...Teen Pregnancy Is A Social Issue There is no doubt that teen pregnancy is a growing problem within the United States. Teen pregnancy will have a big impact on both the parents, child, education, welfare, employment and social service, also the society as a whole. The United States has the highest rate than any other country where teen pregnancy is an issue. There are many factors that comes into play when teenagers considering having children. Many teens who get pregnant without considering the consequences that they will have to face Although pregnancy is an emotional challenge for teenage girls, but it is a social problem that is affecting various things. Some individuals understand that this is a concern to the teenagers, but not everyone understand the consequences that our society have to face. 85 percent of teen is sexual active around the age 15 and 19. Throughout this paper I will be discussing why teenage pregnancy is a social problem and the various problems and consequences it have on our society. First the teenage mothers, the baby and on to the new parents. Dramatic changes need to be made before it destroy our society. The youth need to be educated more about unprotected sex and the consequences that comes along with it. There are several reasons why teen pregnancy occur. Majority of the time teen pregnancy occur because of peer pressure. Teen pregnancy is a natural drive to conform. “The main reason that peer pressure is so easily driven by teens...
Words: 1724 - Pages: 7
...that they could not ask their parents about. Most of the time their friends give them good advice but then there is the down side when they put pressure on their friends to do something like to smoke, drink, and do drugs. In most cases they tell their friends how to dress and act when around certain people. Love relationships just make it even harder for a teenager to get a good education. Some start to fail in school because they are hanging out with their boyfriend or girlfriend instead of doing their work. Throughout adolescence, teenagers are positively and negatively impacted by several relationships such as friends, family, and love relationships. Friends have a big influence on teenagers because they can say and do many of things to teenagers who think they were friends. They also start rumors and take their friends girlfriend or boyfriend and have them cheat on their friend. Some go out to drink, smoke, or to do drugs just to have fun but some think of driving home and most teenagers do not even make it to their driveways. Some teenagers who are so depressed about their social problems even think about committing suicide. Most start to hurt others turn into “goth’s” by dressing in all black. Many of depressed people show how they feel by dressing differently by acting out and hurting others in school. Parents have a big influence on teenagers because their children look up to them and 90% of them grow up to act and do things just like their parents did with them. Teenagers...
Words: 7946 - Pages: 32
...Teen Pregnancy in America Teen pregnancy is a growing problem not only in the United States but worldwide. The United States as the highest teen pregnancy rate. Teen Pregnancy occurs due to a number of reasons. One reason is teen sometime are not educated or to young to understand the consequences of being pregnant as a teen. Many teens needs to be educated before they become pregnant not after the fact. Most pregnancies are unplanned, according to Trussell (1988)”out of every teen women age, 15-19 becomes pregnant each year in the United States. Of these pregnancies five out of every six are unintended- 92 percent of conceived premarital, and the other half conceived in marriage” (p.262). According to the center for Disease Control, teenage pregnancy is 329,797 births. That is a low compared to the births in 1991(CDC, 2008). The causes of teen pregnancy in the United States can stem from many things. One is living below poverty level can sometime be associated with teen pregnancy. Teens sometimes do not have adequate supervision. Most teenage pregnancy sometime comes from sexually abuse at young age. There is also other factor the play a role in teen pregnancy. Alcohol and drugs plays a major factor in teen pregnancy. This can incite lust and passion in young people. Peer pressure that causes teens to have sexual relations just to fit in. The government has put in some programs to help curve this epidemic. In the schools, they have sex education classes and peer pressure...
Words: 904 - Pages: 4
...Teen pregnancy and resulting births pose many societal challenges, and as a result require the collective efforts of many to provide solutions. Teen pregnancy has been considered a "social ill" for centuries in the United States and has always challenged moral and ethical sensibilities. The economic costs of teens giving birth are significant, and there are many compelling reasons to reduce the teen pregnancy. Research shows that reducing the number of births to teens and increasing the age at which a women gives birth yields significant cost savings for the public sector. Efforts to reduce teen pregnancy are mainly focused on prevention and sex education is a large part of the effort. Current sex education programs focus on two main strategies, they are: abstinence only education and abstinence plus education. Abstinence only teaches that abstaining from sexual activity is the only truly effective way to prevent unintended pregnancy. Abstinence plus education focuses on delaying the initiation of sexual activity and recommends the use of contraception if a teen is sexually active. The success of abstinence only education has been exaggerated according to many sociologists and researchers. Scientific research indicates that abstinence plus education is actually much more effective in preventing teen pregnancy. Solving the problem of teen pregnancy has largely been relegating to treating the symptoms of the problem and employing prevention strategies aimed at young women. Sociologists...
Words: 3809 - Pages: 16
...Reducing Teenage Pregnancies and STDs through Education An Investigation into the increasing number of teenage pregnancies and STDs in the United States Christene M. Staley Western Governor’s University WGU Student ID# 000259544 Why do we need sexual education? In recent years there has been a large debate on how to reduce the number of teenage pregnancies and STDs in the United States. Although many agree that some form of sexual education is needed there are many opinions on what should be taught in schools and at what age. One approach is teaching abstinence only programs compared with teaching young adolescence about sex and contraceptives use and the risks associated with being sexually active. We compare the United States that currently has both the highest teenage pregnancies and STDs among young adolescence compared to other industrialized countries. This examination will show what methods of sexual education has been proven to work and why. Additionally we will examine why other countries have greatly reduced teenage pregnancies and what they are doing that has been effective. There is a significant impact on society and its costing our nation as well as the children of the teenager mothers. (Manlove et al., 2002). The first thing we need to look at is educating teenagers in order to reduce teen pregnancies and STDs. Second we will look at the need to being the discussion of sex at home and educate our children starting as the...
Words: 1661 - Pages: 7
...Preventing Teen Pregnancy Institution Affiliation Name Introduction Prevention of teen pregnancy is a national priority. For instance, teen pregnancy and birth rates in the United States continues to be higher than other Western industrialized nations. To address teen pregnancy prevention, it is advisable first to understand what teen pregnancy is, causes of the teen pregnancy as well as the effect on the nation and fundamental community as well as a family (Nolan & Mary, 2009). Teen pregnancy is simply pregnancy in a female under the age of 20 at the time that the pregnancy is conceived. The act is associated with a variety of factors and effects. Prevention Teen pregnancy is a critical public health issue since it directly affects the instant and long-term welfare of a child, mother, and father. The act contributed school dropout among most of the female as well as increasing foster and health care costs. In addition, it has provided to a broad range of age-related problems for teen born children (Kaplan, Beth & Susan, 2007). Causes of teen pregnancy There couple of factors which contributes to teen pregnancy that include the following; Peer Pressure Teens habitually feel pressure to make groups or friends and fit in with their peers during their adolescence. Most of the times these teenagers let their groups influence their choice to have sex even when they are not fully aware or understand the consequences and magnitude associated with the action...
Words: 1727 - Pages: 7
...TEENAGE PREGNANCY Introduction One should start by saying that teenage pregnancy is a complex and controversial social issue in the USA of teenage females getting pregnant. In the underdeveloped countries the practice of having teenage pregnancies is not unique but rather is usual since most women are expected to be married and have children before they turn 20. The problem for the society with teenage pregnancies is that teenagers are believed not to be ready emotionally and financially to raise their children even though they are indeed physiologically capable of producing offspring. Teenage girls when getting pregnant typically are involved in some form of school education and do depend on their parents and relatives at least to a certain degree. In most cases the father of the baby in teenage pregnancy is of similar age and thus is also financially and emotionally unprepared to raise a baby. Dependence on his parents is also the fact. Body Teenage pregnancy rates have gone up over the years. This is due to our exposure to sexual content on television and our lack of sexual orientation we give our kids or our parents give us. Teenage pregnancy has been labeled as a major social and health problem and has become a key policy area in several industrialized countries. In England, current policy aims to have teenage pregnancy rates for under-18s by 2010, and to reduce teenage parents’ risk of...
Words: 1896 - Pages: 8
...Intra-governmental holdings stood at $4.791 trillion, giving a combined total public debt of $16.370 trillion the highest amount of debt we have ever grossed since the beginning of U.S history'.(Wikipedia. (2012). United States public debt. Retrieved from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_States_public_debt). But in 2008 alone we spent about 11 billion dollars on teenage pregnancies. THESIS STATEMENT: RESEARCH SUGGEST THAT HIGH SCHOOL GIRLS SHOULD BE ALLOWED TO HAVE ORAL CONTRACPETION WITHOUT PARENTAL CONSENT BECAUSE THIS WILL HELP REDUCE THE OCCURANCE AND RISK ASSOCIATED WITH TEEN PREGNANCY AND ABORTION AND REDUCE THE FINANCIAL BURDEN ON TAX PAYERS. MAIN POINTS: Easier access to to oral contraception will reduce the occurrence of unwanted and unplanned pregnancies and abortions and the risks associated with abortion and high risk pregnancies.'Making oral contraceptive pills more accessible to women/girls may reduce the incidence of unintended pregnancy and abortion, while saving taxpayers much needed dollars.(USCF.(2012). Increased Contraceptive Supply Linked to Fewer Unintended Pregnancies. Retrieved from...
Words: 1267 - Pages: 6
...teenage pregnancy is a complex and controversial social issue in the USA of teenage females getting pregnant. In the underdeveloped countries the practice of having teenage pregnancies is not unique but rather is usual since most women are expected to be married and have children before they turn 20. The problem for the society with teenage pregnancies is that teenagers are believed not to be ready emotionally and financially to raise their children even though they are indeed physiologically capable of producing offspring. Teenage girls when getting pregnant typically are involved in some form of school education and do depend on their parents and relatives at least to a certain degree. In most cases the father of the baby in teenage pregnancy is of similar age and thus is also financially and emotionally unprepared to raise a baby. Dependence on his parents is also the fact. The greatest concern in teenage pregnancy is seen when the mother was below the age of consent when the child was conceived while the father was clearly above the age of consent. If a teenage mother chooses not to keep the child she has two options: Abortion. The child is not even born and the pregnancy is interrupted (Edelman, 2003). Adoption. The child is born, yet the mother gives it away. According to various researches in the USA more than 30% of teenage pregnancies result in abortions. At the same time the relationship between a teenage mother and a father usually turns into a single...
Words: 1704 - Pages: 7
...TEENAGE PREGNANCY IN AMERICA: AND OTHER RELATED COMPLICATIONS Teenage Pregnancy in America: And Other Related Complications Teenage pregnancy is defined as a teenager or underage girl (usually within the ages of 13–19) becoming pregnant. The term in everyday speech usually refers to women who have not reached legal adulthood, which varies across the world, who become pregnant (MedlinePlus 2008). Adolescent mothers are more numerous in western societies and especially in the United States. Today, young people are sexually active at an earlier age compare to the previous generation, and there are several associated consequences. Sexual activity among adolescents is often associated with unprotected sex or use of ineffective methods of contraception. A large proportion of adolescents are suffering from sexual transmitted diseases (STDs) and girls become pregnant and young mothers. Given the increase in teenage pregnancies and the consequences on the quality of life of the young people, an intervention, is needed starting in the middle schools. According to a study done in late 2009 by the Alan Guttmacher Institute (AGI), a pro-choice organization, nationwide, teenage pregnancy rate was 71.5 pregnancies per 1,000 women ages 13 to 19 (Huffington Post 2010). Before intervention, however, it is essential to understand the factors underlying the premature and unprotected sex leading to unwanted pregnancies and STDs among adolescents. These risk factors include individual characteristics...
Words: 3679 - Pages: 15
...COM 362 Teen Pregnancy Outline General Purpose: To inform Specific Purpose: To inform my audience on the background information, communication, and possible resolutions regarding the teen pregnancy conflict in America. Central Idea: The issue of teen pregnancy is a growing problem in our society. This conflict is associated with the lack of education and restriction on teen pregnancies and abortions. I. Introduction A recent article from Parents Magazine stated that, “a new study by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has found that one-third of teenage mothers didn’t use birth control because they didn’t think they could get pregnant” (Rossi, 2012). Researchers found that moms often thought they couldn’t get pregnant the first time they had sex or at a specific time of the month. With the amount of glorified pregnancies and sexual content in the media today we really need to take time to analyze this conflict. (Parents Magazine) II. Orienting Material I would like to talk to you today about the conflict of teen pregnancy. I will provide you with background information on the teen pregnancy along with what is currently happening with the conflict. By analyzing the desired out comes and communication strategies of the opposing sides we can take the steps towards resolving these conflicts. Credibility My credibly on the topic comes from my research and personal experience. I was drawn to this topic because I had a lot of friends in...
Words: 1608 - Pages: 7
...Community Pregnancy Project April McCormick MGT/522 September 01, 2014 Mark Holtzclaw Community Pregnancy Project Teenage pregnancy is a social problem that has existed for over a century and has always been a great concern to every nation due to the numerous adverse consequences it brings on both the economy and society at large. In the middle of the 70s, teenage pregnancy had reached an astronomical height an “epidemic” by the Alan Guttmacher Institute in a booklet entitled “11 Million Teenagers” which was widely circulated at the time (Gallagher, M., 1999). In fact, put pressure on Congress at the time to pass a bill that would increase family planning fund by hundred percent as a strategy to curtail teenage pregnancy “epidemic” (Gallagher, M., 1999). The rate of Teenage Pregnancy rose from 23.9 births per 1000 teenage female in 1975 to 31.4 in 1985 and has gotten higher to 46.4 in 1994. In the last part of the 90s, the rate had dropped by16 percent. For teenagers between 15 and 19 years, the rate of teen pregnancy had dropped by 36 percent by 2002 and 33 percent by 2004 (Gallagher, M., 1999). Until recent times, Teenage pregnancy was considered an abomination and a mockery to a family. It carried a stigma and a disgrace to the young mothers and their immediate families. The young mothers were often considered sinners and the children born out of wedlock were referred to as bastards or illegitimate. The horror and the disgrace associated with giving birth to bastards...
Words: 1017 - Pages: 5
...in an attempt to curb problems such as teenage pregnancy and sexual transmitted diseases? The issue in the world today is that kids worldwide are getting pregnant or getting stds or maybe even both. Parents are asking what ways or programs that can prevent the kids from those problems. Teen pregnancy is happening throughout the United States. Seeing that sex education is not really taught at schools that makes most kids u aware of what they are doing sexually and the bad things that come with having sex such as being pregnant or catching a sexual transmitted disease or even catching Aids. Having sexual education being taught in schools will make the teen pregnancy and std and aids rate go down. Most teens who do not receive any type of sexual education are most likely to become pregnant or get a disease. Teen Pregnancy is a huge issue that affects many families in the United States. An average of one million teen girls in the United States gets pregnant. Majority of teen pregnancies are to low income or eve poor families. Most teen pregnancies are unplanned. Most teens that become pregnant do not get a college degree. It has been said that more than half of teen moms are going to have another child following their first one in less than a year. Most teens that get pregnant do not have an abortion because their parents are against abortion or their child because they want the relationship with their baby daddy to work out. Only a small percent of teen girls use and/or rely...
Words: 1278 - Pages: 6
...Persuasive Paper How Teen Pregnancy Can Effect Teens 8/5/13 ENG/215 By Nick Matthew Sahlin Teenage pregnancy is technically defined as occurring when a woman under the age of 20 becomes pregnant. Numerous teenagers nowadays happen be teenage mothers. There have being several approaches to look at when this does affect all of young girls within ensuing sections i`m going to put in plain words the countless issues each and every teenage mother goes during the course of common lifetime along with their time ahead. I`m going to inform various possibilities in addition to discussing change in a young girl’s experience. The social efficient effect teenage birth will cause beginning sequence lack of knowledge along with deprivation, also perpetual shortage relatives with social livelihood arrangements required construct beneficial lifetime. Teenagers that are pregnant happen to be a big aspect concerned in conjunction with institute failure figures. Nowadays, teenage pregnancy has become a growing concern and therefore to look into the various causes of teenage pregnancy has become crucial in order to deal with the issue carefully. There are serious health risks must be taken by young mothers and their babies, hence made teenage pregnancy are widely dishearten. Teenage Pregnancy are more common in developed countries, particularly USA. Teenage pregnancy refers to pregnancy occurs in young girls, mostly in the range of age 13 to 17 years old. Pregnancy that happened at...
Words: 1418 - Pages: 6
...The Effects of Teenage Pregnancy Daniel E. Asante English Composition Strayer University North Charlotte Campus The Effect of Teenage Pregnancy Teenage pregnancy is a social problem that has existed for over a century and has always been a great concern to every nation due to the numerous adverse consequences it brings on both the economy and society at large. In the middle of the 70s, teenage pregnancy had reached an astronomical height that it was described as “epidemic” by the Alan Guttmacher Institute in a booklet entitled “11 Million Teenagers” which was widely circulated at the time (Gallagher, M., 1999). This, in fact, put pressure on Congress at the time to pass a bill that would increase family planning fund by hundred percent as a strategy to curtail teenage pregnancy “epidemic” (Gallagher, M., 1999). The rate of Teenage Pregnancy rose from 23.9 births per 1000 single female teenagers in 1975 to 31.4 in 1985, and to 46.4 in 1994. In the last part of the 90s, the rate had dropped by16 percent. For teenagers between 15 and 19 years, the rate of teen pregnancy had dropped by 36 per cent by 2002 and 33 per cent by 2004 (Gallagher, M., 1999). Until recent times, Teenage pregnancy was considered an abomination and a mockery to a family. It carried a stigma and a disgrace to the young mothers and their immediate families. The young mothers were often considered sinners and the children born out of wedlock were referred to as bastards or illegitimate. The horror...
Words: 1063 - Pages: 5
