The Common Causes Of Teen Pregnancy

Have you ever wondered why teenage pregnancy is one of the biggest issues in the nation or why so many teens are having babies before they reach eighteen? Could it be the lack of parenting that goes on in their household or Are they being influenced to have sex at a young age? Statistics say one out of four girls will most likely become pregnant before they reach twenty, and about one out of five teen mothers will have another child during their teenage years. “Although the teenage birth rate in Oklahoma has declined slightly, the state has the second-highest rate of births among fifteen-to-nineteen- year olds in the country, according to a report released Friday”(Muchmore). This essay will analyze teen pregnancy, its causes, consequences,

For example, Teenagers often experience low self-esteem towards themselves due to their parents not showing them enough love and affection, this will eventually cause the teens to seek it out with their peer group, which will lead to teens having sex before they are ready (Cummins). I believe all parents should be affectionate towards their children. They should also remind their children how much they 're loved by them. Another important cause of teen pregnancy is absent parents. For example, many parents are too busy to provide the guidance and support their child needs to make good decisions about sex (Langham). I believe if a child can 't talk to their parents about sex, they will eventually turn to their friends which could lead to them becoming pregnant. Most teens experience peer pressure before they become pregnant. For instance, It is found that twenty nine percent of pregnant teens felt pressured into having sex before they were actually ready (Langham). More teens should learn to speak up if they don 't feel comfortable having sexual intercourse with their partner. Sexual Abuse or Rape is the most intense cause of teen pregnancy. In fact, forty- three to sixty- two percent of teens stated that they were impregnated by a male adult. It is also found that at least five percent of all teen births resulted in rape (Langham). If a female is raped she can always have the option to place the baby up for adoption.

For example,”Overall, about half (51%) of teen moms have a high school diploma compared to 89% of women who didn’t have a teen birth. Young teen mothers are even less likely to graduate from high school. Fewer than four in ten (38%) mothers who have a child before they turn 18 have a high school diploma”. Most teen mothers rarely have enough money to support their baby. “Second, teen childbearing is very costly. A 1997 study by Rebecca Maynard of Mathematica Policy Research in Princeton, New Jersey, found that, after controlling for differences between teen mothers and mothers aged 20 or 21 when they had their first child, teen childbearing costs taxpayers more than $7 billion a year or $3,200 a year for each teenage birth, conservatively estimated”. It is found that only two-thirds of children born to teen mothers graduate. “Children of teen mothers are more likely than mothers who gave birth at age 20-21 to drop out of high school. In fact, only about two-thirds of children born to teen mothers earned a high school diploma compared to 81 percent of children of later