Adolescent Pregnancy
Although the rate of teenage pregnancy in the United States has declined greatly within the past few years, it is still an enormous problem that needs to be addressed. These rates are still higher in the 1990's than they were only a decade ago. The United State's teenage birthrate exceeds that of most other industrialized nations, even though American teenagers are no more sexually active than teenagers are in Canada or Europe. Recent statistics concerning the teen birthrates are alarming. About 560,000 teenage girls give birth each year. Almost one-sixth of all births in the United States are to teenage women are to teenage women. Eight in ten of these births resulted from unintended pregnancies. (Gormly 347) By the age of eighteen, one out of four teenage girls will have become pregnant. (Newman 679) Although the onset of pregnancy may occur in any teenager, some teens are at higher risk for unplanned pregnancy than others. Teenagers who become sexually active at an earlier age are at a greater risk primarily because young teenagers are less likely to use birthcontrol. African-American and Hispanic teenagers a
However, in these European studies, it is apparent that teen pregnancy, childbirth, and abortion rates are much lower. (Calhoun 311) The death rate from pregnancy complications are much higher among girls who give birth under age fifteen. (Planned Parenthood 1) An adolescent mother and her baby may not get enough nutrients and, because the mother's body is not fully mature, she may have many complications throughout the duration of the pregnancy. " Researchers say that the recent trends in sexual activity and contraceptive use are the result of a number of factors, including greater emphasis on abstinence, more conservative attitudes about sex, fear of contracting sexually transmitted diseases, the popularity of long-lasting birthcontrol methods such as the contraceptive implant (Norplant) and the injectable (Depo-Provera), and even because of the economy. Some 58% of young women in the United States who receive less than a high school education give birth by the time they are twenty years old, compared with 13% of young women who complete at least twelve years of schooling. Some research indicates that "the percentage of teenage birthrates has declined simply because fewer teenagers are having sexual intercourse and more adolescents are using contraceptives. re twice as likely to give birth as are white teenagers. (Johnson 3) The younger the teenage mother is, the higher the chances are that she and her baby will have health problems. The level of education that young people receive is much higher than that of their parents, and the "expectation that young people should obtain at least some secondary schooling" is growing. (Tunick 11) Teens who become pregnant during high school are more likely to drop out. This is mainly due to late prenatal care (if any) and poor nutrition. Adolescent parents (mostly mothers) may find that they have a "lost or limited opportunity for education. Whites are more likely to have abortions. (Gormly 347) Poor eating habits, smoking, alcohol and drugs increase the risk of having a baby with health problems.
Common topics in this essay:
Planned Parenthood,
AFDC Newman,
African-Americans Hispanics,
Europe Gormly,
United European,
African-American Hispanic,
Teen Pregnancy,
United State's,
teen mothers,
teenage pregnancy,
teenage mothers,
teenage mother,
teen pregnancy,
sexually active,
born teenage,
teenage parents,
calhoun 310,
johnson 4,
born teenage mothers,
children teenage parents,
teen mothers health,
sexually transmitted diseases,
children born teenage,
|
Acceptance Essays
