Behaviors of Pregnant Teenage Girls - Essay Example

In addition, children born to teenagers also suffer from problems such as low birth weight and tend to perform less well in school compared to children born to adult mothers (Teen pregnancy statistics and Teen Pregnancy Facts, Adolescent pregnancy). Thus the consequences associated with teenage pregnancy have more negatives than positives and hence teenagers should be rightly counseled and educated about sexual practices, pregnancy, and childbirth. According to WHO estimates about 18 million girls worldwide mostly aged 15-19 years and some girls below 15 years give birth to children every year (Adolescent pregnancy).

In underdeveloped countries teenage pregnancy results due to child marriage while in developed nations teenage pregnancy results due to unprotected sex or when girls are subject to sexual violence including rape. Irrespective of how they become pregnant teenage pregnancy is associated with several negative consequences both to the mother and the child. When the pregnancy is confirmed and is unexpected girls generally suffer from anger, guilt and are unable to come to terms with their condition.

In some cases, such mothers may not want to give birth to the baby and would go in for an abortion. Those who want to give birth may not truly realize the seriousness of parenting especially in the case of single mothers when the father is not willing to support the child. In such cases, the child is at an increased risk for abuse and neglect which would ultimately result in various health and mental problems for the child. Pregnant teenagers in most cases opt-out of school due to guilt and are unable to continue their education after childbirth.

Thus they are unable to learn the necessary skills to gain employment later in life (When children have children). A leading medical consequence of teenage pregnancy is abortion. In most cases, girls are too young to undergo the biological changes associated with pregnancy which results in abortions. Repeated miscarriages can result in lasting health problems for the mother and in some cases could lead to maternal deaths. Adolescent pregnant girls from poor backgrounds and their children also suffer from serious health problems.

Research estimates that stillbirths and death of newborns are about 50% higher in the case of adolescent mothers compared to adults (Adolescent pregnancy). In most cases infants are either born before term and suffer from problems such as low-birth-weight, show a slower rate of growth and development that could result in physical and mental illnesses, are likely to perform poorly in academics, and are at greater risk for neglect and abuse (Teen pregnancy statistics and Teen Pregnancy Facts; When children have children).

Pregnant teenagers also need special counseling about pregnancy and its complications, nutrition, and the need to avoid substances like alcohol and tobacco. Taking the right nutrition is of vital importance especially in cases of teenagers who also need additional calories for their growth. Adequate education should be provided about the negative effects of smoking or intake of tobacco products, alcohol, and other drugs on the developing fetus. It is also necessary to educate them about when to seek medical help, medical care needed during and after pregnancy.

As sexually active teenagers are at increased risk of being affected by sexually transmitted diseases and other diseases such as HIV, they need to be adequately counseled regarding these issues. They can be counseled by an adolescent psychologist about adoption measures that could be chosen after delivery of the baby in case the teenager does not want to keep the child (When children have children).

In order to reduce this growing rate of teenage pregnancy, abstinence from sex is widely recommended for teenagers by many conservative politicians and healthcare personal by educating teenagers about the effects of pre-marital sexual practices. However, many pediatricians and health counselors have expressed that mere teaching of sexual abstinence would not be sufficient and have recommended that teenagers should have access to birth control and emergency contraceptive options which would be helpful,  especially in cases where the teenager was forced into sex. Also, studies have shown that teenagers who have strong family attachments and communicate more often with their parents are less likely to engage in unsafe sexual practices. Parents need to have open communication with their wards about sex and sexual practices and also on the use of contraceptives irrespective of whether their children engage in sexual intercourse. It is better to keep children well informed about sex as it would help to lower the chances of unsafe sex, unwanted pregnancies, and risks of sexually transmitted diseases (Teen pregnancy statistics and Teen Pregnancy Facts).

The key objectives in the WHO guidelines on preventing early teenage pregnancy include reducing teenage marriages, educating teenagers on the risks of early pregnancy and on the use of contraceptive measures to reduce pregnancy risks, adequate measures to reduce forced sex and unsafe abortion practices that could affect the health of the adolescent mother and also allocating skilled medical professionals capable of handling antenatal, childbirth and post-natal care in these mothers (Adolescent pregnancy). Thus the consequences of teenage pregnancy need to be handled with care as it involves both the life of the mother as well as the child. The risks can be minimized through effective educational strategies aimed at teenagers and both schools as well as families need to contribute towards this cause.