Teenage Pregnancy

Joey Ryan A. Lanticse Jr.

Casandra Sofia P. Suarez

Kenneth-Jay P. Villar

November 2022
 Chapter 1

Introduction

The United Kingdom has the highest rate of teenage pregnancies in Western

Europe and higher rates are found among women who live in areas of higher

deprivation and have other factors such as lower educational achievement or living

in state care homes. In Sub-Saharan Africa, the high level of pregnancies among

teenagers to three factors. These factors are sociocultural and economic, individual,

and health-service-related factors. In addition, the following are the causes of

teenage pregnancy: poverty, broken home, separation of couples, single parent,

death, peer pressure or influence, lust, religious beliefs, rape and sexual abuse,

alcoholism and drug abuse, lack of knowledge, environmental influence, and

pornography.

In the Philippines, the incidence of teenage or adolescent pregnancies

remains at a significant rate based on the National Demographic and Health Survey

(NDHS 2017) of the Department of Health (DOH). Also, in a study conducted by the

NDHS in 2013, one out of every young Filipino woman aged 15 to 19 is already

pregnant. Accordingly, lack of sufficient education and poverty can be blamed on the

fast rate of teenage pregnancies that often result in single parenthood. Lastly, based

on the findings of the study conducted, it showed that there are more teenagers now

getting pregnant compared to earlier cohorts. It was also added that there are a lot of

factors that contribute to this event such as a trend toward younger age at menarche

and changing norms and practices with regard to premarital sexual activity among

teenagers.
 These factors include excessive use of alcohol, substance abuse, educational

status, low self-esteem, inability to resist sexual temptation, curiosity, and cell phone

usage. Surprisingly, Davao City has the highest incidence of teenage pregnancy,

with a rating of 15.9%. such a problem could indeed lead to more dropouts among

teenage girls who become pregnant due to their child’s need for motherhood. As for

the case of babies, it may lead to incidences of child abandonment or even abortion.

Such a problem lead one senator in the Philippines to file a bill known as “An Act

Providing for a National Policy on Preventing Teenage Pregnancies, Institutionalizing

Social Protection for Teenage Parents, and Providing Funds, Therefore” in order to

help decrease the incidence of teenage pregnancy.

Research Question

In this study, the researchers aim to answer:

What are the risk factors for teenage pregnancy?

How do you prevent teenage pregnancy?

What does it feel like to be a teenage mother?

 Chapter 2

Review Related Literature

There is significant knowledge about adolescent activities in general and the

results of their pregnancies, but there is relatively little understanding of the factors

that place certain teenagers at heightened risk of teenage pregnancy. Without this

knowledge, we will be unable to effectively intervene to lower the number of teenage

pregnancies.

There are many things that can significantly raise a teen's risk of getting pregnant,

including ambivalence about having children, sexual abuse, drug and alcohol use,

early sex, lack of future goals, ignorance of sex or contraception, low self-esteem,

hostility toward using contraception, and poor academic performance. These are

only a few of the numerous factors that contribute to young women becoming

pregnant.

Additionally, social risk factors play a role in teen pregnancies. A teen's choice to

pursue a love relationship and engage in sexual activity is frequently heavily

influenced by their friends. Dating at a young age, dating adults, having sexually

active friends, having unhealthy peer interactions, and peer pressure to engage in

sex are some social risk factors for teen pregnancy.

The idea that most of one's acquaintances are pregnant emerged as an str, mg risk

factor. It is very difficult to interpret this because it could be explained by a change in

friendship patterns that follows pregnancy, a desire to perceive one's situation as

"normal," a perception that it world not be too serious if one fell pregnant because

everyone else is, or a perception that this is what happens to teenagers and it is not

much you can do to prevent it.

The family has a role in teen pregnancy risk factors as well. Family history of

teenage pregnancies, limited responsible adult communication, negative family

interactions, inadequate parental supervision, significant unresolved conflict between

family members, and single-parent households are just a few examples of family risk

factors that can raise a teen's risk of pregnancy.

Parents should establish dating rules that are intended to keep teen women safe in

order to stop these things from happening. The supervision of their teen should be a

priority for parents. In order to reduce their teen's access to sexual activity, parents

should enforce the restrictions.

Teenagers who were pregnant lived in households that were different from norms in

terms of size, composition, and interpersonal connections. Teenage mothers lived in

much bigger households that were significantly less likely to be nuclear families.

Teenagers who became pregnant were much less likely to live with both or just one

of their biological parents. The presence of the girl's father, according to multiple

regression analysis, is the key element in determining the makeup of the household.

This had an important protective impact for the controls due to parental discipline.

In certain ways, a number of study variables that were looked at are indicative of

socioeconomic class. These included the size of the household, the number of

rooms in the house, the materials used to build it, the work status of the mother and

father, and the possession of consumer items. Numerous of these indicators were

found to be linked to an increased likelihood of pregnancy, particularly a larger

family, fewer rooms, the use of building materials other than brick, mother work, and

not having a television. According to a multiple regression study, household size,

material possession, and television ownership all stood up as independent risk

factors of very high significance. This implies that their roles in teenage pregnancy,

at least in terms of television ownership and home size, may go beyond acting as

potential socioeconomic status markers. Teenagers from larger families may receive

less attention from their families and may be more vulnerable to pressures from the

outside, according to one theory. Teenage pregnancy has been linked to a number

of factors, one of which is less rigorous family supervision.

A high teenage pregnancy rate implies serious issues with the country's youth's

sexual and reproductive health. The fight against the transmission of HIV and other

sexually transmitted diseases (STDs) is significantly impacted by this. Although

adolescents per se may not carry an elevated obstetric risk," attendance at antenatal

care is typically little or late, exposing these young women and their babies to linked

health issues such as undiagnosed hypertension leading to eclampsia and

complications of untreated syphilis, according to studies. Usually, when a pregnancy

occurs, the mothers are still enrolled in school, and the father does not provide any

financial assistance. Teenagers from larger families may receive less attention from

their families and may be more vulnerable to pressures from the outside, according

to one theory. Teenage pregnancy has been linked to a number of factors, one of

which is less rigorous family supervision.

Teach the kid the facts, such as the fact that the only birth control option that is

100% successful in preventing teenage pregnancies and STDs is abstinence.

Teenagers must be educated about ALL possible outcomes of sex, not only

pregnancy. While zero STD prevention is offered by certain birth control techniques,
they have a pregnancy prevention rate of over 90%. Additionally, it should be

emphasized that not all STDs have a treatment. HIV and Herpes are just two

instances of long-term STDs. Therefore, a single intimate encounter could lead to a

lifetime of STD battling.

It might be helpful to clarify during this conversation that many STD carriers are

unaware of their condition but still have the potential to spread the disease; one

cannot tell whether or not a person has an STD based just on their outward look.

You might also use this opportunity to discuss your attitudes and opinions around

sex.

Discuss with them how to react to friends who push them to have sex. This is a

crucial aspect of the fight against teen pregnancy. Discuss the differences between

what sex means to men and women. Some teenage girls believe that having sex will

make their boyfriends stay with them longer, but this is not always the case. Role-

play several reactions so that the adolescent has a few "go-to" replies in

circumstances involving peer pressure that they have already practiced and feel

more confident and comfortable stating at a time when they are not feeling

particularly confident or comfortable.

Help the teen discover pleasant hobbies that are beneficial Help the teen identify

pursuits in which they have a true interest and feel most like themselves. This is

useful for them as they work to define their identities and their priorities. As they

negotiate this stage of their lives, when there are so many changes, including in their

relationships, this also provides them with a stress buffer.

Teens need to be educated about the harsh realities of parenting and the harm that

an unintended pregnancy can do to both the mother and the child. The
repercussions of having a kid out of wedlock at a young age are discussed by

Patrick F. Fagan in the article "The Decline of Teen Marriage Is a Serious Problem."

According to him, the newborn child of the mother may experience the following:

"Lower health for newborns and increased risk of early infant death; retarded

cognitive, especially verbal, development; low educational attainment; low job

attainment: increased behavior problems; decreased impulse control; warped social

development; increased welfare dependency."

Teens need to be educated about the harsh realities of parenting and the harm that

an unintended pregnancy can do to both the mother and the child. The

repercussions of having a kid out of wedlock at a young age are discussed by

Patrick F. Fagan in the article "The Decline of Teen Marriage Is a Serious Problem."

According to him, the newborn child of the mother may experience the following:

"Lower health for newborns and increased risk of early infant death; retarded

cognitive, especially verbal, development; low educational attainment; low job

attainment: increased behavior problems; decreased impulse control; warped social

development; increased welfare dependency."

Abstinence is the only surefire method of preventing teen pregnancy. Never give in

to pressure from your partner to do anything you might later regret. It would be really

beneficial to have someone you can talk to, whether it be your parents, a guidance

counselor, a friend, or someone else with whom you feel at ease.

I believe that having clinics in schools would assist to solve the issue. Students might

receive guidance about associated medical services, birth control, and the avoidance

of sexual diseases at these clinics. Such clinics in schools would give pupils the
advice, "If you have sex, protect yourself," rather than giving them permission to

participate in sexual activity.

I believe that teenage pregnancy is a problem that should be resolved inside the

family unit. If parents do not want to be faced with this problem, they should take

precautionary measures.

These steps should begin when their child is born. Young person should be taught

social values that they will carry to his/her teen years. Teach them that they are not

"nerds" because they are virgins, but on the contrary, they are better because they

have self-purity. Show them the path they must take when they are young and they

will never go astray. Schools, parents, and churches have joined the campaign to

combat the problem of teen pregnancy because it has spread across the country.

The disease of teenage parenthood is not incurable. There are some steps that can

be taken to ameliorate this problem. Stressing one's own beauty, self-worth and

health should be the first step. This can be done by telling our youth that they need

not repudiate their positive values at the whim of their peers. The fact that an early

pregnancy deteriorates the health of both the mother and the child should also be

brought out.

There are various things that may be taken to address the issue of teen pregnancy,

but you must begin at home. Children should be taught about birth control and sex

by their parents. I believe that on-campus clinics could lower the rate of pregnancies.

The majority of teenagers are having sex, so asking them to say "no" won't solve the

issue.

They must learn about taking birth control to avoid getting pregnant. I don't

understand why young people decide to take such a risk.

Teenage moms who are giving birth for the first time face difficulties that put

additional demands on both their stage of adolescent development and their capacity

to adjust to their new position as parents. The aim of this study was to investigate

and better comprehend the meaning and experience of parenting for first-time

adolescent moms during the 4- to the 6-week postpartum period. Using narrative

data gathered from a prior study on the variables influencing adolescent mothers'

self-perceptions of parenting, a secondary content analysis was carried out. Findings

revealed that many adolescent mothers are unprepared for the demands of

parenthood and as a result, require additional guidance, instruction, and support.

Three themes emerged from the content analysis: "Being Caught Between Two

Worlds," "Feeling Alone and Desperate," and "If I Knew Then What I Know Now."

An adolescent mother's life is particularly important during the 4- to the 6-week

postpartum period. She transitions into maturity and acquires parental

responsibilities during this period, laying the groundwork for the mother-child bond to

form between 4 and 6 weeks after the baby is born. The meaning and experience of

parenting among first-time, adolescent moms during the 4- to the 6-week postpartum

period have only been briefly studied in the minimal study that has been done,

despite the importance of this time period. Improved health care and educational

interventions that address the needs of these teenagers at such a critical juncture in

their lives will result from a better knowledge of how teenage moms interpret the

significance and experiences of their new position as parents.

To explore adolescent mothers’ views on the meaning and experience of their early

parenting role, I performed a secondary content analysis of qualitative data collected

during a preliminary, published study that I conducted on first-time adolescent

mothers who were 4 to 6 weeks postpartum. Based on a descriptive-correlational

design

The preliminary study examined factors that contribute to adolescent mothers’ self-

perceptions related to their new role as parents (DeVito, 2015). Findings from the

study's quantitative data revealed several influencing factors, such as level of

education, social support from the adolescent's mother and from the baby's father,

and differences in adolescent age groups. In addition to the quantitative data

collected from participants’ responses on study instruments, a considerable amount

of supplementary qualitative data emerged from an open-ended question posed to

the participants at the conclusion of the preliminary investigation. The question “Is

there anything else you would like to share about your experience with becoming a

parent and/or what it means to become a parent?” elicited enthusiastic, detailed

responses from the adolescents. Their narrative comments included perceptions and

information that was not revealed in the fixed-response items of the preliminary

study's measurement tools. The adolescents’ responses to the question also

provided a rich source of qualitative data that was not fully analyzed in the

preliminary study. Therefore, the purpose of the present study was to use secondary

content analysis of the preliminary study's qualitative data as a means to further

explore and, in turn, better understand first-time, adolescent mothers’ meaning and

experience of parenting during the crucial 4-to-6-week postpartum period.

For those women being a teenager and finding out they are expecting a baby,

especially if the pregnancy is unintended and not wanted, can put enormous stress

on you and their family. However, there is support available to help you to make the

wisest choice for you at this time.

Finding out you are pregnant — or that you teenage me a teenage father — can

bring up many different emotions. You might feel confused and scared, or happy and

excited. All these feelings are normal and okay. Your feelings will probably also

change while you are thinking about your options.

Your parents will have their own feelings and wishes, but it is your life and things

usually work out best if parents offer information and support but do not try to force

you to follow their wishes.

Conclusion

Teenage pregnancy is caused by a variety of conditions, including peer

pressure, addiction, poverty, and family issues. Poverty is one of the causes

because some people believe that if they become pregnant, they can escape

poverty, but in reality, they have just compounded matters. Another is addiction,

which caused them to go insane. They do not consider the potential repercussions.

They are being pressured by their peers and told they are cowardly and weak. In

addition to having family issues, they rebel, and one way they do this is by becoming

pregnant, which irritates and angers their parents. They are unjustified and will just

make things more difficult for their parents. People are so becoming curious about

things they will never be made in, which is one of the causes of teenage pregnancy.

The majority of them were influenced by their friends' early pregnancies and lack of

knowledge of contraceptives.

It's crucial for young children and adolescents to have a trustworthy adult to confide

in if they want to avoid teenage pregnancy. Teen pregnancy is significantly less likely

if you have an approachable, educated adult or role model in your life.

Children require parents' unwavering love, guidance, and support since these things

are essential to ensuring that the child makes better decisions regarding their future

sexual behavior. Being loved by one's parents guarantees that these teenagers

won't feel unwelcome by parents who are incredibly inactive and uninvolved.

Adolescent moms must simultaneously navigate the stages of adolescence and

adjust to their new roles as mothers, which is a twofold difficulty. Their capacity to

acclimate to the position of a new mother is frequently influenced by traits connected

to their specific stage of puberty. For instance, a young mother who is still in her

adolescent years needs to be "mothered" by her own mother or another female

figure in her life (DeVito, 2015; Mercer, 2012, 2013). Teenage moms, then, have

particular needs for assistance in order to successfully manage the demands of

adolescent development and their new position as parents.

Recommendation

Adolescents should receive sex education before they reach the age of 12

when a number of adolescent mothers reportedly experienced their menarches. ·

Such sex education topics should include menstruation, sexual intercourse,

pregnancy, and contraception. Sex education should be repeatedly offered and by

the time adolescent girls reach the age of 14, they should be knowledgeable about

different contraceptives and about the accessibility thereof. · Contraception should

also address ECs and TOPs. · Contraception information sessions should also

address which side effects might occur from using specific contraceptives so that

women can make informed choices. Women also need what to expect, what minor

remedies could address which symptoms, and when and where to seek help should

the side effects continue. It should be stressed that no contraceptive method should
be discontinued unless another one had been implemented if the woman wishes to

avoid an unplanned pregnancy. Discontinuation of one method and commencement

of another method should only be done under the guidance of knowledgeable clinic

staff if 91 unplanned pregnancies are to be avoided. All women should be advised to

use condoms should they be necessitated to discontinue the use of any

contraceptive method for whatever reason, in order to prevent both unwanted

pregnancies and STDs, including HIV. · As most adolescent mothers received their

sex education from their mothers, but lacked information about pregnancy and

contraception, a concerted drive should be launched in the Piet Retief (Mkhondo)

area to teach adult women (specifically those who are mothers to adolescent

daughters) about pregnancy and contraception. Moreover, these adult women

should be assisted, through appropriate teaching strategies such as role play and

case studies, to facilitate their tasks in providing sex education to their daughters.

Joint sex education sessions for mothers and adolescent daughters could also be

offered by knowledgeable healthcare staff members. · Pregnant adolescents should

also receive sex education, emphasizing the use of contraceptives to prevent future

unplanned pregnancies. During the postnatal period, these adolescent mothers

should be followed up and informed about contraceptives and contraceptive

services. This should also be done during their visits to well-baby clinics. ·

Contraceptives should always be available at all clinics. Adolescent pregnancies

cannot be avoided if 37.38% of the respondents reported that the clinics only had

contraceptives “sometimes”. · The clinics’ operating times and days should be

advertised as a number of respondents remained unaware of extended clinic hours

and days in the Piet Retief (Mkhondo) area. · Contraceptive clinics could operate on

Saturday mornings specifically for adolescents as this would increase the

accessibility of such clinics to learners and working adolescents. Furthermore,

adolescents would not fear meeting their mothers, aunts, teachers, or even

grandmothers at these clinics scheduled specifically for adolescents.

Reference

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taken from www.cdc.gov/TeenPregnancy/AboutTeenPreg.htm

Department of Health and Human Services. (2012b). United States report on health

disparities and inequality. Health Inequalities in Adolescent Pregnancy and Childbirth

Fact Sheet. retrieved from adolescent pregnancy factsheet.pdf at

https://www.cdc.gov/minorityhealth/chdir/2011 (PDF, 2 pages)

Department of Health and Human Services. (2012c). Quick facts: Birth rates* for

teenagers between the ages of 15 and 19 in the United States in 2012. 60(06), 183

in Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report. from

http://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/preview/mmwrhtml/mm6006a6.htm

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United States had birth rates* for youths between the ages of 15 and 19. Morbidity

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mmwr/preview/mmwrhtml/mm6006a6.htm at www.cdc.gov

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