EAST SYSTEMS COLLEGES OF RIZAL

EARLY TEENAGE PREGNANCY

Annalyn L Mendoza
I. Teenage Pregnancy

i. History of Teenage Pregnancy

ii. Definition
iii. Problem

II. The Consequences of Teenage Pregnancy

i. Cause of Teenage Pregnancy

ii. Effect of Teenage Pregnancy

III. Conclusion

i. Recap of the Problem

ii. Final thoughts
 Religious leaders, the general public, legislators, and social
scientists have all shown serious worry and attention towards
adolescent pregnancy since the 1950s, especially in the United States
and other industrialized nations. Teenage pregnancy's significant
potential effects on the lives of the females involved and their offspring
are the reason for the ongoing concern about it. According to ongoing
demographic research, adolescent pregnancies in affluent nations like
the US lead to worse "life outcomes" for the offspring of teenage moms
than for those of young adult women, including less educational
achievement and higher rates of poverty.

Pregnancy classified as teenage occurs when a woman is between

the ages of thirteen and nineteen. However, there are females who
engage in sexual activity as early as 10 years old, and who occasionally
become pregnant and give birth. In the United States, girls aged fifteen
to nineteen account for the great majority of adolescent pregnancies.
Adolescent pregnancy, which refers to the cognitive, emotional, and
biological growth stage known as adolescence, is the phrase used to
encompass all females who are capable of becoming pregnant and
giving birth. The age at which a young lady should give birth has always
been a source of anxiety for people.

Through immediate and long-term repercussions on young

parents and their children, teen pregnancy and childbirth are linked to
higher societal and economic costs. One of the main causes of girls'
high school dropout rates is pregnancy and childbirth. While 90% of
women who do not give birth during adolescence graduate from high
school, only around 50% of teen moms do so by the time they are 22
years old.10
 Teenage moms are more likely to have children who do worse
academically, drop out of high school, have more health issues, get
arrested at some point during adolescence, give birth while still in their
teens, and experience unemployment as young adults. Positively, the
adolescent birth rate decreased by 64% between 1991 and 2015.

According to Hechtman (1989), Adolescent mothers and their

offspring are a high risk group both physically and emotionally. Poverty,
malnutrition, complications of pregnancy, and emotional problems such
as depression, drug, and alcohol use, are all risks for the mother.
Children are also at greater risk of physical, cognitive, and emotional
problems.

According to Fielding et al. (2023), Those who are younger may

have a higher sex drive than older adults. For example, testosterone
production increases 10 times in adolescent boys, which explains the
increase in arousal or interest in sex at that period in development. And
that’s why high sex drive at teenage years is normal. However, teenage
pregnancy rate increases because of several reasons:
Lack of Communication- Teenage girls suffer when there is a breakdown
in communication within the family or when parents and kids don't
express their feelings to one another. This reduces their knowledge of
sexual health and preventative measures against unplanned teen
pregnancy.
Low Self Esteem- Adolescents who had lower self-esteem were more
prone to participate in unsafe sexual activities. People are less likely to
worry about unforeseen consequences, like getting pregnant, when
they have little regard for themselves or their lives
Influence of Friends/Peers- This peer influence can come in various
ways, such as through social media or the idea that teenage boys/girls
feel pressured to have sex with a girl because all their friends do it.
High Exposure to Social Media- Adolescents who have a greater
exposure to television or have computer access are more likely to
engage in sexual activity than those who have less exposure. Instead of
talking to their families, teenagers may turn to unhealthy sources of
information about sexuality, such as pornography and objectified
depictions of women on television.
Lack of Access to Sex Education- Children and teenagers who do not
have access to comprehensive sex education are deprived of the
knowledge necessary to make responsible decisions about their
relationships, behavior, and overall life. With sex education, teenagers
will know what, how, and why is it important to be responsible when it
comes to having intercourse and with this knowledge, sexually
transmitted diseases and teenage pregnancy can be prevented.

In a study that was published in the journal Pediatrics, over 6,000

Canadian women in the adolescent to adult age range were examined.
Researchers discovered that the rate of postpartum depression in girls
between the ages of 15 and 19 was twice that of women over the age
of 25.

According to a different study, teen moms experience high levels

of stress, which can exacerbate mental health issues. Teenage moms
experience higher rates of depression in addition to higher rates of
postpartum depression. When compared to their peers who aren't
mothers, they also exhibit higher rates of suicidal ideation.
Posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is more common in adolescent
mothers than in other teenage women.

It is important for us to understand be responsible to the

consequences that our actions had as its turn. Teenage pregnancy was a
big concern throughout the years because this affects a persons life.
Having a baby is a lifetime commitment and having a baby at a young
age is really difficult. Not for everyone but for some of us. When you
have a child, its difficult because you won’t enjoy your teenage years
without asking others to be there to take care of your chi9ld. When you
have a child, it’s a commitment, a promise and a responsibility.

For adolescents who are sexually active, using effective

contraceptives (such as condoms, birth control pills, the patch, the
vaginal ring, the intrauterine device or IUD, and/or injectable birth
control methods) every time they have sexual intercourse will reduce
chances of unwanted pregnancy.3 In addition to using a contraceptive
method that protects against pregnancy, using condoms correctly will
reduce the risk of HIV and other sexually transmitted infections (STIs)
for everyone.

You are lucky if you have someone like your parents to take and be
there by your side. That’s why I advice that we should study or atleast
teach our future children on how to be responsible with their actions.
We don’t have to be afraid that opur child is too young to be knowing
about sex education. When a child is thought right, it will never be a
problem.
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