Preg

Kelly Novak

Middle Adolescence Research Paper

Each year four out of then American teenagers become pregnant. The United States has the number one teenage pregnancy rate in the western World. When a teenager become pregnant she is less likely to complete high school, have dependence on welfare, be a single parent, more likely to abuse or neglect the child, school failure, insufficient health care, and more likely to have more children. 78% of births are to unmarried teen mothers.

The teenage pregnancy crisis costs taxpayers an estimated seven billion in lost tax revenues. There are also increased health risks to the teenage mother. Some are: death during the delivery, suffering premature or prolonged labor, poor eating habits, and possible drugs, cigarettes and alcohol risks. The increased health risk to the baby is lower birth rate and nutritional issues. A teenage mother can increase their chances of having a healthy baby by getting regular prenatal care, ensuring proper nutrition, stop smoking, and refrain from drinking and using any other drugs. There are also many emotional reactions that can take place like not wanting the child, but may just want someone to love, may not understand the reality of the situation, depression of guilt and fears about the future.

Teenage boys are involved in fewer pregnancies, Ð'Ñ* of the teen births are past high school age males.

END. There are five types of programs for youth in sex education to reduce teenage pregnancies. They are: Abstinence educational programs, Sexual Educational programs, HIV/AIDS and other STD educational programs, Youth and Development programs, and Service Learning programs. The media has also had more advertising, such as condom and birth control commercials, to prevent pregnancy.