SAINT MICHAEL COLLEGE OF CARAGA

Nasipit, Agusan del Norte

www.smccnasipit.edu.ph
Tel Nos. (085) 343-3251/343-3113

ACTIVITY #3

CASE STUDY ANALYSIS

(Teenage Pregnancy)

Submitted by
Grace Fer D. Tablon BSTM-IV

Submitted to
Dr. Dennis P. Mausisa
 CHAPTER I

INTRODUCTION

Teenage pregnancy has been a worldwide issue that needs to be confronted to

mitigate the problems of maternal adolescent childbearing, especially in the third world

countries. In fact, it has emerged to be one of the major public health problems in South

Asia (Raj et al.,2010) and in Western Europe (Seamarck, 2001). It is reported in India that

adolescent pregnancy is one of the serious health threats for women aged 15-19 years old

(Patra, 2016). In Nigeria, the ratio of teenage mothers to women in their 20s who die during

pregnancy and childbirth is 5:1. In addition, they likely have higher mortality rates for

infants (Amoran, 2012).

Consequently, social analysts and researchers enumerated some of the reason

why pregnacies among adolescents have been increasing in spite of interventions from

government health agencies and NGOs. Thus, the reasons varies from socio-economic

status (Dulita, Nalika, Upul, Crishantha & De Alwis, 2013), lack of education (Eloundou-

Enyegue, 2004), teenagers’ initiation to sexual activity (Grace, Ihuoma & Temitope,

2013), family history of teenage births (Wall-Wieler, Ross & Nickel, 2016), etc. The

incidence of mortality in teenage pregnacies and adverse birth outcomes is increasing

every year due to immature pre-natal care, socio-economic challenges, and inadequte

weight gained during pregnancy (Xi-Kuan, Shi Wu, Flemming Demissie & Rhoads,

2007).

Teen pregnancy has a tremendous impact on the educational, social and economic

lives of young people. Early parenting reduces the likelihood that a young woman will
complete high school and pursues the necessary post-secondary education needed to

compete in today’s economy. According to the National Campaign to Prevent Teen and

Unplanned Pregnancy, only 38 percent of teen girls who have a child before age 18 get a

high school diploma and 30 percent of teen girls who have dropped out of high school cite

pregnancy or parenthood as a reason.

Although this decline has been steady over the past two decades, teens are still

engaging in sexual activity and teen girls are still getting pregnant. Even though birth rates

among teen girls are declining, 1 in 4 girls will still get pregnant at least once before they turn

20 according to the National Campaign to Prevent Teen and Unplanned Pregnancy.

To substantially continue decreasing the rate of teen pregnancy in the United States,

coordinated strategies that equip youth with the knowledge, skills, and attitudes necessary to

protect themselves against unwanted pregnancy and provide them access to reproductive

healthcare are needed. These approaches should be evidence-based and geared towards

meeting the needs of all children.

 CHAPTER II

ANALYSIS

Overall, in this case I learn that being a teen mom is a tiring thing. Learning to

protect yourself is really important, you should learn about things before something started

to happen and then everything will be too late to turn back. More than half of all mothers on

welfare had their first child as a teenager. In fact, two-thirds of families begun by a young,

unmarried mother are poor. Children who live apart from their fathers are 5 times more

likely to be poor than children with both parents at home. The daughters of young teen

mothers are 3 times more likely to become teen mothers themselves. The sons of teen

mothers are twice as likely to end up in prison. I’m sure no one wants their next generation

be the same as you. It is time to make the world a better place.

McCall et al. (2015) points out the evident association between deprivation and

teenage pregnancy. Socioeconomic values are highly correlated with its occurrence. Minnis

et al. (2013) sees that ‘limited socio-economic opportunities may play a large role in

persistently high pregnancy rates among Latina adolescents’. In terms of family background,

East, Reyes and Horn (2007) concluded that there is more significant likeliness for young

women, who had either sister or sister and mother having experienced teenage

pregnancy, to yield into the same experience than those young women who had neither

sister nor mother experiencing the same. However, under this emergent theme were four

cluster themes/contextual categories, namely: a) Teenage Pregnancy, b) Parents know

best, c) Education is the key, and d) Ifs and Buts.

 According to Macleod and Durrheim (2003), teenage pregnancy as a social problem

that leads to the disruption of schooling; poor obstetric outcomes, inadequate mothering;

poor child outcomes; relationship difficulties with relatives, partners and peers; and

demographic concerns about increasing population numbers. In major cases, teenage

mothers are not in a position to go back to school after delivery as they are forced to look

after their children. In some cases, these young mothers' physical health conditions do not

make it conducive for them to go back to school. While some young women may be

prevented from going back to school as a result of these factors, De Chang (2001) found

that there are some cases of teenagers who may use their pregnant status to deliberately

escape the demands of high school education. Depression is one of the problems that results

to teenage pregnancy of the women.

According to Cebu Normal University, Cebu City, Philippines GIDDENS (2001:23),

cultural factors refer to culture as the way of life of the members of a society, or of groups

within a society. It includes how people dress, their marriage customs and family life, their

patterns of work, religious ceremonies and leisure pursuits. Socialization is also a factor. He

defines socialization as the process by which humans learn the culture of their society and

become adult members of that society in which they live. Socialization teaches humans to

live in society and what is regarded as appropriate behaviour in different situations (Giddens

2001:26). Cultural norms and values could be the detriment of teenage mother’s

empowerment and could contribute to greater confusion in teenagers minds (Dlamini 2002:

45). A study of Ehlers (2003), found that the female adolescents who were poor students

with low educational aspirations were more likely to become teenage mothers than were

their high-achieving peers. On the other hand, he also stated some of the causes of teenage

pregnancy such as lack of parental guidance, adolescent sexual behavior, inadequate

knowledge about safe sex, exploitation by older men and socio-economic factors. Lack of

parental guidance: Most people evade their children from talking about sex. In some cases,

they provide false information regarding sex and discourage their children to participate in

any informative discussion about sex. Adolescent sexual behavior: Among the adolescents,

peer pressure is a major factor that encourages the teenage boys and girls to indulge in sexual

activities. Early dating, as early as 12 years of age, is another factor that contributes to teen

pregnancy. Inadequate knowledge about safe sex: Most adolescents are unaware of safe sex.

They probably have no access to the traditional methods of preventing pregnancy. And the

main reason behind is that they are either too embarrassed or fear to seek information about

it. Exploitation by older men: This is another major factor that contributes to pregnancy

among the teenagers. Those girls who date older men are more likely to become pregnant

before they attain womanhood. Rape, sexual exploitation also takes place that leads to

unwanted pregnancy among teenage girls. Socio-economic factors: Teenage girls who belong

to the poor families are more likely to become pregnant.

 CHAPTER III

CONCLUSION

Teen pregnancy is a crisis that concerns the baby, parents, other members of the

family, as well as resources of the community. Every year, approximately 750,000 women

aged 15 to 19 become pregnant every year.

Nevertheless, despite the numerous elements that can influence teen pregnancy, for

many teenagers, the lack of safe sex education from schools, parents, or otherwise is the root

cause of teenage pregnancy. Generally, teenagers are not taught regarding the means of birth

control and how to respond with friends who compel them into having sexual intercourse

before they are prepared.

Teen pregnancies carry additional risk equally to the health of the infant and the

mother. On the average, teen pregnancies are more expected to result in low-birth-weight

babies and premature births. This is because pregnant teenagers often do not obtain the

timely prenatal care required. In addition, the aforesaid teenagers have a higher risk of high

blood pressures associated to their pregnancy and other related complications. Further,

teenage mothers are less expected than other women to complete or attend college, and

divorce is more expected to result from their early marriage. Abortion is another effect of

teenage pregnancy.

Given with these numerous effects of teenage pregnancy, I think that the society

here in the Philippines still does not accept this issue. Especially the Church, Having

premarital Sex is wrong in any aspect, it is forbidden. Since the Philippines is considered as a

Christian Country.
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