Those at highest risk of teen pregnancy are girls from single parent homes, families with low socioeconomic status, and girls with a sister who became pregnant as a teenager (Talashek, Alba, & Patel, 2006). A significant risk factor identified by the National Center for the Prevention of Teenage Pregnancy (NCPTP) is that 75% of pregnant teens have mothers who were also pregnant as a teenager (VanLenten, 200?). The lifestyle of the average teenager is not conducive to fetal development. Teen mothers are more likely to smoke, eat a fast food diet, less likely to have adequate prenatal care, and more
1.5% has a college degree by the time they reach 30. Not only does it affect the lives of teens, it also affects their children. Girls born to teen mothers are more likely to become a teen mother. Boys that are born to teen mothers end up in prison most likely. (11 Facts About Teen Pregnancy) The affects birth control or the lack of has on the United States economy.
Teen pregnancy- The U.S has the second highest teen birth rate among 46 countries, also 1 out of every 3 girls will get pregnant before they even turn 20 years old. Each year almost 750,000 between the ages of 15-19 become pregnant, also over half of the preganacy is around 18-19 age range. HIV- We all know this is a big problem today. Many people do not practice safe sex in the world today. HIV
Teen pregnancy remains a significant problem and American society but there are steps that can help teens take responsibility for their sexual activity and avoid unintended pregnancy. According to Planned Parenthood, approximately 67.8 per 1,000 women between the age 15-19 ¬ nearly 750,000 American teenagers ¬become pregnant (Kost and Henshaw, 2012). The majority ¬ 82 percent ¬ is unintended (Finer and Zoina, 2011) (1).Unintended pregnancies fuel an abortion rate that some argue is murder and all agreed emotionally traumatizes all of the parties involved. Society benefits from educated and economically productive teens. Teens struggling to handle an unintended pregnancy are less economically productive, their education suffers and their potential is inhibited.
Birth control is very important for teenage girls whether they are sexually active or not. If they aren’t having sex, at least they will be prepared for when they actually decide to have sex. It helps them become more responsible and safe. Teenagers are starting to have sex at younger ages now. Parents know they can’t stop their teens from having sex but being on birth control can decrease their teens’ chances of becoming pregnant.
They are more prone to catch sexually transmitted disease and have a high chance of not succeeding in adulthood. Massachusetts has established some pregnancy prevention programs to minimize the pregnancy rates. Many young teens get pregnant early on in life and it interferes with their schooling, finding care for
While parents cannot determine whether their children have sex, use contraception, or become pregnant, the quality of their relationships with their children can make a real difference (Miller, 1998). The family unit must be restored. Parental influence focusing on the issues surrounding adolescent sexuality may help many teens from becoming parents at an early age. A variety of factors contribute to teenage pregnancy. The breakdown in American society includes moral and ethical issues.
Abstinence Only Education Sexual education has evolved over the last twenty years and much has been debated over how sex should be taught in schools across the nation. Those in favor of comprehensive sexual education argue that teenagers are going to have sex because they are unable to control their sexual urges and should be taught from a “safe-sex” approach (Eske, 2003). According to the Abstinence Educator’s Network (AEN) teaching abstinence only education encourages teenagers to take control over their sexual urges and abstain from sexual activity that could put them at risk for sexually transmitted diseases, un-planned pregnancy, and emotional distress. Research shows that abstinence only education can be an effective teaching method to prevent teenagers from engaging in sexual activity. Kathleen Tsubata is the co-director of the Washington AIDS International Foundation and is the author of Abstinence-Only Programs Benefit Youth.
People were married as teenagers, started families young, and did not live past age 45. In the mid-twentieth century teenage pregnancy was more taboo. Young girls who became pregnant were often considered to be sinners who shamed their families and outcasts or social pariahs. Teen mothers were often sent away until delivery or forced to hide their pregnancies and give up their children for adoption. The later years of the twentieth century to present have seen some change in public reaction to teen pregnancy.
Many teenagers are going to be sexually active regardless, and this model simply doesn’t accommodate to this fact or even acknowledge it. Students of today need a sexual education model that will provide them with the tools they need to be safe and healthy, and abstinence-only just isn’t it. Students are missing out on valuable education that could possibly prevent an unwanted pregnancy or deadly STD. Clearly, something needs to be changed about