Although the teen pregnancy rate in the United States has declined in recent years, it is still a major problem. According to data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), about 1 in 10 teenage girls in the US will get pregnant before the age of 20. This makes the US teen pregnancy rate the highest among all developed countries. There are a number of factors that contribute to this high rate, including poverty, lack of access to contraception and sex education, and social pressure. Teen pregnancy can have a number of negative consequences for both the mother and the child, including financial instability, reduced educational opportunities, and poor health.
This is such a problem because not only is the teen’s body still developing but so is the level of responsibility in some cases. The teen usually doesn’t realize how much care your body needs while pregnant. A big percentage of young mothers have children with a low birth rate, which could cause the child problems throughout his/her entire life. Younger mothers also have a higher rate of infant death than older women. These causes come from lack of good prenatal care. The teen mother often doesn’t have the support she needs to properly care for herself and her child.
Stress takes a major toll on both the teenage mother’s body and mind, as well as her baby’s health. The physical and emotional stress of pregnancy can disrupt a teen’s hormones, which can cause serious health risks for both the mother and child. Telling your parents about the pregnancy can also be a huge source of stress during this already difficult time.
A lot of teens are doing drugs and drinking alcohol. Using substances to cope with everyday stress is tempting, but it’s crucial to avoid mind-altering chemicals. Teens often don’t have the knowledge to know that doing things like this can cause long-term damage, not just to themselves, but to the baby as well.
To help lower rates of teen pregnancy, we need to start by sharing knowledge. It’s important that every teen knows the risks of becoming pregnant as a teenager, and the consequences of having sex at a young age. Eighty percent of teen mothers drop out of high school, and many lack the education they need to succeed in life. By sharing what we know today, we can help lower these numbers.
