Teenage 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
(Calhoun 310) A teen mother leaves school because she cannot manage the task of caring for a baby and studying, and a teen father usually chooses a job over school so that he can pay bills and provide for his child. Although the rate of teenage pregnancy is higher among low-income African-Americans and Hispanics, especially those in inner city ghettoes, the number of births to teenagers is highest among white, nonpoor young women who live in small cities and towns. New York: Glencoe-McGraw-Hill, 1995. Teen mothers may have limited social contacts and friendships because they do not have time for anything other than their baby. (Calhoun 309) In some cases, teen mothers may also receive help like Medicaid, Food Stamps, and "Aid to Families with Dependent Children" (AFDC). (Johnson 5) Low birth weight is the most immediate health problem. Many of these health risks are due to inadequate prenatal care and support, rather than physical immaturity. (Gormly 347) Poor eating habits, smoking, alcohol and drugs increase the risk of having a baby with health problems. (Calhoun 310) "The death rate for babies whose mothers are under fifteen years of age is double that of babies whose mothers are twenty to thirty years old. Adolescents with little schooling are often twice as likely as those with more education to have a baby bafore their twentieth birthday. Low birthweight babies may have immature organ systems (brain, lungs, and heart), difficulty controlling body temperature and blood sugar levels, and a risk of dying in early infancy that is much higher than that of normal weight babies (five and one-half pounds or more). Others say that it is because of the involvement of conservative religious groups in the public debate over sexual behavior. (Berk 190) Teenage pregnancy does cause many problems for the mother, child, and economy.
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