Childbirth And Pregnancy Blog

The teenage years can be particularly trying for parents, as children become aware of their sexuality for the first time in their lives. Raging hormones and a newfound sense of independence may induce teens to act in ways that are irresponsible. The worst repercussion of this could be a teenage pregnancy.

Here are some facts about teenage pregnancy:

o There are estimated to be around 750,000 teenage pregnancies in the U.S. per year.

o Teenage pregnancy rates in the U.S. are amongst the highest in the developed world-higher than in other countries such as Great Britain, France, or Germany.

o A study estimates that up to 31% of teenage girls become pregnant before they reach the age of 20.

Teenage pregnancies harm the mother in the following ways:

o Teenage mothers suffer from poor weight gain, hypertension, anemia, and sexually transmitted diseases (STDs). Guilt, anxiety, and depression also commonly affect them.

o Most teenage mothers often drop out of school or college early.

o Studies show a strong link between teenage pregnancy, single parenthood, and poverty.

Babies born from teenage pregnancies are at risk for the following reasons:

o Babies born to teenage mothers invariably have low birth weights and suffer health problems.

o Studies show that babies of teen mothers receive less care and medical treatment.

o Babies of teen parents also suffer from inadequate parenting. Studies show that children of teen mothers generally do badly in school.

As a dad, there are things you can do to guard against teenage pregnancy:

o Talk. Uncomfortable as it may initially be, talk to your teen about safe sex.

o Teach. Help your child to develop a healthy attitude toward sex.

o Supervise. Always allow your child to have healthy interactions with the opposite sex. At the same time, experts recommend that you discourage single dating, or ‘going steady’, until your child is at least 16 years old.

o Protect. Ensure that your teen stays away from drugs or alcohol.

o Encourage. Cultivate frankness in your children and encourage them to talk with you about all their problems.

Paul Banas was looking for a business idea that would allow him the flexibility to spend time with his family. Paul Banas is a founder of http://www.greatdad.com – a leading source of experience, recommendations, inspiration and advice for dads – delivered from the male perspective.

Teenage pregnancy is one of the most important and alarming issues in today’s world. A teenage pregnancy, also referred to as teen pregnancy, comes to be when a girl attains motherhood before she becomes a major or adult, as laid down by the law of the land.

Why teenage pregnancies occur depend on a plethora of causes. Many ethnic groups and societies actually celebrate teenage pregnancies, as they give enough proof of the fact that the girl is fertile and is capable of bearing children. But in most developed nations, such pregnancies are looked down upon as a social stigma.

No matter what others’ reaction might be to a teenager becoming pregnant, this event is often dangerous for both the mother and child concerned. The teenager is usually vulnerable and is only growing into a woman. The teenage mother’s body is still fragile and the reproductive system is just starting to function properly. At this point of time, bearing a child to term and giving birth to it can be both mentally and physically stressful for her.

Why do teenage pregnancies occur?

There are many reasons for teenage pregnancies today. While it is common culture in some societies, most pregnancies occur due to the following reasons:

Consequence of raging hormones!

Most teenagers experience sudden and hitherto unknown emotions and feelings during their early puberty. They feel a natural sense of rebelling against the set norms as well. All this, coupled with a sudden sense of new-found freedom and sexuality, results in many of them giving vent to their feelings through sexual expressions and experiences. Of course, most countries stress on sex education in schools, but yet, some teenagers involve themselves in unsafe sex, which could lead to unwanted pregnancies. This is one of the most vital reasons for teenage pregnancies at this time.

Pressure from the peer group

A lot of teenagers indulge in early sexual behavior due to peer pressure. Teenagers growing in largely promiscuous societies tend to date far earlier than others in slightly more conventional setups. This is due to the fact that they feel the great need to be ‘hip’ and ‘accepted’ by their circle of friends. The only way they could probably achieve that would be by having a boyfriend or girlfriend or at least by dating and indulging in sexual acts often. This kind of rash behavior could lead to unintended pregnancies.

Contraceptive failure

This is yet another very fundamental reason for teenage pregnancies today. Though there are many types and brands of contraceptives and emergency birth control pills easily available in the market, these are never a guarantee for complete safety. Only Mother Nature knows when she might want to get into action, so no form of birth control is going to be completely foolproof! Sometimes, not knowing how to use a contraceptive properly can lead to unwanted teenage pregnancy.

Conclusion

Educating your teenager about the consequences of promiscuous behavior and giving him/her a loving, balanced home atmosphere, can actually go a long way in curbing unwanted teenage pregnancy in the future. This, along with stern steps taken by both the school and the government will surely help nip this problem in the bud.

Melissa Fox is a health professional very interested in Teenage Pregnancy [http://www.earlysymptomsofpregnancy.org/teenage-pregnancy.html].

She enjoys writing inspirational articles for Real Living.

To learn more about Teen Pregnancy please visit http://www.earlysymptomsofpregnancy.org