Pregnancy in Our Youth: What Gives?

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Throughout the past fifty years, the rate of teenagers and adolescents becoming pregnant has increased dramatically. It was believed during the time of previous generations that if you were to become pregnant, you were not fit to finish school to take care of the child. If it was even attempted to finish school, most girls would drop out anyway due to the shame set upon their peers. Now, in 2013, it is not uncommon to see a fourteen or fifteen year old who is expecting a child. We have television programs, such as, “Teen Mom” and “16 & Pregnant” show the wonders of babies having babies. So what has changed in the mindsets of our youth over the past few generations? Why are we seeing so many more girls becoming impregnated at, what seems, younger and younger ages? Common reasons we do find our young people becoming pregnant include, but are not limited to, family values, peer pressure, and the media.
Going back on family history and values is one way to trace the reason for pregnancy in younger people. In colonial America, it was not uncommon for younger girls to be wives and mothers, since they were considered developed enough to handle such responsibilities. However, times have changed and there is no longer a need to mothers who are still going through schooling. The standard expectations for children is to wait to be finished with school and married before having their own kids. According to The Journal for Vocational Special Needs Education youth whom are raised in a household that lacks in stability are more likely to reach out to a partner for comfort (Journal Pg. 5). How frequent, or lack of frequency, the child sees their parents or guardians can affect if they become impregnated. Those who are ignored more so by their ...

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...roll, Susie. "Reality Television Shows Glamorize Teen Pregnancy." Teen Dating. Ed. Louise I. Gerdes. Detroit: Greenhaven Press, 2013. Opposing Viewpoints. Rpt. from "Teen Mom—The Good, Bad, and Ugly." http://blog.susiekroll.com 16 May 2011. Opposing Viewpoints in Context. Web. 2 Dec. 2013.

Board, A.D.A.M. Editorial. "Adolescent Pregnancy." Adolescent Pregnancy. U.S. National Library of Medicine, 09 Dec. 2011. Web. Nov.-Dec. 2013.

Domenic, Desirae M. "Adolescent Pregnancy in America: Causes and Responses." Journal for Vocational Special Needs Education 30.1 (2007): 4+. Print.

Langham, R. Y. "What Are the Causes of Teenage Pregnancy?" LIVESTRONG.COM. N.p., 12 June 2010. Web. Nov.-Dec. 2013.

Vlahos, Kelley Beaucar. "Born to consume: For MTV, teen pregnancy is big business." The American Conservative 10.7 (2011): 22+. Opposing Viewpoints in Context. Web. 2 Dec. 2013.

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