Teen Pregnancy is an Epidemic

In recent years a total of 22.3 per 1,000 women between the ages of fifteen and nineteen became pregnant in America (Source 1). This continues to still a be a large amount of teenagers that become pregnant each year but the percentages have fallen by eight percent since 2014. Teenage pregnancy is still a serious concern in american society. Over nine percent of the teenage girls living in american get pregnant between the ages of fifteen and seventeen. Between 1991 and 2016 the rate of teen births has decreased by sixty-seven percent nationwide. Teenage pregnancy most definitely comes with a high cost with having to deal with doctor bills and all of the short term and long term effects that come along with teenage pregnancy.

Teenage pregnancy is a term that continues to gain more and more attention across American society. As a matter of fact, the issue that society refers to as teenage pregnancy did not always exist in American culture (Source 2). In earlier times most people where married before they had kids, it was considered a sin if they became pregnant before marriage. In the mid 1950s teen pregnancy reached its peak by about one out of ten teenage girls got pregnant between the ages of fifteen and nineteen. This is still a very serious problem in today's society, but since the past two decades the rates of teenage pregnancy have been steadily declining. For years teenage pregnancy rates have been higher in southern industrialized areas (Source 3). There is no exact explanation for why these rates are higher in the south, but one contributing factor could be that there is much more poverty and they do not bring much attention to the resources that can prevent teenage pregnancy. In 2016 there were 20.3 births for every one thousand adolescent females from the ages fifteen to nineteen (Source 4). These numbers are still extremely high but for some odd reason african americans and latino rates are much higher than any other racial group of people in America. Ever since teenage pregnancy has became a concern in society there are always the long lasting effects that follow right behind it.

There are many effects that come along with teenage pregnancy. Most teenagers lack the skills and knowledge that it takes to be a mother. Most teenage moms don't complete higher levels of education (Source 5). Teenage mothers are more likely to dropout of high school before even getting their diploma. This is because most of the time they are bullied and or made fun of for the poor decision they made. Some teenage mothers will even experience poverty and a complex array of social factors (Source 6). Most teen moms do not have the education nor ability to maintain a full time job and the ability to take care of there infant at the same time. The chances of a teen mom being economically successful are extremely low. Therefore, it is common for them to struggle for awhile if not the rest of their life while raising their child. Most of the time having a baby as a teenager will occasionally put the mother at increased risk for postpartum depression (Source 7). Teen moms are twice as likely to get postpartum depression than older adults. This is a disorder the mothers could experience during or after her pregnancy. A few of the causes of this disorder are sadness, anxiety and occasional suicidal thoughts. There are times when uncertainty about the future will arise when a teenage girl is pregnant (Source 7). Occasionally a teenage parent may feel that they do not have the ability or knowledge it takes to be a successful parent. They may come across some fears about how the baby will affect their future dreams and goals. Teenage moms don't just experience these effects but they also experience several problems and occasional compilations that come along with the pregnancy.

There are many problems and occasional complications that come along with the teenage pregnancy. It is extremely important that a pregnant mother is to seek adequate medical care during her pregnancy because if not it can often result in moderate or severe complications (Source 8). The most commonly experienced complications during the pregnancy include anemia, toxemia and premature birth. Toxemia is a very serious condition where you experience abnormal swelling in your body that can eventually affect the unborn baby. Teenagers who become pregnant at a young age have a much higher risk of preterm birth, which often goes along with low birth weight (Source 9). It is very important that a pregnant mother consumes the right amount of nutrients that is needed for the baby to grow properly and to help prevent preterm birth. If the baby happens to be born earlier than expected it raises the risk of death or a serious disability. If a baby is born with a low birth weight, which is common when dealing with teenage pregnancy, it makes it difficult for the infant to gain weight and can also cause they baby to face serious health risks. Teenage mothers are also at a higher risk of pregnancy-induced hypertension (PIH). It can prevent the placenta from receiving enough blood which can result in low birth weight (Source 10). Pregnancy-induced hypertension is a pregnancy complication that is often caused by elevated blood pressure that can sometimes result in swelling which is due to protein in the urine. There are many negative side effects when it comes to dealing with this specific complication such as temporary kidney failure, blood clotting, liver problems and premature birth. Teenage mothers don't just face some of these complications but they also have to face what the society thinks of them.

Teenage pregnancy does not just come along with several problems but it also affects american society. In most developing nations, governments plan welfare schemes to take good care of teenage mothers and their children, which results in a loss in government revenue (Source 11). The U.S. government spends about seven billion dollars in helping to fund teenage pregnancies each year. The government will somewhat help to provide money for public assistance, child health care, and foster care by not making the teenage mother pay taxes. Due to the government doing this they will face a large amount of revenue loss. Almost all teenage mothers lack the acquiring basic education qualifications, which leads them to a more poorly paid job which increases the risk of destitution in the society (Source 11). In most situations like this the father usually abdondes the teenage mother, leaving her with the sole responsibility. This normally leaves the mother living the rest of her life in poverty and running on the risk of imminent destitution. Almost eighty percent of all teenage mothers solely rely on the social welfare of government schemes designed by the nation. The rate in literacy continues to drop in society when teenagers get pregnant (Souce 12). When most teenagers get pregnant they make the choice to drop out of school or to take a temporary break on their education. This affects the society as a whole due to literacy rates dropping. As teenage pregnancy continues to affect american society the outlook on the future is getting better and better each year.

In America slightly less than one in ten teenage girls become pregnant each year. The term teenage pregnancy still continues to be a nationwide problem in the american society. Although, the rates of teenage pregnancy are continuing to decrease year by year. Teenage girls still need to understand the consequences of becoming pregnant at such a young age. Becoming pregnant at a young age doesn't just leave the teenager at a higher risk of complications but at poverty and lack of responsibility.

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