Teen Pregnancy And Health Disparities

Betlehem Semahge, MS4

Teen Pregnancy and Health Disparities

In the United States, certain standards have been set in place to cater to the needs of the average individual. The existence of health iniquity and health disparities however has been detrimental to the equal realization of these standards in all communities. Communities of color and especially American Indian, Hispanic and African Americans living in the United States have bore the brunt of these failures. Social determinants of health including income, education, accesses to food, security, housing etc. all play a significant role in this dynamic. The poor access of these resources in communities of color continues to fuel their marginalization, hence perpetuating the cycle of

To explore more about health disparities as it relates to obstetric outcomes, the American College of Obstetrics and Gynecology formed a committee to analyze health care for underserved women. Some of their findings were expected but others were truly disconcerting. Overall, 38% of all American females are thought to belong to a racial or ethnic minority group [3]. However, in 2014, non-Hispanic black teen birth rates were twice that of non-Hispanic white teens [4]. The prevalence of teenage pregnancy in these communities has been attributed to a variety of socioeconomic factors including lack of knowledge about and access to contraceptives, lack of parental guidance and supervision especially in single parent homes among

Lack of provision of these opportunities places teenagers on the trajectory for poverty, which in turn exposes them to teenage pregnancy. Teen pregnancy typically results in the inter-generation transmission of poverty and the cycle is more than likely to continue. Breaking this cycle becomes a challenge especially since daughters of teen mothers are three times more likely to become teenage mothers themselves. After school activities and providing opportunities for mentorship programs not only physically provides a space for growth but it also encourages teenagers to aspire to become more than what they see in their surrounding. Providing opportunities for positive social interactions with peers and peer discussion on various contraceptive methods allow the normalization and acceptance of these pregnancy prevention