Pregnancy is essentially one of the joyful experiences of being a woman. The process of anticipating, nurturing and giving life can be a momentous event for a woman. Despite some discomforts, pregnancy is one on the pivotal moments in a woman's life. But perhaps not in the case of unwanted teenage pregnancy. Teenage life is basically the stage of adolescence, and as such, pregnancy for a teenager can cause much distress and anxiety. Instead of discovering her potential and her identity, teenage pregnancy can place an unnecessary burden to a teenage girl. The stress during the pregnancy, revealing it to the parents and the shame and worry teenage pregnancy brings can cause so much pressure on the mother thus affecting her health and well-being. Although teenage pregnancy in the United States has steadily decreased over the years, the pregnancy rate among teenagers remain high. In 1991, 60 out of 1000 young women gave birth during their teens but in 1998, the number was reduced to 51 out of 1000. Such outcome was instigated by the use of contraceptive measures and less sexual activity among teenagers. But the statistics remain alarming according to the Women's Health Channel. Approximately 1 million women is beset by teenage pregnancy annually in the United States alone. Thirteen percent of pregnant women in 1997 were teenage girls. As the mother is basically unprepared for pregnancy, early pregnancy can put significant health risks to herself as well as to her unborn child. Teenage pregnancy cannot only place the mother's health to a detriment but can consequently beget social and emotional issues as well. As for the baby, teenage pregnancy can lay bare complications such as premature labor and birth. Socioeconomic consequences may also present themselves during and after teenage pregnancy. As adolescence is certainly not an ideal time for pregnancy, teenage pregnancy can put failed academic performance, poverty, physical and mental illness as matters to be dealt with. AsĀ teenage mothers are generally caught unprepared and unaware of the proper measure to implement for a healthy pregnancy, these young women may not seek medical care and attention which may lead to possible medical complications. During teenage pregnancy, the mother may need emotional understanding, proper medical care and education as a healthy pregnancy is a venture that needs scrupulous grounding. A teenage mother must be aware as well of her nutrition needs and the potential complications of pregnancy. As most of the teenage pregnancy cases are unplanned, the young mother may experience varied emotions. Some teenage mothers may have positive feeling about the pregnancy while others might be reluctant to be mothers. Guilt and anxiety are also prevalent emotions triggered by teenage pregnancy. Depression as well can be the most common concern for a teenage mother. At worst, a pregnant teenager may even require the attention of a mental health professional. Studies have shown that teenage pregnancy can result to underweight babies as there is a tendency for the mother to have poor eating habits and to smoke and drink. Parental obligation is necessary for teenage pregnancy prevention. Parents and community authorities must ensure that teenagers are educated and guided on the issues of sexuality, std, contraception and the risks and responsibilities of pregnancy. Young as they are, family and community support must be made available to adolescents so as not to get involved in the complicated lot of teenage pregnancy.
The Effects Of Teenage Pregnancy
In many modern societies, unwanted teenage pregnancy has been on the rise. A girl who has not reached legal adult age and is pregnant with a baby is defined as teenage pregnancy. Of course, the legal adult in different countries differs. In some countries, the adult age may be 18, while in others, the legal adult age may be 21.
Teenage pregnancy causes several problems for the teen herself, and for the people around her. The most immediate concern is that the teenage is not financially independent yet. So family members tend to worry about her livelihood. Without financial independence, child rearing responsibilities often fall on other family members like the parents.
Furthermore, as teenage pregnancy is often unplanned, the incident may throw all plans into disarray. For example, the teenage may have made plans to pursue an education or a new and exciting career. Now that a baby has come into the picture, all plans may have to be shelved. The baby has to come first.
Despite such undesirable consequences of teen pregnancy, why are teenagers all around the world still getting pregnant prematurely? Let's examine some causes.
In many third world countries, a large percentage of the population is not literate. Without opportunities for a proper education, they are ignorant of the consequences of teen pregnancy. Without an awareness of the responsibilities that come with child rearing, many teens engage in unprotected intimacy. As a result, they become pregnant even when they do not have the slightest intention of having a baby.
But the teen pregnancy problem is not exclusive to third world countries only. Developed countries have also been experiencing a rise in unwanted teen pregnancy. In such countries, educational opportunities are abundant. So why did teen pregnancy still happen?
This has more to do with the culture of the society. The culture of a society influences the behavior of the population. For example, if loose intimacy is heavily promoted by the media, the population will begin to think that such behavior is acceptable. Without social constrains, teenagers, being young and impressionable, are often the most easily influenced. They then engage in intimacy and this gives rise to unwanted teen pregnancy.
In addition, teen pregnancy occurs because in many societies, intimacy is a tabooed subject. It is not openly discussed in schools, and most parents are too embarassed to talk to their children about the subject. Without proper knowledge, the inevitable happens.
Once a teenager becomes pregnant, she has only two options. She can choose to abort the baby, or she can choose to carry the baby to full term. The issue on abortion has been debated by ethicists and scholars all over the world. It is never an easy decision to make. But if the teenager carries the baby to full term, other considerations such as financial implications makes the decision making process even harder.
Perhaps the only way around this problem is to seek preventive solutions. As the saying goes, prevention is always better than cure. This is especially true for the teenage pregnancy problem. A human life is at stake here.
Countries will have to adopt a more active approach in educating their citizens about proper contraceptive measures. Teen pregnancy is a serious problem, regardless of race, language or religion. There is no need to shy away from the subject. This will only cause more problems. The only right way to go about the teen pregnancy problem is to engage the issue fully.
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