What is teenage pregnancy?

History

Adolescent parenthood can be traced back to Colonial times, and perhaps even further. In those days, it was not considered uncommon for a young woman to marry during her teenage years and begin to bear children. As time went on, however, there was a social shift that increased the average age of expectant mothers to the mid-20s. This had a lot to do with expectations about marriage, health, lifespan, careers and other social influences that women faced.

Effects

There is always the possibility of a risk during pregnancy, but teenage pregnancies are susceptible to more risky side effects. Two of the most common concerns that society associates with teenage pregnancies are education and health risks. The March of Dimes estimates that only 40 percent of teenagers who have children before the age of 18 continue their high school education and graduate. As for health, teenager mothers are more likely to experience premature labor, anemia and other complications than women who give birth in their 20s. Also, there are more health risks for the infants of teenage mothers.

Misconceptions

Teenage pregnancies are often accompanied by judgment from society. It is important to remember that just because a teenager gets pregnant does not automatically mean that she will have health risks or drop out of high school.

Prevention/Solution

Sexual Education programs have been instituted in schools, typically beginning in the 7th or 8th grade. The goal is to educate children at an early age about practicing safe sex, including abstinence. There are also many nonprofit organizations that offer sex education programs to help teens decrease their chances of becoming pregnant. Also, many (sometimes free) clinics are available to teens who want to receive birth control, see doctors or just get general information about pregnancies.

Theories/Speculation

In 2009, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, teenage pregnancies were on the rise, and continue to increase. Some theories suggest that the increase has to do with the economic downturn, and perhaps may be related to funding cuts for sex education programs in schools.

Source:

March of Dimes

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

Dept. of Health and Human Services