contribute to teen

Teenage pregnancy is a hot-button issue in the United States that has lured the attention of citizens for many years. Since its peak in 1990, teen pregnancy has declined significantly, but is still held as the center for much controversy, especially with recent reality television shows that many claim are “glorifying” teenage pregnancy (The National Campaign to Prevent Teen and Unplanned Pregnancy, 2014; Henson, 2011). Although numbers of pregnant teens are down, certain areas continue to struggle with this issue, and are seeking new ways to get the message across. This case study focuses on a series of print and transportation advertisements that were distributed in Milwaukee and Chicago from approximately 2009 through 2013 (Murray, 2013). The following study also showcases the stigmas surrounding the ads and links relevant coursework from chapters two, three, and four via the campaign’s choice of tactics.

Pregnancies that occur in America involving youth aged 15 or younger is much less common. Only about “1%” (“Facts on American Teens’”, 2013) of youth younger than 14 years older become pregnant in America. Of the 1% of girls who do become pregnant, the adverse effects that would apply to adolescents 15-19 are amplified. A pregnancy at such a young age has more negative physical and metal effects on the mother because the mother is not fully developed mentally or physically. American teen mothers are often minority youth of African or Hispanic background who account for 57% of all teen births in America every year (“About Teen Pregnancy, 2012). This statistic attributes to the fact that American minorities are more likely to live at or below the poverty line where schools and communities do not provide sexual education that would prevent early pregnancies when compared to their Caucasian counterparts. Though the rates of adolescent pregnancy among teenagers differ by race in America, the negative outcomes of the mother do not.

Teens face a lot of problems during pregnancy, birth rates are reducing now more than ever before, and teens have many choices to choose from and make on their own when they become pregnant. In 2015, 229,715 babies were born to teens aging 15-19 years of age. The birth rate then was 22.3 per 1,000 women. That was a record low for the U.S. teen pregnancy record.

Teenage pregnancy is a serious problem in Lucas County. The rate of teenage pregnancy has gone up tremendously over the years. Without a solution, there will continue to be an increase in unplanned children, born with health and mental disorders. Infants born to adolescent mothers are at risk for low birth weight, which is associated with infant mortality, undeveloped organs, bleeding of the brain, respiratory distress syndrome, as well as intestinal problems. “Pregnant teens and their unborn babies have unique medical risks” (Teen Pregnancy). In Particular, teenage mothers are more likely to have a poor eating diet, become anemic, and not take the adequate amount of prenatal multivitamins. The mother may experience high blood pressure, which can lead to preterm birth, low birth weight of the baby, as well as passing it onto the infant. According to Julie Mckinnon “Lucas County has regained the dubious distinction of having the second-highest rate of teen pregnancy statewide, reaching levels not seen since the late 1990s”. Pregnancy within adolescence is exceedingly common and is continuing to increase. There are several solutions to this problem, one is to engage in communication as a parent with teenagers about safe sex. Another solution is making it easier for teenagers to obtain contraceptive methods. The best solution to prevent teenage pregnancy is to make it a law that every school is required to teach education on safe sex, the importance of protection, where to

Teenage pregnancy is an emerging global issue that affects sustainable development. Not only do the developing countries face this challenge but also the developed counties at large. Adolescent pregnancies challenge the moral and ethical sensibilities in most states and as researchers try to define the cause of teenage pregnancies. Sustainable development is necessary for the successful development of any nation. Therefore adolescent pregnancies become a societal` challenge that needs to be addressed efficiently. Teenage pregnancy is defined as the pregnancy that occurs in females below the age of twenty years (Leishman and Moir ). Depending on the situation, adolescent pregnancies can either be planned for or unplanned, but according to research most of the pregnancies are usually unwanted. According to statistics, although the number of teenage pregnancies is gradually decreasing, it is still calculated that for every five girls, two will get pregnant before the age of nineteen. The US is the most extensively developed country with high cases of teenage pregnancy; it was identified that more than 850,000 girls get pregnant every year and around 500,000 carry the pregnancy to term (Coleman). Notably, most of the societal issues are usually blamed on teenage pregnancy; for instance, single parenting, poverty, drug abuse, crime among other social problems. Over the recent years, there has been an overemphasis on preventing teenage pregnancy itself rather than addressing the

Teenage pregnancies have been a critical issue that affects young women all over the world. In some cultures it is normal for teenagers to have children, whereas in America it is looked down on. In “Teenage Pregnancy in the United States” by James Trussell, a professor at Princeton University, he states “one out of every 10 women aged 15-19 in the United States becomes pregnant each year… there will be about 837,000 pregnancies among women aged 15-19, and another 23,000 among those aged 14 and younger” (Trussell 262). There are many reasons why teenage pregnancies may occur, but there are many consequences that come with young mothers bearing children.

In 2015, the United States had over 200,000 girls that gave birth between the ages of 15-19 (CDC). The broad issue seen with teenage pregnancy is that females are missing their teenage years and are immediately moving toward parenthood. In fact, thirty percent of girls cited pregnancy or early parenthood as key reasons to why they left high school. Also, only fifty percent of teenage girl dropouts even receive their diploma by the age of twenty-two (CDC). In comparison, teenage girls who do not get pregnant, have a ninety percent chance of graduating high school. Essentially, the ratio of dropouts to graduates clearly shows that teenage girls need to be taught alternative ways of preventing pregnancy.

The issue of teen pregnancy in the United States first garnered the public’s attention in the 1950s. Beginning with the Carter administration, every succeeding presidential administration highlights teen pregnancy as social issue that needs to be addressed (Furstenberg, 2007). The issue of teen pregnancy was first noted in the early 1950s. In Post WWII America, birth rates rose at a staggering rate among all women (Colby, 2014). In this time period, marriage and child bearing were still inextricably linked and marriage among teens also rose. Due to teens tendency to marry due to an unintended pregnancy, the issue of teen pregnancy did not gain much attention during this decade.

Today woman has made great strides toward establishing her equality and worth in the eyes of her male counterpart. But although she may have broken many barriers and achieved great accomplishments, there are still some deep rooted issues which continue to affect her in a most insidious manner. One of the issues that women face in the United States is teen pregnancy which is still an enormous problem that needs to be addressed. The rates are still higher than they were only a decade ago. Becoming a parent permanently and profoundly alters a teenager 's life. Most of the girls forget about their dreams of happy marriage, and become mothers at very early age. College is almost always out of the question, graduating High School becomes a goal most teenage moms don 't achieve. Young girls having babies isn 't new, as a matter of fact, teenage parenthood was higher in the 1950 then it is today, but things were different. Most of the girls were eighteen or nineteen and many of them already married. Only a few of single mothers actually kept their babies. Today many mothers are fifteen or sixteen years old. Some are even as young as twelve. Fathers contribute little or nothing to the care of the baby; therefore it 's even harder for the mother. All of a sudden the girl is thrown into the world of responsibilities and duties, where the baby 's needs come before her own. She is expected to balance her school or a job with the full time task of raising a baby. Her world

Teenage Pregnancy is society 's biggest problem, there are so many ways to prevent it, also many advices from people and many decisions a teen parent must make in life. It is today 's biggest issue because it affects teen parent 's future in many results. The three most important things that it affects is education, financial problems, and being a teenage parent. Those three important things are key to each other in order to succeed in life. Teenage Parents are most likely to struggle with these issues and the child will grow up with many different kinds of problems in their life. Most of that will cause poverty and types of drugs too in their future.

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