Pros And Cons Of Teenage Pregnancy

Although the rate of teenage pregnancy in the U.S. has declined 22 percent since 1991, it is still happening at an alarming rate. Close to one million girls between the ages of 13-19 get pregnant each year. Some may use the argument that the female reproductive system is at its prime health at around 16 years of age. That fact cannot be refuted, but is that really a good enough reason to encourage adolescents to become parents before they are emotionally and financially ready? Each year the federal government spends close to $40 billion in order to help families that result from teenage pregnancies. (The British Medical Journal) These young mothers are usually living at or below the federal poverty level, and are offered government assistance

They may even be making the trend worse in times to come, by publicizing and even glamorizing the lives of young teen mothers and fathers. In recent years, television shows such as “16 & Pregnant”, ”The Maury Povich Show”, ”Secret Life of the American Teenager”, and “Teen Mom” have each played a role in portraying teenage pregnancy in a positive light. Some may claim that the shows are meant to serve as a way of educating our youth. In the past, teenage pregnancy has been an issue that infrequently was publicized in the media and was almost seen as taboo, and it most certainly wasn’t showcased. Recently, reality television shows with themes surrounding teenage mothers and fathers seem to be all the rage, and as a viewing audience, we are drawn to them. But do these so-called reality shows indeed show the reality of child rearing? I think not. The majority of these types of shows portray a twisted view of reality in that teenage pregnancy is relaxed, joyful, and even fun! Can you imagine the network ratings if they showed the real life of a teen parent, or any parent for that matter? Imagine the mom who has had little-to-no sleep for the past two days, has work or term paper deadlines to meet, and is holding a vomiting child with a temperature of 104°F in her arms, because that’s the only place this little

Many times as we go to the movie theater, listen to a song on the radio, or read a book, we are inundated with sexual themes and innuendos. It’s on billboards, commercials, and even in our daily conversations as we innocently joke about little Jane having her first boyfriend in kindergarten. Everywhere we look, we are barraged by sexual themes when what we need most are educational programs to deter young people from situations that they are ill prepared to deal with. The lack of educational programs can be affected by many factors. Maybe it’s a lack of funding for these type programs in our public school systems, or maybe they’re avoided due to religious or personal beliefs surrounding the subject. Many parents subscribe to the theories that they have taught abstinence, and that should be good enough, or that they want to educate the child concerning these matters as a family, and that it shouldn’t be taught in school. The truth is that sexually toned conversations can be hard to have at home, where there is often a judgmental undertone or a perceived punishment if the young person expresses an interest in birth control. According to the Centers for Disease Control, “46.8% of high school students admitted that they had ever had sex”, and “40.9% admitted that they did not use a condom the last time they had sex”. (Center for Disease Control) Many teenagers believe the common myth that