Causes And Effects Of Teenage Pregnancy

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Teenage pregnancy has become a major issue in society over the past years. More girls are becoming sexually active at younger ages which sometimes result in unplanned pregnancies. Although the rates of teen pregnancy have declined significantly over the past decades, the United States still has one of the highest teen pregnancy rates in the world. According to DoSomething.org, three in ten American girls will get pregnant at least once before age 20. That’s almost 650,000 teen pregnancies each year. In order to lower the rates in the United States, it is important to first understand the causes and effects of teen pregnancy.
One of the main causes of teenage pregnancy is lack of knowledge. Studies show that teenagers who are uneducated about …show more content…

When you become pregnant at a young age your education can be put on hold. Many teens who get pregnant during high school decide to drop out so that they can get a full time job to support their child. According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, babies born to teenagers may have weaker intellectual development and lower skill set scores in kindergarten. So having a child at a young age can also affect their education. Another effect of teen pregnancy is financial problems. Teens who don’t have a full-time job may find it difficult to support themselves as well as the baby. And without a high school degree it would be even harder to find a long term job with the pay you want. On top of that when you have a baby you are also expected to pay your medical bills, and postpartum care which can be expensive as well. With the average cost of raising a child at $245,000 a year you can see how important it is to save for a baby before it’s even born. Overall, the causes and effects of teenage pregnancy further prove that using contraceptives and waiting until you’re older to have children is the right thing to do. Some ways to prevent teenage pregnancy is to always use contraceptives, have open communication when it comes to discussing sex with your partner as well as parents, and practice

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