The Issue of Teen Pregnancy in the US - Essay Example

Teen Pregnancy The development and the progress of the human mind have led to the understandingof many deep rooted societal issues. These problems of the society need to be understood in the best possible manner and their causes should be known so that these issues can be tackled and dealt with in the best possible manner. Teen pregnancy is one such issue which has led to many questions and researches have been conducted to determine the underlying causes of this problem that exists in the society. Teen pregnancy is a public health concern as well. According to surveys conducted in the United States, in the year 1991, 61.8 conceptions were reported in every 1000 teenage girls. The ages of these girls ranged from 15 years to 19 years. These statistics declined and in the year 2005, the conceptions dropped to 40.5 in every 1000 teenage girls. It was further highlighted that in this era between 1991 and 2005, 750,000 teenagers conceived in the United States. It has been proved that the problem has a higher rate in the United States in comparison to other nations like England, Wales and Canada. There has been a decrease in the rates of teen pregnancy but still the issue is known to be present in the society. This has led to the analysis of the causes of teen pregnancy. Teen pregnancy is a serious issue of concern and the major contributing reasons for teen pregnancy include low socioeconomic status, lack of education and societal forces (Donaldson et al 2003; Miller 2006; Thomas 2009). The socioeconomic factor is a major causative factor of teen pregnancy. A low socio-economic status means that the parents have lower educational qualifications which do not warrant for a good job. This means that the heads of the families have to work for longer periods of time and stay away from home. Furthermore, despite of this increased working, the overall income of the house is not very high. These families survive in poor conditions. The long working hours of the parents result in a lack of regulation and command over the activities of the children as the parents tend to stay out of the house most of the time. This allows for opportunities for the teens to engage in sexual behavior without the approval of their parents. The parents who possess low educational qualifications may be less learned and they would not be able to explain their children about safe sex strategies owing to their own lack of knowledge. This would result in decreased sexual knowledge amongst the teenagers which would lead to higher cases of teen pregnancy. A low socioeconomic status also serves to result in living conditions beyond satisfactory and these tend to disturb the teenagers. These disturbances provoke them to opt for sexual pleasures and therefore teen pregnancy results. Thus it can be seen that a low socioeconomic status is a cause of teen pregnancy as it results in a lack of supervision over the teenagers accompanied with decreased parental guidance and poor living conditions which tend to result in teen pregnancy (Donaldson et al 2003; Thomas 2009). Teen pregnancy has also been associated with many societal forces that tend to promote sexual behaviors amongst the teenage groups. Cultural variations serve to provide as a major community factor that leads to teen pregnancies. Teenage pregnancies are considered to be normal in a few cultures and this trend continues from the parents to their children. Statistics have revealed that the teen conception rate is very high amongst the Mexican Americans and the blacks. This rate is considerably lower for the whites and the Asians. It has been seen that Mexicans and blacks have disturbed family lives which may be a leading cause for higher teen pregnancies in their communities. It has also been analyzed that the Mexican culture instills values of obedience and compliance amongst girls. The Mexican tradition also upholds the characteristics of “machismo” and “virility” amongst boys. This results in the indulgence of these teenagers in sexual behavior and it is because of this that the rate of teen pregnancy is high amongst this cultural group. Amongst blacks, the “absent father syndrome” is considered to be a cause of teen pregnancy. It has been highlighted that 48 percent of the black children live with single mothers and this lack of surveillance by fathers has been considered to be a cause for higher teen pregnancies amongst blacks. There have been many societal factors as well which have led to an increase in teen pregnancies. These include the rise in the lack of belief in the bond of marriage which has provided for greater sexual liberties and couples tend to stay together without getting married. This acceptance from the society for such behavior may also be counted as a factor for the rise in teen pregnancy. Media also has a great role in the promotion of teen pregnancies owing to the open display of sexual behaviors. Peer pressure and exploitation during childhood are other societal contributory factors for teen pregnancy (Donaldson et al 2003; Thomas 2009). Education also has a very strong link with teen pregnancies. Teenagers who are not very ambitious and are not serious about their academic careers tend to have a higher susceptibility to become pregnant. This is owing to their lack of direction. Also teenagers who skip school and are not regular school goers have a similar risk. The deprivation of proper sexual education is also a causative factor for teen pregnancies. The responsibility for proper sexual education lies on the shoulders of the school authorities as well as the parents of the teenagers. They should be given proper guidance with regard to contraception and safe sex. The teenagers should also be guided to tackle with situations where they may be forced by their friends to engage in sexual activity without their own will. This education would assist the teenagers in overcoming such situations and many teenagers would avoid from conceiving (Donaldson et al 2003; Miller 2006). Teen pregnancy can result in many consequences for the teenagers. It may result in social, economic as well as psychological distress for the girls who become pregnant. There are many health concerns for the teenage girls as well because their bodies may not be compatible for facing the strain associated with childbirth. These girls may not be able to continue their education as well (Thomas 2009). Considering the risks associated with teen pregnancy, the issue should be taken seriously and dealt with. The major causes of teen pregnancy should be understood in order to eradicate this problem in a better manner. Sexual education should be promoted and other programs should be launched on the state level to overcome the issue of teen pregnancy. This is because the rate of teen pregnancy is still very high in the society and the lives of many young girls may be improved if they are provided with proper guidance. Works Cited Donaldson, L J, and R J. Donaldson. Essential Public Health. Newbury, Berkshire: LibraPharm Ltd, 2003. Print. Miller, Kristen. “Causes of Teenage Pregnancy.” Associated Content. 15 Dec. 2006. Web. 8 Oct. 2011. Thomas, R M. Sex and the American Teenager: Seeing Through the Myths and Confronting the Issues. Lanham, Md: Rowman & Littlefield Education, 2009. Print. Read More