Challenges and Solutions to Teenage Pregnancy
Essay from Jeremiah Lucas Opira Memorial Contest 2023
Omara Emmanuel Okot
2nd runner up, Category 2
Teenage pregnancy is a significant social issue that affects millions of young people around the world. Teenage pregnancy is when a female under the age of twenty gets pregnant. It usually refers to teens between the ages of fifteen to nineteen. But it can include girls as young as ten years old. Teenage pregnancy can have serious consequences for both the mother and the baby, including increased risk of maternal and infant mortality, poor health outcomes and reduced educational and economic opportunities. Despite efforts to reduce the rate of teenage pregnancy, it remains a major concern in many countries, particularly in low-income communities.
Teenage pregnancy is a complex issue that has multiple causes including social, cultural, economic and individual factors. One of the primary factors for the increasing teenage pregnancy is poverty. Many young girls in poverty normally become pregnant younger than those from more affluent backgrounds. Poverty can lead to inadequate access to education, healthcare and contraception, making it more difficult for young girls to prevent unintended pregnancies. In addition, poverty can lead to lack of opportunities for young people, which can lead to risky behaviors, including sexual activities.
Another factor contributing to the increasing teenage pregnancy is lack of sex education in schools. Many young girls receive little or no education about sex, contraception and reproductive health. This lack of education can lead to confusion and misinformation about sexual and reproductive health, which can increase the risk of unintended pregnancies. Additionally, young people who don’t receive comprehensive sex education may lack the skills and knowledge needed to make informed decisions about their sexual health. It is therefore important to allow teenage girls understand issues surrounding sex and their sexuality as well as the possible impacts.
Absence of affection from parents and guardians is another factor contributing to the increasing teenage pregnancy. In the current society, parents are either too busy or too permissive. Except for the provision of basic needs, parents and guardians aren’t involved in the emotional stability of the girl child. Teenagers, especially girls, go through intriguing situations and changes in which they need parental support to understand and accept the changes. In case they lack this affectionate supervision from their parents and guardians, they seek answers from boyfriends who seem to be giving the affection and attention that ends up with a pregnancy.
Peer pressure is another major factor for the increasing teenage pregnancy. As children grow up to teenagerhood, there is increased pressure to fit into certain peer groups. The peers may then push the girl into having sex to fit in well in their group. In addition to this, the modern society allows the teenagers to have a lot of time and space with the opposite sex on their own, which results in instances of pregnancy at teenagerhood.
Other factors that play a role is sexual abuse as well as use of drugs and alcohol. Teenagers are exposed to drugs and alcohol making them lose control over their sexuality when drunk thus leading to pregnancies. It is also evident when an adult sexually assaults a teenage girl or a minor. In addition, the media is contributing to the increase in teenage pregnancy by advertising and showing programs, talk shows as well as playing songs that advocate for sex. This makes teenagers practice what they see, thus ending up pregnant.
Getting pregnant at a young age has severe effects on the child and the childbearing mother. If her family and society isn’t supportive and she doesn’t have strong will power, then most probably it results in abortion and death of an innocent child who didn’t even take its first breath.
The effects of teenage pregnancies are many and unpleasant. Besides getting pregnant, teenage girls and their children or babies are at risk of being infected with sexually transmitted diseases including HIV/AIDS. Additionally, there are health implications associated with early sex and pregnancies such as infant death, maternal death, eclampsia, premature labor, low birth weight and cervical cancer. In addition, other implications come about due to the underdeveloped pelvis of the teenage girl.
Teenage mothers face significant levels of stress that can lead to increased mental health concerns. In addition to higher rates of post-partum depression, teenage mothers have higher rates of depression. They also have a higher rate of suicidal ideation than their peers who aren’t mothers. Teen mothers are more likely to experience posttraumatic stress disorder than other women as well, this could be because teen mothers are more likely to have gone through mental and physical abuse.
Teenage pregnancy brings a wide range of problems to the mother and her child. After birth, the babies are at higher risks of minor acute infections, accidental trauma, premature complications and poisoning. Children born to teenage mothers often suffer from social neglect, physical and mental abuse. Due to poverty, such children do not receive adequate education, health care and necessities. Parenting inexperience, poor family relationships and poverty affect the overall physiological and physical status of a child. Such children are prone to criminal and violent behaviors. Also, teenage mothers’ children are statistically more likely to become teenage parents themselves.
Self-control is an important tool för teenagers to avoid unintended pregnancies. It involves setting boundaries and making responsible decisions about sexual activities. By practicing self-control, teenagers can avoid engaging in risky behaviors and make choices that prioritize long-term goals and well-being. This can include abstaining from sexual activities or using contraception consistently and correctly. Self-control also involves seeking out support from trusted adults and peers and developing healthy coping mechanisms for managing stress and difficult emotions. Through self-control and responsible decision making, teenagers can reduce the risk of unintended pregnancies and set themselves up for a healthier future. In addition, providing access to affordable and high-quality reproductive health services to teenagers shall play a crucial role in preventing teenage pregnancy. This includes access to contraception, parental care and safe abortion services where it is legal. This approach can help ensure that teenagers have access to the resources they need to make informed decisions about their sexual and reproductive health and can help reduce the risk of unintended pregnancies and other negative outcomes.
Teenage pregnancy has adverse effects on the health, education and career of teenagers. It can also lead to problems for the child. Parents, guardians and teachers can be the ones to guide teenagers so they can withstand their problems and refrain from causing unintended pregnancies at an early age. There is an age for everything and fifteen to nineteen isn’t the age for anyone to become a mother. So, it’s advised to undertake proper precautions to prevent the destruction of a bright girl and save the life of an innocent child. Abstinence is key. It’s hard to raise a child when you’re still a child.