Teenager refers to any individual at the age of 13 and 19 years. Adolescent occurs in all societies, but the period of childbearing and teenage pregnancy varies from one nation to the other. Some countries such as the Netherlands experiences low rate of growth with experiencing teenage pregnancies for only 12 girls per 1000 girls becoming pregnant in the country (Kost & Henshaw, 2014). However, some nations such as the United States and Russia experience a high rate of teenage pregnancy, thus requiring an intervention mechanism for addressing these issues. In these countries, there are 100 adolescent pregnancies in every 1000 girls representing a high rate of teenage pregnancy that need intervention mechanism.
Thesis: Teenage pregnancy originates from poverty and peer pressure, thus causing social and economic challenges to society.
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Contributing factors for teenage pregnancy
Peer pressure
During the adolescent stage, teenagers experience troubles to make friends and interact with their peers. Teenagers may have sex to appear cool and sophisticated, which may end up, resulting in an unplanned pregnancy. According to Umara & Ngohi (2015), one-third of boys feel compelled to have sex compared to 23% of girls experiencing this pressure.
Poverty
Teenage pregnancy is common in situations where teenagers are at an economic disadvantage. Teenagers living in regions socioeconomic problems are common indicates that such girls experience a high risk of experiencing teenage pregnancy (Sedgh et al., 2015). Low-income levels show that children are likely to experience challenges in achieving wealth and education, thus exposing girls to risks of engaging in commercial sex.
Consequences of Teenage Pregnancy
School drop out
Teenage pregnancy becomes one of the contributing factors that increase the rate of school dropout among girls (Odland, 2018). Eighty percent of adolescent mothers have to rely on welfare at some point. Most teenage mothers are uneducated, with only one-third achieving a diploma.
Economic consequence
Teenage pregnancy may lead to a reduction of an individual’s production, especially in situations where there is damage to immature organs (Furstenberg, 2016).
Most of the income by family members is diverted to taking care of the teenager and her child.
In the United States, teenage pregnancy has resulted in an increment in the annual cost due to a reduction in tax revenue and involvement of criminal justice estimated to be approximately $7 billion.
Research Methods
In an attempt to understand the causes and consequences of teenage abortion, it is evident that there is a need for collecting data from different countries. For example, the information collected will depict issues such as reported data on factors such as a number of births, abortions, and females aged between 10 and 14 years and 15 and 19 years. For instance, Adolescent pregnancy regarding the number of birth, and abortion rates will be measured as the number of recorded events among 1000 females aged between 15 and 19 years. Participants will also be required to record some of the challenges they experience as a result of experiencing teenage pregnancy.
Conclusion
Poverty and peer pressure are some of the recognized sources of teenage pregnancy, thus resulting in social and economic challenges by the people in the society. Majority of people living in a poor neighborhood are vulnerable to teenage pregnancy as it results in commercial sex and exposing teens to low opportunities for accumulating wealth. Peer pressure also contributes to high levels of risks as people have a desire for engaging in activities that make them feel part of a particular group. This problem creates social problems such as school dropouts and economic disadvantage.
Annotated Bibliography
Sedgh, G., Finer, L. B., Bankole, A., Eilers, M. A., & Singh, S. (2015). Adolescent pregnancy, birth, and abortion rates across countries: levels and recent trends. Journal of Adolescent Health, 56(2), 223-230.
Sedgh, Finer, Bankole, Eilers & Singh examine pregnancy rates and outcomes associated with births and abortions among teenagers at the age of 15 and 19 years. Researchers focus on collecting information from different countries in an attempt to understand the causes and consequences associated with teenage pregnancy. The data collected for this study is obtained from statistical data provided by the UN regarding adolescent pregnancy. The results show that pregnancy among teenagers was high in the United States than any other country.
Kost, K., & Henshaw K., (2014). US teenage pregnancies, births and abortions, 2010: National and state trends by age, race, and ethnicity. New York: Guttmacher Institute.
Kost & Henshaw prepresents information related to the rate of pregnancy in the United States. The researcher represents data for teenage pregnancy among teenagers in the United States by presenting comprehensive statistical data associated with adolescent pregnancy in the year 2011. The information presented in this report indicates that there exist differences in the rate at which young black girls become pregnant compared to that of the white Hispanic girls. This information also confirms that there is a relationship between poverty and disadvantaged groups and the rate of teenage pregnancy.
Umara, A. M., & Ngohi, B. U. (2015). Causes And Consequences Of Teenage Pregnancy In Borno State Of Nigeria: Implications For Counselling. Sokoto Educational Review, 16(1), 11-11.
Umara & Ngohi focused on understanding the causes and consequences of teenage pregnancy by focusing on studying the causes and effects of such teenage social problem in Borno state in Nigeria. They collected information from parents from the age of 15 years and above asking participants to record information regarding their experience in teenage pregnancy and consequences. They reveal that teenage pregnancy usually occurs as a result of incomplete information related to health and social impacts associated with reproduction health.
Furstenberg, F. (2016). Reconsidering teenage pregnancy and parenthood. Societies, 6(4), 33.
Furstenberg researches the issue of teenage pregnancy with an objective of understanding challenges associated with increased adolescent pregnancy. The idea behind the analysis is the perception that there is less information related to the consequences of teenage pregnancy. Furstenburg identifies various implications of teenage pregnancy, such as economic challenges and school underdevelopment by the affected girls.
Odland, J. (2018). Teenage Reproductive Health: Pregnancy, Contraception, Unsafe Abortion, Fertility.
Odland investigates the consequences associated with teenage pregnancy focusing on issues related to complications resulting from teenage pregnancy. He recognizes that there exists a high rate of maternal mortality rate, especially if the pregnant woman is a teenager. Most of the complications arise from unsafe abortion and effects resulting from premature organs of the victim.
References
Furstenberg, F. (2016). Reconsidering teenage pregnancy and parenthood. Societies, 6(4), 33.
Kost, K., & Henshaw, S. (2014). US teenage pregnancies, births and abortions, 2010: National and state trends by age, race and ethnicity. New York: Guttmacher Institute.
Odland, J. (2018). Teenage Reproductive Health: Pregnancy, Contraception, Unsafe Abortion, Fertility.
Sedgh, G., Finer, L. B., Bankole, A., Eilers, M. A., & Singh, S. (2015). Adolescent pregnancy, birth, and abortion rates across countries: levels and recent trends. Journal of Adolescent Health, 56(2), 223-230.
Umara, A. M., & Ngohi, B. U. (2015). Causes And Consequences Of Teenage Pregnancy In Borno State Of Nigeria: Implications For Counselling. Sokoto Educational Review, 16(1), 11-11.
