Teen Pregnancy Essay - 1660 Words

Each year approximately 750,000 adolescents (ages 15-19) in the United States will become pregnant and about 400,000 of those adolescents will give birth. Out of all the developed nations in the world, the United States has the highest incidence of teen pregnancy. Although there has been a decline in the number of pregnancies among adolescents, teen pregnancy is still a serious health concern that needs continued intervention. It is widely agreed upon that becoming pregnant at a young age has negative effects on both mother and baby in many different aspects. What are the reasons for the increased rate of teen pregnancies in the United States despite the health risks, and how can we lower it? There is no doubt that becoming pregnant at a†¦show more content†¦Inadequate zinc intake can lead to congenital abnormalities and fetal growth retardation. Low iron intake can also lead to fetal growth retardation. Low levels of vitamin D can cause rickets and low levels of calcium can cause poor skeletal development in the fetus. There are many more complications that can occur later in life as well due to malnutrition during pregnancy. (Nnam, 2015) Pregnancy can be a stressful time, much more so in a teenager who isn’t developmentally at the age to have child or be a mother. There is a great number of teenage mothers who use alcohol, tobacco, and illicit drugs while pregnant. Just as diet plays an important part in the health of the mother and baby, abstinence from chemicals is of upmost importance. The most widely used chemical during pregnancy is alcohol. There is no known safe amount of alcohol that is allowed during pregnancy, so complete abstinence is recommended. Alcohol is rapidly absorbed into the blood stream and crosses the placenta, into the fetus, because the liver is not fully functional, the fetus is exposed to high levels. Alcohol use during pregnancy can increase the risk of stillbirth or miscarriage. Alcohol usage is also linked to low b irth weight and learning disabilities. The most serious complications from alcohol use during pregnancy collectively fallShow MoreRelatedTeen Pregnancy Essay2181 Words   |  9 PagesPregnancies are a wonderful thing. Just imagine being able to create another human being and bringing it into the world. Although this may be what the majority of mothers think, teen moms may have a different perspective. They might have been forced into pregnancy and the child may be a reoccurring thought of what happened to her. Chances are the teen will love her baby in the long run, but in the beginning the teen most likely had different views. Teen pregnancy is a worldwide problem that needsRead MoreTeen Pregnancy Essay1019 Words   |  5 PagesTeen Pregnancy Nearly thirteen percent of all births in the United States were teenage girls from the ages fifteen to nineteen. Almost one million teenagers become pregnant each year and about 485,00 give birth. In many situations the answer to keeping a relationship going is to have a good sex life. Most teen relationships are based on sex. This is one of the main reasons why teenage birth rates are so high. I am a good person to make a case for this topic because I have witnessed from a familyRead MoreEssay on Teen Pregnancy1041 Words   |  5 PagesIt has been said that teens across the world have not been receiving enough sex education. This has led to many issues with teens becoming pregnant, which most of the time is unanticipated. Teenage pregnancy has been a social problem throughout the world for a number of decades now. Many studies have been completed in several countries that pertain to the amount of teens and the types of teens who are becoming pregnant. Rates among teens had bee n declining for some time, but are starting to takeRead MoreTeen Pregnancy Essay1364 Words   |  6 PagesWhat is teen pregnancy? Teenage pregnancy, also known as adolescent pregnancy, is pregnancy in females under the age of 20. A female can become pregnant from sexual intercourse after she has begun to ovulate, which can be before her first menstrual period but usually occurs after the onset of her periods. There are many reasons why teens end up pregnant at such a young age. These reasons consist of family related problems, the lack of being taught about safe sex in school and by parents at homeRead MoreTeen Pregnancy Essay1426 Words   |  6 Pageswhat is going to help reduce the alarmingly high rate of teen pregnancies has not ceased. Many argue over whether abstinence-only should be taught in high school and if it is the key to reducing the high teen pregnancy rate. From my standpoint, I believe that it should be taught. However, it should be accompanied by the teachings of birth control along with other contraceptives and how to use them. The fact of the matter is that teen pregnancies continue to be a prevalent problem and teaching abstinenceRead MoreTeen Pregnancy Essay915 Words   |  4 PagesTeen Pregnancy Over the past two decades, the rates of teen pregnancy have grown dramatically. According to the Prevention of Teen Pregnancy, approximately every thirty-one seconds ateenager becomes pregnant in the United States. This is unbelievable, however that is the truth that no one can deny. Many people think that teen pregnancy dont effect them unless they get pregnant or one of the family members in teenage get pregnant. However teen pregnancy really affects our communities and countryRead More Teen Pregnancy Essay643 Words   |  3 Pagesdifficulties that come with an unplanned pregnancy in teens can have a profound effect on their life. Their physical, social, mental, and emotional health will all be affected by a sudden change in the course of their life. Teens impacted with an unplanned pregnancy will have to give up many things in order to be a parent. In addition, they will have to take on many more responsibilities that accompany pregnancy and parenthood. All in all, having an unplanned pregnancy and becoming a parent introduceRead MoreTeen Pregnancy Essay1314 Words   |  6 Pages(Hamilton, B.E.). That’s nearly 750,000 teen pregnancies every year. According to, â€Å"11 facts about teen pregnancy† less than 2% of teen moms earn a college degree by age 30 (Par. 2 5). There are many reasons for this and the best way to help limit teen pregnancy would be to require parents to attend teen pregnancy prevention meetings held by schools. One of the many problems is that most teens are not well informed about the troubles of being a teen parent. They don’t understand how it willRead MoreEssay On Teen Pregnancy1590 Words   |  7 PagesTeen Pregnancy Task 1 Teenage pregnancy has been around for thousands of years, and in the past was in fact an ideal among societies of past times, such as the Ancient Greeks, the Medieval Era, and even as late as the 20th century. Teenage women were thought to be at the prime age for baring children, and often as soon as they were married, fell pregnant. However, in this era, women have more opportunities to go further and reach higher in life, they have the chance to be successful, and to rivalRead More Teen Pregnancy Essay710 Words   |  3 PagesPrevent Teen Pregnancy nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp; After reading Martha Balash’s article, Schools Can Help to Prevent Teen Pregnancy. Balash has put time and effort into this proposal on stopping Teen Pregnancy. I think Balash’s introduction is very effective because she goes straight to the facts. She doesn’t try to mislead you with any false facts. She goes straight to the point and the point is to prevent teen pregnancy. Balash tells that schools has more influence over teen pregnancy than what