Statistics Of Teenage Pregnancy Essay Research Paper

Statistics Of Teenage Pregnancy Essay, Research Paper

Every day another baby is born. What are the problems that happen to a teenage mother and why. Most babies that are born to teenage mothers are more likely to be born premature and/or suffer low birth weight. There are many problems involved with children having children. First off, there is a higher risk of low birth rate, premature labor, and stillbirth. One major problem is that teenage girls are not fully grown and matured; therefore, when they become pregnant it induces problems not only on the baby, but the mother as well. *A general rule: The younger the mother, the greater risk of complications for both the mother and child.

Often, pregnant teenage mothers deny the fact that they are indeed pregnant, therefore ignoring the proper care needed for the growing baby inside of her. There are no easy answers; that s one thing that everyone agrees on when it comes to the problem of teen pregnancy. The Center of Disease Control and prevention affirmed on June 26, 1999 what other agencies, such as the National Center for Health Statistics, have been saying over the course of this year: The teen pregnancy rate is dropping. The number of teenage girls across the country who became pregnant fell 12 percent between 1991 and 1996. This drop affects all girls of different races and socioeconomic backgrounds in all states.

The United States teen pregnancy rate is the highest of any industrialized country in the world. Babies born in the U.S. to teenage mothers are at risk for long-term problems in many major areas of life, including school failure, poverty, and physical or mental illness. The teenage mothers themselves are also at risk of these problems. Who suffers the consequences. Mothers are less likely to complete high school, (only one-third receive a high school diploma) and more likely to end up on welfare (nearly 80 percent of the children of teenage mothers are unmarried teen mothers that are bound to end up on welfare). Teen babies have lower birth weights, are more likely to perform poorly in school, and the sons of teen mothers are at a13 percent greater risk of abuse and neglect. A majority of the sons of teenage mothers are more likely to end up in prison while teen daughters are 22 percent more likely.

What helps prevent teen pregnancy. The primary reason that teenage girls who have never had intercourse give for abstaining from sex is that having sex would be against their religious or moral values. Other reasons cited include desire to avoid pregnancy, fear of contracting a sexually transmitted disease (STD), and not having met the appropriate partner. Three of four girls and over half of boys report that female teenagers who have sex do so because their boyfriends want them to. Teenagers with strong emotional attachments to their parents are much less likely to become pregnant at such an early age. Most people say teens should remain abstinent and not become sexually active at an early age. However, the teenagers should have access to contraceptives.

Ninety-five percent of the adults in the United States and 85 percent of teenagers think it is important that school-aged children and teenagers be given a strong message from society that they should abstain from sex until they are out of high school.

Almost 60 percent of adults also think that sexually active teenagers should have access to contraceptives. The use of contraceptives among sexually active teens has increased but still remains inconsistent. Nearly 75 percent of teens use some method of contraception (usually a condom) the first time they have sex.

A sexually active teen that doesn t use any type of contraceptives has a 90 percent chance of pregnancy within one year.

Parents rate high among many teens as trustworthy and preferred information sources on birth control. One in two teens say they trust their parents most for reliable and complete information about birth control; only 12 percent say a friend. Teens who have been raised by both parents (biological or adoptive) from birth have lower probabilities of having sex over teens that grew up in any other family situation. At age 16, 22 percent of girls from intact families and 44 percent of other girls have had sex at least once. Similarly, teens from intact, two-parent families are less likely to give birth in their teens than girls from other family backgrounds.

Do teens wish they had waited to have sex. A majority of both girls and boys who are sexually active wish they had waited. Eight in ten girls and six in ten boys say they wish they had waited until they were older to have sex. Pregnant teens can have many different emotional problems. Reactions: Others view the creation of child as an achievement and not in unrealistic ways. Some may want a baby to have someone to love, but not to recognize the member. Depression is also a common among pregnant teens. The amount of care that a baby needs is simply tremendous. Many do not anticipate that their adorable baby can also be demanding and strenuous. Some become overwhelming by guilt, anxiety, and fears. There may be a time when the pregnant teenager s emotional reactions and mental state will require referral to a qualified mental health professional.

Babies that are born to teenagers are at risk for neglect and abuse because their young mothers are uncertain about t