Teenage Pregnancy free essay sample

Recearch shows that Although the rate of teenage pregnancy in the United States is at its lowest level in nearly 40 years, it remains the highest among the most developed countries in the world. Approximately 67. 8 per 1,000 women aged 15–19 — nearly 750,000 American teenagers — become pregnant each year. (Planned Parenthood. (2012). Reducing Teenage Pregnancy. Retrieved from www. plannedparenthood. org/files/PPFA/reducing_teenage_pregnancy. pdf ). (Please see visual aid section for graph,visual aid script and visul aid description on pages 5-8) Allowing female teenagers in high school who are sexually active to have assess to oral contraceptive /birth control will help to further reduce the number of Bi rt h Cont r ol Pill s a nd Tee ns: A Gui de f or Par e nt s qf 7q GZ8 occurrences of teenage pregnancy which in turn will reduce the risk of abortion and high risk pregnancies. The obvious truth from prior stated researchs, shows that our teenagers are still having unprotected sex while some may be abstaining or practicing safe sex the remainder who do not do so have to be protected from what they can be protected from for their own good and good of our socities. We will write a custom essay sample on Teenage Pregnancy or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page Another problem associated with teenage pregnancies is the financial burden on tax payes and the government to provide medical care for pregnant teenagers. Research shows that The June 2011 study by the National Campaign to Prevent Teen Pregnancy estimated that in 2008, adolescent childbearing cost U. S. taxpayers about $11 billion per year . (Congressional Research Service. (2012). Teenage Pregnancy Prevention: Statistics and Programs. Retrieved from www. fas. org/sgp/crs/misc/RS20301. pdf). This is a lot of money that could be aved and put to use towards other pressing issues in our present day economy.  ·The expenses does not stop with medical care during and after pregnancy but continues with medical care of the children and and the social/financial of most teenage mothers continues to be a problem that could happen over their life time if changes are not made by them. Teen mothers are less likely to graduate from high school and more likely than their peers who delay childbe aring to live in poverty and to rely on welfare. ( Planned Parenthood. (2012). Reducing Teenage Pregnancy. Retrieved from www. plannedparenthood. org/files/PPFA/reducing_teenage_pregnancy. pdf ). This problem could very well be a long term problem if the educational and financial status of the teenage mother does not change.  ·The government will see a greater reduction in high school teenage pregnancies if sexually active teens are able to have assess to oral contraception without parental consent.  ·By continuing to promote abstinence and sex educatiion is very important to enable teenagers make better informed choices Providing and funding programs that will enable pregnant teenage mothers to go back to school and achieve higher educational status will help to reduce the financial burden on tax payers and government when these teens do not end up in welfare programs for themselves and their children.  ·Research suggests that high school girls should be allowed to have oral contraception withought parental consent because this will help reduce the occurance and risk associated with teenage pregnancy and abortionand reduce the financial burden on tax payers. Asses to oral contraceptives without parental consent will will reduce the incedents of teenage pregnancies and provide another option to high school girls when they do not abstain or practice safe sex. .Preventing teenage pregnacies among high school girls will increase their chances at attaining higher educational levels and better careers. This will inturn reduce the amount of women and children who end up in welfare and reduce the fainacial burden on tax payers and our ailing economy of today.  ·CLOSING STATEMENT: The advantages of oral contraception to high school girls/teenagers can not be over emphasized. It is of immence value to our young girls,their future,our communities and nation as a whole. Our teenage girls will have better prospects in life and also have an opportunity to make better informed decisions about sex at an early age. Allowing them to take some measure of responsibility for them selves when they are having sex will boost their self esteem and creat a senc e of responsiblity for their lives and our tax payers will save alot of maoney that could be used to boost the economy. AUDIENCE QUESTIONS: Question 1. With the risks associated with birth control pills, why should parents not worry about their children becoming sick or even dying from side effects? Answer. Research has proved that there is little or no risk associated/proven with teenage girls taking oral contraception. The center for young womens health clearly states that There are no increase in the risk of heart attack or stroke in healthy young women who take birth control pills and do not smoke ( The center for young womens health. (2012). Birth conrol pills and teens:A guide to parents. Retrived from http://www. youngwomenshealth. org/oral. html). Question 2. Young teenagers are known to be disorganised and even forgetfull, why should parents trust them to use oral contraception accordingly? Answer. Allowing teenagers to have free asses to oral contraception gives them a sence of responsibility and also the American Academy of Pediatrics has issud a statetement saying adolescents are more likely to use emergency contraception if it’s prescribed in advance. American Academy of Pediatrics. (2012). AAP Recommends Emergency Contraception Be Available to Teens. Retrieved from http://pediatrics. aappublications. org/content/130/6/1174). Question 3. Are there any states or school districts currently implementing this practice? Answer. The state of New york is currently implementing this program. The New York City Department of Education is furnishing morning-after pills and other birth control drugs to students at 13 city high schools and without parental permission. (Life news. (2012). Girls at 13 NYC Schools Get Morning After Pills, No Parental Permission. Retrived from http://www. lifenews. com/2012/09/24/girls-at-13-nyc-schools-getmorning- after-pills-no-parental-permission/) References. 1. Center for Disease Control. (2012). Pre-pregnancy Contraceptive Use Among Teens with Unintended Pregnancies Resulting in Live Births — Pregnancy Risk Assessment Monitoring System (PRAMS), 2004–2008. Retrieved from http://www. cdc. gov/mmwr/preview/mmwrhtml/mm6102a1. htm? s_cid=mm6102a1_w. 2. Congressional Research Service. 2012). Teenage Pregnancy Prevention: Statistics and Programs. Retrieved from www. fas. org/sgp/crs/misc/RS20301. pdf 3. Huffington post . 2010. Even At Lowest, U. S. Teen Birth Rate Far Higher Than W. Europe. Retrieved from http://www. huffingtonpost. com/2010/12/30/teen-pregnancy-us- _n_802854. html 4. Life news. (2012). Girls at 13 NYC Schools Get Morning After Pills, No Parental Permission. Retrived from http://www. lifenews. com/2012/09/24 /girls-at-13-nyc-schoolsget- morning-after-pills-no-parental-permission/. . The center for young womens health. (2012). Birth conrol pills and teens:A guide to parents. Retrived from http://www. youngwomenshealth. org/oral. html. 6. Time Magazine. (2012). New York City Offers Plan B to High School Students. Retrived from http://healthland. time. com/2012/09/25/new-york-city-schools-offer-planb- to-high-school-students/ . 7. Planned Parenthood. (2012). Reducing Teenage Pregnancy. Retrieved from www. plannedparenthood. org/files/PPFA/reducing_teenage_pregnancy. pdf . Teenage pregnancy free essay sample Teenage pregnancy† is pregnancy in human females under the age of 20 at the time that the pregnancy ends. A pregnancy can take place in apubertal female before menarche (the first menstrual period), which signals the possibility of fertility, but usually occurs after menarche. In well-nourished girls, menarche usually takes place around the age of 12 or 13. Teenage Pregnancy is now one of the serious problems in our society. It is one of the major factors that affect population growth in the Philippines. Teenage pregnancy is the unplanned parenthood, secrets among male and females between 13 to 16 years of age. Being in the wrong place and at the wrong time knows the facts out here about teenager’s lives and what they’re doing. Teen Pregnancy may happen due to the following reasons: ? Peer pressure ? Absentee of parents ? Influence of media ? Rape and sexual abuse. Teenage pregnancy affects not only females but males as well; it causes serious health and education problems. We will write a custom essay sample on Teenage pregnancy or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page â€Å"Nearly 4 out of 10 girls become pregnant at least once before the age of 20. Most teens get pregnant because they want to know what it feels like to raise a child or because they see others with children and they find them cute and want them to themselves. Others get pregnant because they don’t know about the different ways of contraception and ways to stay safe. Many girls struggle with teen pregnancy because of their low confidence and self-worth. They feel that they are ugly and no guy would show them attention unless they give them what they want. The reason why we chose teen pregnancy is because I believe that is a serious issue between teenagers now a days. I think that teen pregnancy could of been an avoidable issue if sex was a conversation topic between parents and their kids, and teachers to students. Kids should start to know about sex and ways to prevent pregnancy and STDs, STIs since theyre in middle school since kids now a days are becoming sexualy active since theyre like 13 years old which makes them more exposed to pregnancy and other consequences people face when having unsafe sex, due to their ignorance on how to have safe sex. Teenage Pregnancy free essay sample A discussion of teenage pregnancy in the United States. (more) Teenage Pregnancy free essay sample Challenges of Teenage Parenthood A. Parenthood Options B. Continuing Education C. Financial Problems V. Conclusion Teenage pregnancy is a major concern in todays society ;there are many ways to prevent teenage pregnancy, many people to get advice from, and many decisions a teenage parent must make. The statistics tell that the U. S. has the highest rate of teen pregnancy Teen Pregnancy Teen Pregnancy Parenting You sit there tense, your face is turning cherry red, your eyes are fixed on the little white machine, and you feel like the suspense is and births. More than 4 out of ten young women become pregnant at least once before they reach the age of 20-nearly one billion a year(Teen Pregnancy Facts and Stats 1). Teenage pregnancy has declined slowly but steadily. These recent declines reverse the 24-percent rise in the teenage birth rate from 1986 to 1991 (Teen Pregnancy Facts and Stats 1). Usually only one-third of teenage mothers receive a high school diploma. We will write a custom essay sample on Teenage Pregnancy or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page The rest of the mothers usually end Teen Pregnancy You sit there tense, your face is turning cherry red, your eyes are fixed on the little white machine, and you feel like the suspense is killing you, two minutes p on welfare. A majority of both boys and girls who are sexually active wish they had waited. Eight in ten girls and six in ten boys say they wish they had waited (Teen Pregnancy Facts and Stats 1). Many people are concerned about the problems teenage parents and their children face. The health risks for a teenage girl who becomes pregnant increase sharply. One of the concerns of teenage mothers is the health risk. Usually young women have Teen Pregnancy Teen Pregnancy Over the past two decades, the rates of teen pregnancy have grown dramatically. According to the Prevention of Teen Pregnancy, approximately every thirty-one seconds teenage pregnant in the more complications in pregnancy than older women. The most hazardous complication is low birth weight. One out of seven babies born to teenage mothers have a low birth weight (Hildebrand 88). Poor eating habits, smoking, or using alcohol or drugs, cause low birth weight. Premature babies and babies with low birth weights often have organs that havent fully developed, such as lungs, heart and brain. These babies get sick easier than normal weight babies. As a result Teen Pregnancy The situation is as follow: A teen girl (anywhere from the age thirteen to eighteen) finds herself in a sexual relationship with a male. The end result is from what was motioned above, teenage mothers are considered to be in the high-risk health category. They need good prenatal care as soon as they find out they are pregnant. A doctor, nurse, or other medical practitioner gives most of the information about nutrition. Prenatal care can help prevent pregnancy complications and improve ones chances of having a healthy baby. The best way to prevent teenage pregnancy, which is 100% effective, is abstinence. Most teenagers have a whole Teen pregnancy Teen Pregnancy There are a lot of teen mothers growing up in this world wondering, what if I would have stayed in school? What could I have become? life ahead of them and having a child will cause a lot of complications in your goals. Its not impossible for teenage mothers to complete high school, or try to reach their goals in life, but having a child could very well interfere with these goals. Another way of protection is condoms. There are a lot of protections out there, but these protections are not 100-percent reliable. There are a lot of places and people to go to Teen Pregnancy Teen Pregnancy There are a lot of teen mothers growing up in this world wondering, what if I would have stayed in school? What could I have become? for support and advice. In addition there are many organizations and hotlines a teenage mother can contact for advice and assistance. Parents and family are one alternative. There are a lot of teenagers that are afraid of their parents reactions. However, most parents are calmer and more supportive than teenagers expect. Most parents are shocked when the teenager comes and tells them that they are pregnant. Just give the parents time and they will try to give their Teen pregnancy Teen Pregnancy There are a lot of teen mothers growing up in this world wondering, what if I would have stayed in school? What could I have become? teenager the best advice that they know. The school nurse or counselor is another place to get advice. The counselor usually can gather up pamphlets and brochures about pregnancy. The counselor can also help the teenager remain in school. They are very supportive and understanding. Doctors and clinics are very important for a teenage parent to go to. There are a lot of home pregnancy tests available, but the doctor is a lot more reliable and gives Teenage Pregnancy free essay sample Teenage pregnancy (defined as under-18 conceptions including those leading to live births and terminations) and early parenthood are widely recognized to be associated with poor health and social exclusion. Having children at an early age can affect young women’s health and wellbeing and can limit their education, career and economic prospects. Although young people can be competent parents, longitudinal studies show that the children born to teenagers are more likely to experience a range of negative outcomes in later life, and are more likely to become a teenage parent themselves. Teenage pregnancy is a serious issue in our society today where people become pregnant because they are not informed. Teenage pregnancy affects not only females but males as well; it causes serious health and education problems. Nearly 4 out of 10 girls become pregnant at least once before the age of 20. Most teens get pregnant because they want to know what it feels like to raise a child or because they see others with children and they find them cute and want them to themselves. We will write a custom essay sample on Teenage Pregnancy or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page Others get pregnant because they don’t know about the different ways of contraception and ways to stay safe. Many girls struggle with teen pregnancy because of their low confidence and self-worth. They feel that they are ugly and no guy would show them attention unless they give them what they want. In our society today Teenage Pregnancy affects both females and males in several ways. Teen pregnancy is one of the most difficult experiences a young person might ever face when it interrupts school or other plans. It can create an emotional crisis resulting in feelings of shame and fear, and it may appear that you will crumble under pressures in your environment. The stress of how one would break the news to their parents might be even greater, and finding help may seem an impossible task. People might think that they can help others, or one might be too embarrassed to search for help. For the most part, when one sees teenagers raising children, we often think that the teen has been raped or is too mature for their age. For this reason, some totally miss the issues that one must have been exposed to in their society, the society of their home, community, school. There are many viewpoints as to why teenage females are having so many children out of wedlock. However, the facts are obvious—teenaged females are highly influenced by many social issues, but those with the lack of strong parental guidance, sex education, and positive mass media are more likely to have a premarital pregnancy. The issue of teenage pregnancy started to interest me when I am staying now in the City, a great percentage of the females there were actually pregnant and I didn’t really understand why. I wasn’t really sure how big or how serious teen pregnancy is, but with little knowledge and a tremendous amount of curiosity, I wanted teen pregnancy to be my topic. This study will make us aware of what is happening in our society today. This issue is being ignored a lot of times. This will guide the parents and friends on what to do if a teenager gets pregnant. For teen mothers, this will guide them on their options before and after pregnancy. This concept paper aims to discuss the effects of rising early pregnancy cases and how it affects our economy. This will discuss also some cases of adolescent mothers and what kind of life do they have as teenage parents. II. Body Teenage pregnancy is one of the major factors that affect population growth in the Philippines. It is considered as one of the major problems of the government is facing of today. According to the Government statistics records, teenage pregnancy cases rise up to 70% over 10 years only. These alarming cases caught the attention of some lawmakers. The very best example solution that the government made this year was the passage of RH Bill or the Reproductive Health Bill. This bill aims to free access of use of contraceptives, fertility control, sexual education, and maternal care. The government conceived this as the solution to the problem. Others may see it as helpful but others also contradicts it. Teenage pregnancy is continuing growing and really affects our economic status. Studies show that in 2009, total live births reached to 1. 745 million, which break down to a daily average of 4,782 births and 478 of mothers giving birth were teenagers. From the survey conducted by the Young Adults Fertility Survey (YAFS), 16% of the women aging 15-24 years old have had premarital sex and the average age for the females who had their first sexual encounter is 18. Some 16. 5 million Filipinos belong to the 15-24 year old age group. We are forced with a glaring truth that at a very young age, a lot of young people today have children of their own. 30 % of all births belong to this age group; and by the age of 20, 25% of the youth are already mothers. Statistics show that every year at least 64,000 teenagers have abortions, and those are statistics from a country where abortion is illegal, yet we claim we are Catholics, who are preserving and valuing life. We might say that the pregnancy of these teenagers is just the mere result of the gratification of sexual urges. Yes we might say that. That pregnancy would not occur if studies had been prioritized instead of the relationship of the opposite sex. That if there were no premarital sex (PMS), there would be no pregnancy. On one simple glance, we would judge these teenagers guilty. The Causes of Teenage Pregnancy There are many different causes of teenage pregnancy. Every teenage girl is brought up under different family and personal conditions, therefore presenting many different causes of teenage pregnancy. These causes can range from internal factors to external factors. Some of these causes include drugs and alcohol, sexual abuse and child maltreatment, and technology dangers. All of these contribute to teenage pregnancy. Another cause of teenage pregnancy is sexual abuse and child maltreatment. This affects teenagers in all areas of development like cognitive development, social development, psychological, and emotional development. When a teenage girl is sexually abused and maltreated, she usually develops bad self esteem and her confidence level drops dramatically. When this happens, sexual activity is used as a justification of her internal problems and also they sometimes think that they can find comfort in their partners. This is bad because when they think like this, it becomes more and more repetitive and they are more likely to become pregnant. However, sexual abuse and child maltreatment can be described as an internal problem which leads to an external problem. It is an internal problem because it affects the emotions, self esteem and confidence and it leads to external problems because it involves teenage pregnancy. Last but not least, there is a technology danger. This is another famous cause of teenage pregnancy. Technology is a new means of communication now a day. It seems to be destroying teenagers slowly but surely. Millions of teenagers go online every day, around the hours when there is little or no adult supervision. This allows for online dating, hooking up and promiscuity. Many times teens depend on technology to find relationships or just male friends and end up with the wrong company. They agree to meet at a certain place then get engaged in unprotected sexual activities. Lack of sex education is the most important but not the only cause of teenage pregnancy. There are also some other teenage pregnancy causes that cannot be ignored. First is the psychological factor. The immature and irresponsible behavior arising due to complex teenage psychology is another important cause of teenage pregnancies. Teenagers often go through a number of emotions because of their own transition from childhood and peer pressure. In addition, weak family relationships fail to provide the emotional support that teenagers require. This lack of attention and affection from family resulting in depression forces them to seek love and support from other people, especially members of the opposite sex. Next cause is the adolescent sexual behavior. As adolescence marks the onset of sexual maturity, it is but obvious that both the sexes show interest in and explore the much hyped topics of sex, thank to the irresponsible and careless approach of mass media. This makes them vulnerable to teenage sex and pregnancy without adequate sex education. Lack of sexual education causes teens to get abortions as they ultimately realize their inability to bear the responsibilities of being a parent at such a young age. Another cause is lack of discipline and control. Factors like alcohol and substance abuse accompanied by unrestricted interaction with the opposite sex can ignite the sparks of lust and passion in youngsters very easily ultimately leading to teenage pregnancy. Nonetheless, at times, parents put too many restrictions of their children, especially girls to protect them from dangers. This overprotection gives rise to frustration and a feeling of not being loved and cared for. Thus, balance is the key to avoid this problem. Moreover, sexual abuse of teenage girls is also one of the most disgraceful causes of teenage pregnancy. One example is sexual relationships between teenage girls and older men. Effects of Teenage Pregnancy Teenage pregnancy is a serious issue that may seriously impact the future of a young woman. Any teen pregnancy will be a challenge as teens typically lack skills needed to handle a pregnancy and motherhood. Patience, maturity and ability to handle stress are required by pregnant mothers of all ages. A teen pregnancy may also impact the baby. Several studies have examined the socioeconomic, medical, and psychological impact of pregnancy and parenthood in teens. Life outcomes for teenage mothers and their children vary; other factors, such as poverty or social support, may be more important than the age of the mother at the birth. Many solutions to counteract the more negative findings have been proposed. Teenage parents who can rely on family and community support, social services and child-care support are more likely to continue their education and get higher paying jobs as they progress with their education. There are health risks for the baby and children born to teenage mothers are more likely to suffer health, social, and emotional problems than children born to older mothers. Also, women who become pregnant during their teens are at increased risk for complications, such as premature labor and other consequences. Teenage births are associated with lower annual income for the mother. Eighty percent of teen mothers must rely on welfare at some point. Teenage mothers are more likely to drop out of school. Only about one-third of teen mothers obtain a high school diploma. Teenage pregnancies are associated with increased rates of alcohol abuse and substance abuse, lower educational level, and reduced earning potential in teen fathers. More than half of teenage pregnancies continue to birth. According to a researcher at the Transnational Family Research Institute, teenage mothers are at a high risk of experiencing depression, birth complications, toxemia, anemia and even death. Teenage girls are often not emotionally prepared for childbirth or being a mother and can experience extreme depression, anxiety, resentment and feelings of failure. Because of the stigma that exists regarding teenage pregnancy in many societies, pregnant teens may deal with feelings of shame, guilt, anger, denial and depression. Only 1/3 of teenage mothers complete high school and receive a diploma, according to research conducted by the Robin Hood Foundation. Apart from future financial and employment problems, this can be a contributing factor toward negative self-esteem. Teenagers are often afraid to tell friends, parents or other family members about the pregnancy, which can lead to further anxiety, feelings of shame and withdrawal from society. Early motherhood can affect the psychosocial development of the infant. The children of teen mothers are more likely to be born prematurely with a low birth weight, predisposing them to many other lifelong conditions. Children of teen mothers are at higher risk of intellectual, language, and socio-emotional delays. Developmental disabilities and behavioral issues are increased in children born to teen mothers. One study suggested that adolescent mothers are less likely to stimulate their infant through affectionate behaviors such as touch, smiling, and verbal communication, or to be sensitive and accepting toward his or her needs. Another found that those who had more social support were less likely to show anger toward their children or to rely upon punishment. Poor academic performance in the children of teenage mothers has also been noted, with many of them being more likely than average to fail to graduate from secondary school, be held back a grade level, or score lower on standardized tests. Daughters born to adolescent parents are more likely to become teen mothers themselves. A son born to a young woman in her teens is three times more likely to serve time in prison. Teen pregnancy and motherhood can influence younger siblings. One study found that the younger sisters of teen mothers were less likely to emphasize the importance of education and employment and more likely to accept human sexual behavior, parenting, and marriage at younger ages; younger brothers, too, were found to be more tolerant of non-marital and early births, in addition to being more susceptible to high-risk behaviors. If the younger sisters of teenage parents babysit the children, they have an increased risk of getting pregnant themselves. Once an older daughter has a child, parents often become more accepting as time goes by. The probability of the younger sister having a teenage pregnancy went from one in five to two in five if the elder sister had a baby as a teenager. Emotional Effect There are various emotional effects of early pregnancy to teenagers. 1. Initial excitement Some teenagers are excited to bear a child, especially when it is their first pregnancy. They are excited to see their baby. Others are excited to buy clothes and other things for the baby. They think of names for the baby. 2. Confuse Some are confused and at a loss on what to do. They are too young and many have no idea about bearing a child. 3. Afraid Some are scared. They think of questions like, â€Å"How should I tell my parents? † â€Å"How will I face my classmates? † or â€Å"What is the best thing to do to solve this problem? † They are afraid to answer these questions. they feel scared on what will be the reactions of their parents. 4. Frustrated Frustration comes later. Pregnant teenagers will realize that they are not yet ready to bear a child when it’s already late. Emotional Effect to Love Ones Being pregnant makes one’s life complicated. It can affect you and your love ones. 1. Family Parents expect their children to be good. They expect that all the good things from their children. a. Frustrated or Disappointment Many parents are not happy about the early pregnancy of children. They expect help in their old age, but their pregnant child might have some other plans. b. Excitement Others are excited about a new family member. 2. Friends Friends might be disappointed if they know that you are pregnant. They might be shocked because at your young age you will be a mother. Physical Effect of Teenage Pregnancy Changes can be observed in a pregnant woman. Diet and exercise are necessary. Changes in a pregnant teenager’s body 1. Increase in Body Weight 2. Increase of Foot Size 3. Increase of Breast Size 4. The darkening of Cheeks and Forehead Mental Effect of Early Pregnancy Among the issues encountered by a pregnant teenager are: A. Depression It is common among pregnant teenager who are desperate to solve their problems. Some teenagers try to solve their problem by: 1. Abortion It is the removal of a fetus from the mother’s womb. Abortion is illegal. About 300,000 to 500,000 women undergo abortion every year. Article 256, 258 and 259 in the Revised Penal Code of the Philippine penalize women who undergo abortion and others who help her with imprisonment. Some teenager, however, think that abortion is a way to solve their problem. 2. Suicide Some teenagers think of suicide. Effects on Child Children from homes run by teenage mothers have to face almost insurmountable obstacles in life. The incidents of depression and mental health problems, the lack of father figures, and the high rate of poverty often connected to children in homes run by teenage mothers put them at serious disadvantages when compared to children raised in nuclear families. Many people believe that the implementation of sex education in schools and the addition of more federal aid for single parents are major causes for the countrys high rate of teen pregnancies. When the true purpose of sex education and federal aid is to help strengthen the mother and her child so that they can eventually lead productive lives. The absence of a father figure in the home brings about a chain reaction of dilemmas. The emotional problems that children suffer because there is no father in their life can be potentially hazardous to their future. Many children tend to be effected mentally because these powerful emotions have the potential to do permanent damage in a childs life. Children may experience sadness and depression, aggressive behavior, frequent illness, difficulty in school, eating problems, and sleeping disorders. Many children also suffer from various social difficulties and self-esteem problems that come along with living in a one-parent household. The pressure that children raised by teenage parents go through is tremendous. Children who dont have fathers present in the home often feel unloved. There is no trauma as excruciatingly painful as parental rejection and there is probably no worse of a way to wreck a persons life. Males are affected differently by the absence of a father than females are. A boy needs a male role model in his life so that he can learn how to become a man. Children who dont have good role models often choose negative, unsavory characters to mold themselves after. Negative consequences of teenage pregnancies The health consequences for a teenage mother and her baby both during pregnancy and afterwards can be harmful. Young mothers’ inexperience of looking after themselves contributes to negative health outcomes, particularly during pregnancies. Immaturity affects the ability to moderate negative behaviour, such as smoking and seeking timely health care. Once the baby is born, not persisting with breastfeeding may also be a harmful consequence of immaturity. Teenage pregnancy is more common among young people who have low educational attainment. In addition, being pregnant and having a baby often also leads to education being curtailed – for the mother, though not always for the father – and thereby even lower educational attainment. As a result of low educational achievement, inadequate employment training, poor childcare provision and a lack of support, teenage mothers suffer a considerable disadvantage in the labor market and can be highly reliant on welfare benefits and subsidized housing, sometimes following a period of homelessness or temporary housing. They may also be forced to lean on relatives. Effects of a Daughter’s Pregnancy Families in which teenagers bear children have historically been characterized by grandparental childrearing systems, wherein the adolescents mother typically provides the primary hands-on care for the teens child (Burton, 1995, 1996a, 1996b). Because these grand parenting duties can be extensive and time consuming, they likely interfere with or distract the mother from monitoring or supervising her own children. Role strain theory postulates that the psychological stress associated with undertaking multiple roles impedes a person from performing well in any role (Goode, 1960). Thus, it may be that the time and role demands of caring for her daughters child compromises a mothers ability to monitor her own childrens behavior and activities. It is also conceivable, however, that because of the older daughters early pregnancy or birth, mothers might be even more rigorous in monitoring their other children. Although this possibility will be examined in the study presented here, the more practical responsibilities of caring for her daughters child probably would diminish a mothers ability to oversee her own childrens activities, especially given that most of these mothers are parenting (and grandparenting) alone without a co resident adult (Burton, 1995) and that the mothers other children are likely to be adolescents and monitoring their behavior is particularly difficult (Dornbusch et al. , 1985). An older daughters early childbearing also might act to increase her mothers acceptance and tolerance of teenage sex and early nonmarital childbearing. Teenage parenting may be viewed with less stigma and less disgrace by the teenagers parents. Moreover, the daughters early childbearing may signify to mothers the lack of real-life options available to their daughter. As a result, mothers may rationalize their daughters teenage parenting as a reasonable and acceptable response to their disadvantaged socioeconomic circumstances. This kind of attitude change is akin to that described in Festingers (1957) theory of cognitive dissonance, whereby the tension created by opposing attitudes and behaviors motivates a change in either the behavior or the attitude. Mothers of teenage daughters who become pregnant may come to believe that early childbearing is not that bad after all. A teenagers pregnancy also might reduce her mothers achievement expectations for her other children. For example, the older daughters early childbearing may demonstrate to her parents their inability to control their childrens lives and life outcomes. Expectations for their other children may yield accordingly if parents believe that they have little control over their childrens futures. It is also plausible, however, that an opposite reaction might occur among parents. Because the older daughter has had a child while she was a teenager, parents might place even higher and more demanding expectations on their other children. Parents often are initially disappointed when a teenage daughter gives birth (Furstenberg, 1980), but they may perceive younger siblings as having potential for success. Realizing that the older daughters school and job options are likely to be limited, parents might have even more demanding expectations of their other children. Because this is a new area of study and this issue has not been investigated, both expectations appear plausible. Finally, an adolescents early pregnancy might increase her mothers communication about sex and contraception with her other children. For example, mothers might be motivated to prevent a second pregnancy in the family and might view the older daughters pregnancy as an opportunity to discuss contraception and ways of preventing pregnancy with their other children. Moreover, mothers may feel partly to blame for the older daughters pregnancy and may see their lack of open communication about sex and birth control with the older daughter as one of the factors that possibly contributed to her becoming pregnant. These feelings may compel the mother to discuss sexuality and contraception more openly with her other children. Risk factors for teenage pregnancy The main risk factors for teenage pregnancy come under three headings: risky behavior, education-related factors, family and home background factors. Risky behaviour includes the early onset of sexual activity; irregular or ineffective use of contraception; mental health problems; anti-social behaviour and involvement in crime; alcohol and substance misuse; having already been a teenage mother; and previous abortions. The education-related factors include low educational attainment; disengagement from school; leaving school at 16 with no qualifications; and negative experiences of education in school. Factors in the family and home background include growing up in care; being the daughter of a teenage mother; ethnic differences; low parental aspirations; parental separation; family conflict or violence; frequent moves; and neighborhood peer pressures. Prevention Many health educators have argued that comprehensive sex education would effectively reduce the number of teenage pregnancies, although opponents argue that such education encourages more and earlier sexual activity. Interventions combining education and contraceptives appear to reduce unplanned teenage pregnancy, however no one intervention yet stands out as the most effective. Teen pregnancy can easily be prevented with better educated teens, better communication between teens and parents, and the knowledge of contraceptives. There are many ways to prevent teenage pregnancies. Popular solutions include discussions of â€Å"safe sex† practices. In addition to condoms, doctors can prescribe birth control pills that regulate the fertility of a woman’s eggs, or advise the use of other pregnancy prevention tools, like intra-uterine devices or spermicides. These options are not 100% effective. There is even the option of abortion, which terminates the pregnancy at the proven cost of a life and a lifetime of emotional scars. For teenagers, however, the option of a doctor’s prescription requires parental consent. Most teenagers do not want their parents to know of their sexual activity. Media often promotes sexuality to children and teens before they are capable of making mature decisions about a pregnancy, or before they clearly understand the consequences of raising a child. They are under a lot of pressure to experience sex outside the boundaries set by God. III. Reaction Many of us tend to think that teenage pregnancies occur because they could not control their urge of temptation before getting married. That is not entirely true. In fact the main reasons why most teenage girls become pregnant are because they lack supervision. Poverty, sexual abuse and media also play an important role in teenage pregnancies. Teenage parents prematurely lead adult lives. It is like a child having a child. Teenage mothers are girls who found themselves in a predicament which they know could have been prevented or avoided. Most young parents are taking accountability for their actions and more must be done in our community to help these young mothers and young fathers succeed to make better lives for themselves and for their families. Teen pregnancy is a major contributor to poverty, single parenthood, and limited futures for adolescents and their children that is why it is so significant to attend to the problem now and not later. I agree that teenage pregnancy is a bad thing. Teens who get pregnant have fewer opportunities career or education-wise, often cannot cope with the responsibilities of raising a child, have the remainder of their childhood cut short and usually end up poor or struggling to make ends on the benefit. Of course, I wouldnt condemn a girl who gets pregnant and decides she wants to keep the baby. I dont think shes a bad person for it. But I dont think that teen pregnancy is really a good thing. Teens need to focus on school, work, family, and their dreams in life. A child interferes with their dreams, their goals, and definitely changes their lives. Teens shouldnt even be having sex for a few reasons. Theyre too young to even understand love and sex. They still live in their parents’ homes, they cant afford a child even if they think their high income will do it. They’re not finished their education and without that theyll be nothing. We must help young parents in our society rise above what the statistics forecast. We can no longer look the other way when it comes to our youth and the issues that they face today whether it is drugs or alcohol abuse, crime, sexual orientation, sexually transmitted infections or pregnancy. We are one in the community and we have to work together to address these concerns. There are so many matters that young parents have to deal with without having to worry about what other people think. Society must work together to empower, educate and encourage these individuals to become integral active members of our community. We can address these issues by offering workshops and skills for these young parents so they can be accepted in our community and not frowned upon. They have to learn life skills such as budgeting, parenting, and financial planning. Young parents need access to resources where more can be done in terms of rehabilitation, communication, parenting classes, relationship counseling and training. Successful intervention methods must be established to resolve teenage pregnancy issues and teenage mother’s predicaments. Do not be a part of the problem, be a part of the solution. Support them, encourage them, empower them and help strengthen them to realize their full potential.