Teen Pregnancy:
Babies Having Babies!
Deondra Crenshaw
Virginia College
Nur. 2320
10/4/2017
You're still a baby yourself! This is the first thought that comes to mind when I see a teenager with child. Even though it's extremely disturbing to see, it has become more and more common these days. Is this the new “trend”? Or should we question the parenting skills the child is receiving? Maybe this girl has been messed with by a relative or a family member. Whatever the case maybe, how can we help these kids in preventing pregnancy at an early age. Lets try to figure out where we went wrong as parents, caregivers, nurses, etc. in raising and educating these babies about having babies. In 2014, there were 24.2 births for every 1,000 adolescent females ages 15-19, that is 249, 078 babies born to females in this age range and nearly 89% of these birth occurred outside of marriage (Office of Adolescent Health, 2016). According to the CDC, in 2015, a total of 229,715 babies were born to women aged 15–19 years, for a birth rate of 22.3 per 1,000 women in this age group. What’s even more disturbing, not all teen pregnancies are the their first pregnancy. In 2014, one in six births (that’s 17%) to these 15-19 year olds were females that who have already been pregnant and have had one or two babies already (Office of Adolescent Health, 2016). Even though we can’t predict what a teenager would do or even make a teenage act accordingly when unsupervised, we can instill in them factors that may just influence them in a positive way. “A child plays attention to more than you think”, is a phrase that i’ve heard many times from my elders; this is a true fact. Children are very much aware of their surroundings, in which, plays a major role in their upbringing. In saying this, many people, family members, and the communities that these teens live in have been connected to these high numbers in these youth having babies. Social determinants of health are conditions in the environments in which people are born, live, learn, work, play, worship, and age that affect a wide range of health, functioning, and quality-of-life outcomes and risks (CDC, 2016). Certain social determinants, such as high unemployment, low
“One of the major concerns of having a child or becoming a parent is to do so when you're old and mature enough to take on the responsibility. One of the problems in today's society is teenage pregnancy. The risk of pregnancy in teenagers is increasing largely. Many teenagers don't know how big of a responsibility it is to raise another human being when they themselves still have a lot of growing to do. Teenagers need to be more educated about themselves and their bodies as well as ways to protect themselves from getting pregnant if they're sexually active. Also, teenagers are more prone to risks during a pregnancy than a twenty or thirty year old woman would be. Becoming a teen parent automatically gives you a big responsibility to deal with. This means that all of your personal priorities are
assert that no social problem affecting youths has received as much attention in recent times as adolescent pregnancy. Literature shows that 13 million children are born to women under the age of 20 worldwide while 95% of the teenagers experience an unintended pregnancy. Increased Attention has finally been given to teenage pregnancy as a public health issue due to the realization of the abnormal prevalence, number of affected people, high levels of psychological distress, and high morbidity rates as well as the painfully apparent social and economic / public welfare cost of teenage childbearing and parenthood
It is very common for young adults in the United States to become young parents as early as fifteen years old. In 2014, approximately 24 young women out of a thousand got pregnant from the ages of 15-19. Although this is about a 9% drop sing 2013, teen pregnancy is still a major issue among young, developing adolescents (CDC, 2016). This lifestyle shift has raised many personal concerns within young mothers and fathers about how they will raise their child, but most importantly, how they will prevent another unwanted or unprepared pregnancy. Although prevention in the form of birth control and educational programs are available to young adults, it is common for teenage parents to become pregnant once again shortly after having their first
The teenage birth rate has always been at an all-time high in the United States. In 2009, alone statics from the Disease control prevention estimated “13.5 births for every 1,000 teens” (Blue). Bringing a child into this world is a blessing, unfortunately, sometimes the timing can be off. A child is a huge responsibility sad to say not every person can handle the full-time duty of being a parent. It can get complicated when you are a mother at such a young age. For this reason, teenage girls should acquire birth control methods to prevent getting pregnant, abstinence can help teenagers from catching an std, and allow them to stay focus stopping the drop out rate of teens moms in high schools.
However, teens should act responsibly and take issues into their own hands and do the precautions to avoid an unintended pregnancy. Teens know exactly what they are doing when they engage in sexual activities and they know exactly what they are risking; an unintended pregnancy or an STD. They should not expect their parents to be there every second and tell them what not and what to do (pathos). “Teenagers tend to believe that having sex is harmless and that the negative consequences they learn about in school will not happen to them” (“Partner Violence, Teen Pregnancy Linked”). This statement made by Victorious Nelson tells us that the teens do not take this seriously whatsoever. They think “that will not happen to them”, when it can easily can happen to anyone that does not take proper precautions; teenager or not (logos). “Becoming a teenage mom causes chaos and stress in the life of the young woman and her family. Most teenagers do not fully understand what they are getting themselves into when they engage in sexual
Motherhood is cross-culturally regarded as vitally important. Historically, the concept of motherhood was defined as a woman 's primary “mission, profession, and an inseparable part of her nature,” (Leskosek 2011). In contemporary society, however, negative social and biological consequences are associated with young maternity in developed areas (Kramer et al. 2010). Teenage pregnancy is defined as encompassing all pregnancies between the ages of 10 and 19, according to the World Health Organization (WHO) (Males 1992). According to a 2010 study, teen motherhood is “discouraged, debated as a public health issue and considered a societal problem in developed populations,” (Kramer et al). Despite this, about 750,000 of the 20 million adolescent girls in the United States become pregnant every year (Macionis 2013). Rates of juvenile pregnancy and birth rates are significantly higher in the U.S. than in other Western countries (Basch 2011). Additionally, Dr. Naomi Farber, author of Adolescent Pregnancy: Policy and Prevention Services, asserts that, “Over one-third of all births in the U.S. are outside of marriage, and about 88% of all childbearing teens are unmarried,” (2014). Teen mothers are often subject to extended periods of loneliness, loss of educational and employment opportunities, and lower income than older mothers (Simigiu 2012). Clearly, adolescent pregnancy is a widespread problem in today’s society. Studies have shown that the transition into parental roles and
In just the year of 2014 249 hundred thousand babies were born by women ages fifteen-nineteen (CDC.Gov). This many babies being born by women this age are adding a large dependency ratio in america. Teen pregnancy is a declining problem in America but it is still a problem that should not be ignored.
Teenage pregnancy is spiraling out of control, and needs to be taken more seriously. Though the birth rates of teenage pregnancy have dropped in the past years, there are still more than 750,000 girls between the ages of 15 and 19; that still get pregnant in the United States each year. Did you know that 3 in 10 teen girls will get pregnant at least once before the age of 20? Or, that more than 50% of teen mothers never graduate from high school. This is a problem today, and something needs to be done to reduce the amount of times this is likely to
Bringing a baby into the world is seen as a blessing, but it can also cause many problems when the parents are teenagers. Teen pregnancy can be very damaging to a person. It is also easily avoidable by schools and parents increasing the education level on forms of contraception that are available to people. By discussing the effects of teen pregnancy with peers and adults, adolescents can take greater precautions in order to prevent unwanted pregnancies. Although the trend of teenage girls bearing children is is lowering, the rate of teen pregnancies in the United States remains higher than the rate of teen pregnancy in other developed countries. This is a serious issue that
An estimated 400,000 teen girls, ages 15-19 years, give birth each year in the US. In today’s media sexual activity and teen parenting is often glamorize, but the truth of the matter is the reality is harshly different. Having a child during the teen’s formative years carries the high price of emotional, physical, and financial, not only to the mother, but father, child, and community. Parents, educators, and community organizations all have a major role to play in reducing teen pregnancy.
Teens need youth-friendly services and complete, accurate information about abstinence, condoms, and contraception in order to protect themselves from unintended pregnancy. But they also need to be able to envision a positive future for themselves: one in which education, employment, and healthy relationships are possible. Further, empowering youth, and supporting women’s reproductive decisions, means pregnant or parenting teens should be supported, not stigmatized, by both government and culture. But i believe that the cause of teen pregnancy is all
Teenage pregnancy is a prominent dilemma in our nation because it continues to place adolescents into delinquency. According to the United States Health and Human Services, three out of ten American teen girls will become pregnant at least once before they reach the age of twenty. That is nearly 750,000 teen pregnancies in a year (1) (HHS Pg.2 2014). Also according to U.S. Department of State, teen pregnancy budgets the United States and tax payers approximately seven billion dollars annually (2) (USDS pg. 1 2013). Teen pregnancy is a phenomenon in which a female individual, usually between the ages of thirteen through nineteen become pregnant before they have reached the legal adulthood. Many times these adolescents are not prepared to become parents. They have not completed their education, are mentally young, have very few or no marketable skills and abilities to survive in the real world, and they are financially dependent upon their parent or caretaker.
Nearly one million teen girls become pregnant each year, with four out of 10 young women becoming pregnant at least once before they turn 20. The federal government spends about $40 billion to help families that began with a teenage birth. The overall U.S. teenage pregnancy rate declined 19 percent between 1991 and 1997 , from 117 pregnancies per 1,000 women aged 15-19 to 94.3 per 1,000.3 The national teen birth rate declined 5 percent between 1998 and 2000, reaching a rate of 48.5 births per 1,000 women ages 15-19 - the lowest rate ever recorded. Since 20011, the teen birth rate has declined 22 percent. These numbers, though declining, show that we are in dire need of a change. Providing Sex Education in schools provides the necessary tools to decrease these numbers and change the thoughts and actions of children who act impulsively with little or no knowledge of the consequences of their actions.
Teen pregnancy is an epidemic that is destroying the youthfulness of my generation. It does not only separate teenagers from their peers, but it plays a major role in their education and their future. According to SC Campaign to Prevent Teen Pregnancy, “In South Carolina: 15 teens (age 15-19) give birth every day, 5,532 teens (age 15-19) gave birth in 2012, 26% of SC teens were already teen parents, 73% of all teen births occurred among 18-19 year olds in 2012, 17% of teen pregnancies reported in 2012 ended in abortion, and 57% of high school students report they have had sex"(Duffey). To combat this situation, we must examine ourselves and our integrity. As a generation, we must encourage each other to wait until marriage, stability, or to wait when our independence has been declared.
"Teen pregnancy in the United States: In 2015, a total of 229,715 babies were born to women aged 15-19 years old, for a birth rate of 22.3 per 1,000 women in this age group. This is another record for U.S. teens and a drop of 8% from 2014. Although reasons for the declines are not totally clear, evidence suggests these declines are due to more teens abstaining from sexual activity, and more teens who are sexually active using birth control than in previous years. Still, the U.S. teen pregnancy rate is substantially higher than in other western industrialized nations, and racial/ethnic and geographic disparities in teen birth rates persist (cdc.gov)." As teenagers (in the United States), we are peer pressured or tempted to try new things. Some teens tend to try out drugs, and alcohol. However, some are having unprotected sex in which, is leads to having babies. This is called, teenage pregnancy. This has caused the United States to create records based off of the statistics and facts given from, researchers across the United States. In order to help prevent teenage pregnancy in the United States, teenagers must understand why, having a baby now isn’t such a smart move on their part.