Teenage Pregnancy as One of the Most Disturbing Issues - Essay Example

Teenager and Pregnancy Teenage pregnancy is one of the most disturbing issues affecting young girls and the whole society. There has been an increase in the number of teenage pregnancies especially in the American society for the past few years. Teenage pregnancy refers to the occurrence of pregnancy among young girls between the ages of thirteen years to nineteen years. However, some countries define teenage pregnancy as the one that occurs when a girl is yet to celebrate her eighteenth birthday. A number of various reasons tend to be the cause of teenage pregnancies. Most of these reasons are not because of wishes made by the young girls but due to various circumstances that influence them into early-unprotected sex. Therefore, about 85% of pregnancy experienced in young girls occurs because of unwanted reason. One of the main causes of teenage pregnancy is the lack of early education concerning various issues relating to sex and use contraceptives. Many parents fail in providing knowledge to their children on issues relating to early sex and its consequences. Moreover, lack of parental supervisions plays a significant role in contributing to occurrence of teenage pregnancies. Parenthood support in young girls is of essential importance in making sure that they are safe from engaging in early sexual behaviors. High numbers of girls who get pregnant during their teenage ages fail to receive the recommended advice and information related to sexuality. Therefore, lack of parental contribution in educating young girls is one of main reasons that make them engage in sexual activities leading to early pregnancies. Another significant cause of teenage pregnancies is vices that emerge after socializing with friends and dating partners. Some of these vices include use of drug and alcohol abuse (Castillo 10). Use of these substances contributes in making most of the young girls engage in sexual activities where they get pregnant against their wishes. Most of the girls fail to control themselves when under the influence of substance abuse (Castillo 10). This is the main direct reason of why most of the young girls find themselves engaging in sexual activities without make any prior arrangements. Moreover, use of alcohol increase the influence to engage in sexual activities and these may result to unwanted pregnancies. The media also plays a significant role in contributing to occurrence of pregnancies among teenage girls (Rathers 232). The influence of the media on various issues related to sexual behaviors among teenagers is a factor highly linked with the occurrence of early pregnancies (Wilpers 11). Most of the content expressed in the media tends to encourage teenagers to engage in sexual activities. For example, some of the media content in United Kingdom encourages young girls that engaging in sexual activities before the age of sixteen years is something normal (Wilpers 12). This makes most of the teenage girls adopt the behavior risking their selves in getting pregnant. The linkage between the media and occurrence of teenage pregnancies is that most of the girls within this age limit tend to experience for themselves what they saw on various media channels (Wilpers 12). Another cause of pregnancy among teenagers is sexual abuse that some of them tend to encounter during their schooling or in their families. Sexual abuse among teenagers tends to be higher compared to the general population (Klor & Lapin 9). Therefore, this may be a chief contributor to teenage pregnancy. One of the major effects of sexual abuse in teenage girls is that most of them became more vulnerable to men. This is because most of the girls tend to experience low self-esteem after the abuse act. Moreover, teenage girls who are victims of incest tend to plan pregnancy as means of escaping from the inhumane acts. There is a high probability that most of the teenage girls who are sexually abused tend to engage in various sexual activities later. Therefore, they increase their chance of getting pregnant. Statistics indicate that about 11-20% of pregnancies that most of the teenage girls experiences are directly associated with rape (Olyai 98). Some of the girls tend to experience rape while in their homes and others outside home compounds. Sexual abuse also contributes in affecting most of the girls emotionally and mentally. Domestic violence is also another factor that contributes to occurrences of pregnancies among many teenagers. Most of the domestic violence related to teenage pregnancy is connected with their sexual partners (Hamel & Tonia 492). Many teenagers report that their sexual partners contributed to get them pregnant against their wishes. Some of the abusive means that sexual partners express to the teenage girls include manipulating condom use. Other sexual partners sabotage various birth-control methods that some of the girls may opt to use in order to avoid the occurrence of pregnancy. There are higher numbers of girls who report to having had physical, emotional and sexual abuse from their partners. The other key factor that plays a significant role in contributing to teenage pregnancy is social economic factors (Baker 48). Teenage girls who tend to live in various disadvantages situation have high chances of engaging in sexual activities with the aim of getting financial support. This behavior increases their chances of getting pregnant. Low social-economic status is directly related to contribute in a high extent of causing many of the teenage girls to engage in unprotected sexual activities. Studies indicate that being economically poor makes many of the teenage girls become victims of gender bias. This makes them have little decision making power, hence they end-up getting pregnant against their wishes. Poor economic status is also linked to poor housing where most of the parents share a room with their adolescent girls. This increases the chance of girls being exposed to sexual activities at an early age increasing their chances of getting pregnant (Arai 63). Early marriages also contribute in causing many of the teenage girls get pregnant at an early age in a higher extent. Early marriages especially in developing countries lead to initiation of sexual activities causing many of the teenage girls to become pregnant (Stanley 13). Many of the girls who get pregnant because of early marriages do not have the chance to exercise their rights accordingly. Most of them are forced into the marriages because of cultural practices among several communities. Other teenage girls tend to be young to make informed decisions about their wish about getting pregnant. The society assumes a woman ought to have children after getting married even if she is of a young age. This assumption contributes in making many of the teenage girls get pregnant against their wishes. Other significant issues that contribute to occurrence of teenage pregnancies include lack of participation in various religious communities (Holgate, Evans & Francis 171). Religious communities play a significant role in shaping behaviors of young people. However, most of the teenage girls do not participate in these communities. Therefore, they fail to get a chance of having the appropriate information about safe sex in order to avoid unwanted pregnancies. The other factor that leads to young girls in engaging on early sexual activities is the lack of social support (Holgate, Evans & Francis 171). The society also plays a crucial role in failing to provide the recommended information on teenage girls on issues related to sexual activities. Older people in the society tend to be too busy and they fail to have time to offer information to the young generation about sexual issues. Other people in the society consider discussing issues related to sexuality with the young ones difficult and against the social norms. This contributes to most of the teenage girls to explore for themselves due to curiosity about issues related to sexual activities. Most of them end up getting pregnant against their wishes. Apart from the above factors demonstrating that, teenagers get pregnant accidentally and against their wishes, various issues tend to illustrate otherwise. Some of the teenage girls get pregnancy because of their own wish. Rathers (232) indicates, “Some teenage girls purposefully get pregnant to try to make their partners to make a commitment to them”. This reason likely indicates that some teenagers are not forced to engage in sexual activities but they do it upon their own wishes. Other teenage girls choose to engage in sexual activities that lead to occurrence of pregnancy because of peer pressure (Rathers 232). Even though there are not forced to engage in sexual activities, peer pressure especially from friends of the same age contributes much in teenage pregnancies. Carelessness of some of the teenage girls while engaging in sexual activities also contributes in getting pregnancy. For example, Zastrow & Karen (238) indicates that some of the teenage girls do not bother using contraception. One of the reasons they are so careless is because they feel that sexual activity tends to be more pleasurable without using contraception. Others tend to worry that their parents may find out about their sexual behavior if they use contraception (Zastrow &Karen 238). Moreover, other teenagers think that getting pregnant is normal as it happens to other women in society. This indicates that some causes of pregnancies in teenage girls are because of their own wishes. Various ways can be used to protect teenage pregnancies from happening. Some of them include promoting sexual health education (Lewis 3). There is also a need to create various opportunities with the aim of keeping young people busy. This will assist in helping them participate in making positive decisions concerning their lives (Lewis 3). Through engaging in decision-making processes, young people will also have the opportunity to gain confidence and important skills. Moreover, these processes will enable young people to make positive choices about their own future and career (Lewis 3). The other possible way that would contribute in helping to reduce the occurrence of pregnancies among teenage girls is providing more contraceptives and education on how to use the medicines (Sigelman & Elizabeth 59). Many of the teenage girls ignore the use of contraceptives because they do not know how to use them. Therefore, there is a need to teach them on how to use the contraceptives and stay safe from getting pregnant. This obligation can be accomplished by various voluntary organizations. Members of health institutions, parents and leaders in the society can also play a role in teaching teenage girls on how to stay safe from getting pregnant. I agree with the above facts that various reasons that contribute in occurrence of teenage pregnancies are beyond their control and against their wishes. Many teenage girls would like to have a successful life but the occurrence of pregnancy tends to be a barrier in accomplishing their ambitions in time. For example, many teenage girls would like to complete their academic career in time without being forced to drop out of school because of pregnancy. Many of the teenage girls would like to have successful and happy marriages in the future where their children would have both parents. This indicates that many teenage girls would not like to get pregnant even though they find themselves in the situation accidentally. I also agree with the fact that some of the teenage girls get pregnant because of their own wishes. This is most of the time contributed by curiosity. Various changes that occur in their bodies during the adolescent period make them curios about sex. Moreover, these changes create another atmosphere where they feel to be already adults. This contributes in making them have the courage to try what adult people do relating to sex. Therefore, they increase their chances of getting pregnant. Conclusion Occurrence of pregnancy among teenage girls is contributed by factors that are beyond their control and against their wishes. However, some teenage girls may get pregnant because of their own wish and acceptance to engage in unprotected sexual activities. According to the above outlined premises, there is a probability that most of the teenage girls get pregnant against their wishes. There is a likelihood that most of the pregnancies among teenage girls are unwanted and they occurred without any prior planning. All of the above illustrations tend to make it clear that teenage pregnancies can be prevented if various significant issues are addressed. This is because most of the young girls are not always ready to get pregnant. However, they are forced by certain circumstances. Works cited Top of Form Top of Form Top of Form Top of Form Top of Form Top of Form Top of Form Top of Form Arai, Lisa. Teenage Pregnancy: The Making and Unmaking of a Problem. Bristol, UK: Policy Press, 2009. Print. Baker, Philip. Teenage Pregnancy and Reproductive Health. London: RCOG Press, 2007. Print. Castillo Kassandra. The Causes That Lead Teenagers to Drug and Alcohol Abuse. New York: GRIN Verlag, 2009. Print. Hamel, John & Tonia Nicholls. Family Interventions in Domestic Violence: A Handbook of Gender-Inclusive Theory and Treatment. New York: Springer Pub, 2006. Print. Holgate Helen, Evans Roy, Yuen Francis. Teenage Oregnancy and Parenthood: Global perspectives, issues and interventions. Routledge, 2005. Print. Klor, Ellen., & Lapin, Sarah. Serving teen parents: From literacy to life skills. Santa Barbara, Calif: Libraries Unlimited, 2011. Print. Lewis Ellie. Involving Young People in Teenage Pregnancy and Sexual Health Work: A Practical Guide. London: National Childrens Bureau, 2006. Print. Olyai, Roza. Recent Advances in Adolescent Health. Jaypee Brothers Medical Pub, 2011. Print. Rathus Spencer . Hdev. Belmont, Calif: Wadsworth, 2011. Print. Sigelman, Carol & Elizabeth Rider. Life-span Human Development. Belmont, CA: Wadsworth, Cengage Learning, 2011. Print. Stanley, Selwyn. Social Problems: Perspectives for Intervention. New Delhi: Allied Publishers, 2004. Print. Wilpers Birgit. Teenage Pregnancies in the UK and Their Perception in the British Print Media. New York: GRIN Verlag, 2010. Print. Zastrow Charles &Karen Kirst-Ashman. Understanding Human Behavior and the Social Environment. Belmont, Calif: Thomson, 2007. Print. Bottom of Form Bottom of Form Bottom of Form Bottom of Form Top of Form Read More