Teenage Pregnancies in the United States - Essay Example

Teenage Pregnancies Adolescent pregnancy in the United s is a complex issue which is greatly affecting families, educators, healthcare professionals, social welfare centers as well the youths themselves. Prevention and reduction of teen pregnancies is an important issue that impacts nearly every community and has serious consequences not only for the teenage mother, but the child and the society in general. As younger teenagers are especially vulnerable to nonconsensual and coercive sex therefore, parental supervision, setting expectations and contentedness between child and parents are important factors which can decrease risky sexual behavior among adolescents. According to the annual report 1997-98 presented by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, there was a decline in the birth rate for teenagers between the age of 15-19 between 1991 and 1996 in all states. During this period, the overall U.S. teen birth rate fell by 12 percent, by 12 percent or more in 28 states, by 16 percent or more in 13 states, whereas, decline in 4 states exceeded 20 percent. Although the figures show that there has been an improvement in teen birth rate but it’s still an issue which is creating a lot of problems for the young mothers, the government as well as the society. Teenage childbearing is associated with serious health risks. Adolescent mothers, especially who are less than 15 years of age have a higher rate of birth complications including anemia, hypertension, prolonged or premature labor, pregnancy related infections and abnormal bleeding etc. There are greater chances of having a low birth weight and neonatal death rate, which means that the infant dies within 28 days of the birth, as compared to adult pregnant women. Other medical problems associated with teenage mothers are poor maternal weight gain, premature birth and they are also more prone to contracting Sexually Transmitted Diseases. Poor diet is another factor associated with negative pregnancy and so is the use of drugs, alcohol and smoking. The teenage mothers not only suffer from ill health and medical risks, but also face psychological problems which include school interruption, limited vocational opportunities, persistent poverty, separation from the child’s father and at times repeated pregnancies. In some cases if the school is not interrupted, it results in poor academic performance. “Teen mothers are in psychological jeopardy because they experience higher levels of stress, despair, feeling of helplessness, low self-esteem, a sense of personal failure, suicide and suicide attempts than their older counterparts” ( Jorgensen, 1993). The economic implications for the teenage mother and the child are of great consequence because her academic achievements are closely related to her economic outcomes, including earning potential and opportunity for employment and occupation. The teen mothers complete fewer years of school, therefore, are less likely to earn a high school diploma or go for post secondary education, as compared to the women who delay childbearing. Studies have shown that although 38% of adolescents live in poor or low income families, as many as 83% of teenagers who give birth and 61% of those who have abortions, all belong to low income families and in some cases as many as 50% to 60% of those who become pregnant in early or mid-adolescence, have a history of childhood sexual, or physical abuse. Generally, teenage mothers do return to school to complete their high school or college degree, but mothers aged, 16, 17 and 18 years are at a greater risk of not finishing high school. The reason being that the older adolescent mothers are either living independently, seeking employment or getting married, so they find it difficult to continue with their education. Similarly, adolescent fathers are also more likely to have poor academic performance, higher school drop-out rates, limited financial resources and decreased economic potential. The researches carried out during the past decade confirm that children of teenage mothers have increased risk of developmental delay and do not fare as well as those born to adult mothers. Most of them besides being born prematurely with low birth weight are also at a risk of academic difficulties, depression, behavioral disorder, substance abuse, early sexual activity and are also at a risk of becoming teenage parents themselves. During the first 14 years, the average child of a teenage mother visits a physician and other medical providers on an average of 3.8 times per year compared with 4.3 times for a child of older child bearer. In addition to that certain psychological abnormalities like epilepsy, nervous disorders and blindness may also affect them. In terms of cognitive abilities and their academic achievements, scores are reported to be lower and they are more likely to repeat a grade and receive lower evaluations as compared to those born to older mothers. Of the data available clearly shows, that teen mothers have been found to have more signs of maladjustment, with a higher risk of social impairment including fearfulness, poor control of anger and feelings of inferiority, along with behavioral disorder. It has been reported that there is an increase in the rate of crime by the male children of teenage mothers as compared to those who begin their families after 20 years of age. The reason is that once they get into crimes it becomes difficult for them to give up their means and ways of survival. “When new opportunities present themselves, it is difficult for these youth to lay aside coping strategies devised to survive a hostile and dangerous environment ( Dionne J. Jones, pp, 21). Furthermore, if these young men spent less time in prison, they can contribute more to the support of their own children. According to reports of a research project issued by the U.S. Department of Justice, Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention (OJJDP), related to the consequences of adolescent motherhood states; that the sons of teenage mothers are 2.7 times more likely to be imprisoned than the sons of those who delay childbearing until their early 20’s. Childbearing until the age of 20.5 would reduce the national average incarceration rate by 3.5 percent. This would amount to an annual savings of about $ 1 billion in correctional costs and a potential savings of nearly $ 3 billion in total law enforcement costs. The adverse consequences of early childbirth are not only borne by the adolescent mother and child, but ultimately the costs are passed on to the society. It has been estimated that between the welfare benefits paid in Medical, Aid to Families with Dependent Children, food stamps and other support programs, it is costing the federal government billions of dollars annually. According to OJJDP, teenage childbirth has contributed to, as well as affected three alarming social trends. The first being rise in child poverty rate, the second; rise in the number of welfare recipients and thirdly, among the ones on welfare, there is a higher proportion of never married women and younger recipients who have long average duration of dependency. Many welfare programs are constantly working to help teenage mothers improve their standard of living and providing a better life to their children. “The New Chance offered assistance to teenage mothers in acquiring educational and vocational credentials and skills intended to lead to increased employment and decreased welfare dependency. (Rebecca M. Blank & Ron Haskins, pp.141) Such programs can not only help educate the public but can also aid in developing more effective preventive measures and means for providing a safer life for teenage mothers and their children. Thus we conclude that teen childbearing is harmful not only for the adolescent mother and the child, but also the society at large. Although a lot is being done to control this state of affairs, special attention needs to be focused on factors that are targeted to teen pregnancy prevention. Moral values need to be upheld and a higher level of parents and the adolescent communication should be promoted because lack of parental support has been linked to earlier sexual activity. Therefore, the parent’s inclusion in pregnancy prevention programs would hopefully be a good step in reducing teen pregnancies. The peers too can also play a vital role in promoting and preventing teen pregnancies by their behavior and attitude. The Robin Hood Foundation recently estimated the annual cost of adolescent child bearing, compounded with the other disadvantages faced by the mothers as being between $13 and $19 billion. Given the severity of consequences and expenses associated with teenage pregnancy, preventive measures to solve this crisis are imperative. Bibliography Blank, M. Rebecca. and Haskins, Ron.(Eds.) The New World of Welfare. n.p.: Brookings Institution Press, 2001. pp. 141. Dionne, J. Jones. Teenage Pregnancy. n.p.: Transaction Publishers, 1990. pp.21 Health and Human Services, Education, and Related Agencies United States. Congress House. Committee on Appropriations. Subcommittee on the Departments of Labor. “ Department of Labor, Health and Human Services, Education, and Related Agencies Appropriations for 1988.” For sale by the Supt. Of Docs. Congressional Sales Office, U.S. G.P.O. 1987. Maynard, A. Rebecca & Garry, M. Eileen “U.S Department of Justice. Office of Justice Programs.” Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention. Fact Sheet # 50. 1997. 25th May, 2006. Meschke, L. Laurie & Bartholomae Suzanne. “Examining Adolescence Pregnancy.” Human Development and Family Life Bulletin. A Review of Research and Practice. Winter 1998: Vol. 3. No. 4. The Ohio State University. 25th May. 2006. Jorgensen, S. R. “Pregnancy and Parenting: Advances in Adolescent Development.” In Gullota, T.P Adams, R.G. & Montemayer, R. (Eds). Vol. 5. pp 103-140. Newbury Park, CA: Sage. 1993. -------------------------------------------------------------------------- Teenage Pregnancies ( Topic) 1: Introduction: Teenage pregnancies are a serious problem for the society and government. 2: Problems related to teenage pregnancies: --- Health problems faced by mothers less than 15 years of age --- Anemia, prolonged or premature labor --- Higher low birth rate and lower neonatal death rate 3: Psychological Risks: --- Interruption in schooling and completion of high school diploma --- No proper job opportunities --- Separation from child’s father 4: Less chance of employment: --- Less chance of having a good living standard --- Teenagers of poor families more likely to become teenage mothers 5: Problems faced by children of teenage mothers: --- They are not physically strong and mostly have developmental problems --- Are slow in academic achievements --- Suffer from depression and behavioral disorder 6: Criminal activities: --- These children mostly get into crime life --- Children born to teenagers are imprisoned more than those born to mature mothers 7: Problems for the society and the government: --- Financial burden on the government --- Rise in child poverty rate --- Increase in the number of welfare receipients Conclusion: Annotated Bibliography: Maynard, A. Rebecca, and Garry, M. Eileen. Adolescent Motherhood: Implications for the Juvenile Justice System. Fact Sheet # 50. January 1997. 25th May, 2006. The fact sheet presented by the Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention (OJJDP) presents results of the project carried out by the researchers, who discuss categorically, the problems related to teenage childbearing and the implications for the juvenile justice system. It also gives detailed facts and figures of financial burden which the federal government has to bear as a result of funding the welfare programs, and other law enforcement costs of teenage mothers and their sons. Meschke, L. Laurie, and Bartholomae, Suzanne. “Examining Adolescent Pregnancy” A Review of Research and Practice: Human Development and Family Life Bulletin. Vol, 3. Issue, 4, (1998) < http://hec.osu.edu/famlife/bulletin/volume.3/bull34f.htm> This featured article written by the authors and researchers of The Ohio State University, seeks to define and highlight the adverse consequences and the risks associated with teenage pregnancy. Although this report of 1997 showed a decline in the rate of teenage childbearing, still it shows how this grave social problem affects not only the mother, the child, the society but also the government. Read More