Pregnancy among teenagers

The definition of pregnancy is the period from conception to birth. After the egg is fertilized by a sperm and then implanted in the lining of the uterus, it develops into the placenta and embryo, and later into a fetus. Pregnancy usually lasts 40 weeks, beginning from the first day of the woman's last menstrual period, and is divided into three trimesters, each lasting three months. "Teenage Pregnancy" is defined by teenage girls who are between the ages of 13 and 19 years old. Teenage pregnancy is also defined by anyone whose body is physically not mature enough to bear child. Adolescent pregnancies have increased over the years, we have seen it with our own two eyes. Pregnancy among teenagers has become a critical social problem in many countries. There are three main factors that caused teenage pregnancy, which is lack of education regarding birth control, inadequate love from family and lack of live.

No knowledge regarding birth control or understanding sex is one of the main fundamental causes of teenage pregnancy. Ignorance is also a major reason behind teenage pregnancy. Brindis, (1999) stated that the girls in America get so much incomplete message about sex. If we look to the scenario in America, we can easily find teens, especially girls, get so many messages about sex. But these messages do not explain the consequences of teenage sex. It is shown as an immediate gratification which prepares girl for sex without adequate education. Although sex can be seen advertised in movies and television, but there is no equal initiative to educate about the birth control. Open discussions should be initiated about sex but this is very rare. (Armstrong, B. (2001). Adolescent Pregnancy: Handbook of Social Work Practice with Vulnerable and Resilient Populations (2nd edition ed.). New York: NY. Roque, F. et al.(1998). United Nations Social and Economic Commission for Asia and the Pacific.New York. When the

mother gave birth as teen, pregnancy among teenagers will continues happen because usually the parents were unmarried when the child was born, and the mother did not receive high school diploma, so she will stay in poverty and cant give a good education for their children. Zill. N., & ODonnell, K. (2004).Child Poverty Rates by Maternal Risk Factors: An Update. Unpublished manuscript. There are the ways how to overcome the problem. Some have voiced concern that sex education increases sexual activity, studies show that this is not the case. In fact, effective sex education programs can decrease sexual activity and increase contraceptive use among those already sexually active. Successful programs have a number of similar components. They maintain a narrow focus on reducing specific sexual risk-taking behaviors; they provide accurate information about sexuality; they build interpersonal and communication skills to resist sexual pressures; they address both social and media influences on sexual behaviors; they reinforce individual values and group norms linked to responsible behavior and decision-making; and finally, they involve students in the learning process through small group discussions, roleplaying, interviewing parents, and other activities. Many programs have also involved older teens as role models.

A problem in family members that caused lack of love to the teenager also leads to pregnancy. Nowadays, almost parents look out for works. So, they have not much time to spend with their children and because of that, there are many problems occur that lead to non positive relation in family. (National Campaign to Prevent Teen Pregnancy,2002). Ten Tips for Parents to Help Their Children Avoid Teen Pregnancy. Retrieved on 2002, from World Wide Web: www.teenpregnancy.org/resources/reading/tips/tips.asp.& Hoffman, S. (1998). Teenage

Childbearing Is Not So Bad After All, or Is It? A Review of the New Literature. Family Planning Perspectives.30 (5), 236239.When a children, or specifically, a teenage girl, did not get enough

love from their parents or more specific, the father; she will try to get it from the other man. Hoffman, S. (1998) pointed that some teenage girls have impression that sex would bring and attract a man to give them some happiness or love. Looking to these problems, parents should be responsible to their children. Although most parents are busy with work, they should allocate some quality time every week to spend with their children. Parents who spend less time with their children will not know of the problems their children face and they will not be able to communicate well with them. These parents will not understand their childrens needs and interests. Besides that, current studies showed that when fathers are involved in the physical care of their children before the age of three, they are less likely to sexually abuse their own or any other child in the future. To break the cycle of sexual abuse which often leads to teenage pregnancy, intensive family support programs, such as Healthy Families, are needed to teach fathers about parenting and help them connect with their children from birth.

Many female could become pregnant if she has lack of control on her life or has low expectations regarding her future. In some cases, it has been found that teenage pregnancy is also a result of depression that directs them towards risky sexual activities. Some teenage girls end up in pregnancy due to alcohol or drugs abuse which is the reason behind inadequate use of contraception. According to Mc Kay et al. (2000), most teenage girl that involve in social problem directs them towards risky sexual activity. Adolescents may lack knowledge of, or access to, conventional methods of preventing pregnancy, as they may be too embarrassed or frightened to seek such information. In the United States, according to the 2002 National Surveys of Family Growth, in 2002, sexually active adolescent women wishing to avoid pregnancy were less likely than those of other ages to use contraceptives (18% of 15- to 19-year-olds used no contraceptives, versus 10.7% average for women ages 15 to 44). Among teens in the UK looking

for an abortion, a study found that the rate of contraceptive apply was almost the same for teens as for older women. In other cases, contraception is used, but proves to be too little. Inexperienced adolescents may use condoms improperly or forget to take oral contraceptives. Contraceptive failure rates are higher for teenagers, particularly poor ones, than for older users. (Kaiser Family Foundation, 2005). Dash, L., (2003):When Children want Children: The Urban Crisis of Teenage Childbearing (1st Illinois paperback ed.). Urbana, IL: University of Illinois. Actually there are the tips in handling this problem. Teenagers-both males and females - who are sexually active, need easy access to contraceptives and confidential family planning services. Young women who are poor or low-income also need the same opportunities as their more advantaged peers to terminate a pregnancy if they decide that they are not capable of bearing and raising a child.

To conclude, there are three main factors that caused pregnancy among teenagers which is lack of education regarding birth control, inadequate love from family and lack of live. To solve this problem, parents should aware bout their child activity, and give them appropriate information about sex.

References

1. Advocates for Youth. (2002). "Adolescent Pregnancy and Childbearing." www.advocatesforyouth.org/publications/factsheet/fsprechd.htm. 2. National Campaign to Prevent Teen Pregnancy. (2002). "Ten Tips for Parents to Help Their Children Avoid Teen Pregnancy." www.teenpregnancy.org/resources/reading/tips/tips.asp. 3. National Center for Chronic Disease and Health Promotion.( 2002.) "Preventing Teen Pregnancy." www.cdc.gov/nccdphp/teen.htm. 4. Sandra, L. & Reid, Lori.(2002).Early childbearing and childrens Achievement And Behaviour Over Time.Perspective of sexual and Reproductive Health,34 (1).Retrieved May,2009 5. Httpwww.answers.comtopicteenage-pregnancy-teenage-pregnancy_files