Teenage pregnancy has been a significant issue in our society, today. The number of single teens who become pregnant continually increases dependence on the social welfare system causing a strain on state and local government services, in which we as a society pay taxes to support. There are three main ways in which pregnant single teens affect our society in general: higher taxes; rise in health care costs, and higher crime rates.
             The first way society is affected is through higher taxes. Teenage pregnancy poses a substantially financial burden to society, estimated at $7 billion dollars annually in lost tax revenues. The Majority of teen mothers come from poverty lifestyles, broken homes and academic failures making it hard for teens to find jobs due to emotional stress. Teenagers are not knowledgeable or responsible enough to raise a child being that they are children themselves. Their only resource, besides their parents, is through the department of human services. This department provides financial assistance for shelter and other living expenses, including food stamps for food and medical coverage for families in need. That is where majority of our taxes are distributed, along with other small state provided programs.
             Another way teen pregnancy affects society is through a rise in health care costs. The United States is growing rapidly in population. As a result, health care costs are expected to rise at least 15%. Each year, there are about 860,000 teenagers who gets pregnant and about 425,000 who give birth in the U.S. Teenage pregnancy poses a major risk for both the young mother-to-be and her un-born baby. Young mothers are at high risk for post-partum disorders, and possible depression which may require them to go through counseling. They also face the risk of experiencing complications like premature labor, and infant mortality. Babies may suffer from nutritional deficiencies leading to childhood disor...