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Teenage Pregnancy Rate Article
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When Reality Hits – The Effects of Teenage Pregnancy
from:Trying to distinguish the effects of teenage pregnancy is a complex task given the difficulty in separating pre-existing conditions and those that are a direct result of adolescent pregnancy. Despite this complication, though, there is a large amount of research which shows that a pregnant teenager will encounter a great deal of negative effects. First and foremost of these effects of teenage pregnancy is the emotional stress of being pregnant at such a young age and of having to make a decision as to what to do about the pregnancy.
Teenage mothers are more likely to drop out of school than their peers who are able to avoid pregnancy. Statistics from 1997 show that only 41% of adolescents who have children before they reach 18 years of age graduate from high school, compared to 61% of adolescents from similar backgrounds who delay pregnancy until at least 20 or 21 years of age.
Because many teenage mothers drop out of school, another of the effects of teenage pregnancy is their lack of necessary job skills to be successful in the work force. Many teenage mothers then become dependent on public assistance. Over 75% of all unmarried teen mothers go on welfare within 5 years of the birth of their first child. On the flip side, though, some studies have shown that for teenagers who live in poverty, getting pregnant and being supported by the father of the child could be a “survival mechanism” to avoid an even more hopeless situation.
Adolescent mothers may not have adequate parenting skills and could harm the psycho-social development of their child, resulting in another one of the effects of teenage pregnancy. Studies show that teenage mothers do not provide their children with stimulation through touch, smiling, and verbal communication, nor do they seem sensitive to their child’s needs. Furthermore, children of teenage mothers are more likely to suffer from poor nutrition. Many adolescents, in addition, show a great deal of anger towards their child and rely heavily upon punishment. Indeed, the incidence of developmental disabilities and behavioral issues is higher in children of teenage mothers.
When these children grow up, they often exhibit poor academic performance, failing to graduate, being held back, and scoring poorly on standardized tests. Daughters of teenage mothers are more likely to fall into the trap of teen pregnancy themselves and sons of teenage mothers are three times more likely to go to prison.
Effects of teenage pregnancy also include health risks for the mother and the child. Indeed, women aged 15-19 experience four times the risk of maternal mortality compared to 25 to 29 year old women. The risk is even higher for girls aged 10 to 14 and the children of these adolescent are more likely to fall sick or die in infancy.
Teenage Pregnancy Rate Specific links
Teenage Pregnancy Rate News
Franklin teen pregnancy rate among highest in Virginia (13 News, WVEC Hampton Roads)
FRANKLIN -- Franklin is dealing with one of the highest teen pregnancy rates in Virginia. Tamiya Reid is in high school and pregnant. “I'm scared because I don't know really what to do,” Reid admits.
Read more...Teen pregnancy steady in Sheboygan County in 2007 (Sheboygan Press)
Sheboygan Countys teen pregnancy rate rose slightly in 2007, though data released last week shows fewer pregnancies among the youngest group of teenagers.
Read more...Teen pregnancy Officials puzzled, worried by rise in rate (Montgomery Advertiser)
Increases in teenage pregnancies have Alabama officials worried and wondering what's gone wrong.
Read more...Test your knowledge of teen pregnancy (Seattle Post-Intelligencer)
Teen pregnancy has been in the news lately, and it's a phenomenon that we don't fully understand.
Read more...Brown County teen pregnancies on rise (Green Bay Press-Gazette)
The teen pregnancy rate in Brown County is continuing to rise and is higher than the statewide rate.
Read more...Pearls of wisdom pay off (Milwaukee Journal Sentinel)
Some local teen pregnancy reduction efforts are based on the premise that youths listen to their peers more readily than they listen to adults, especially when it comes to sex.
Read more...Sex Education Forum Investigates Sexual Health Services In Further Education And Sixth Form Colleges, UK (Medical News Today)
A national survey from the Sex Education Forum (SEF) has found that thousands of young people on college campuses across England are receiving vital advice and help on their sexual health, but argues more needs to be done.
Read more...