Pregnancy in Adolescence - Psychosocial Aspects

Running head: PREGNANCY IN ADOLESCENCE: PSYCHOSOCIAL ASPECTS

Pregnancy in Adolescence: Psychosocial Aspects

April 16, 2007

Pregnancy in Adolescence: Psychosocial Aspects

Introductory statement

Pregnancy in adolescence is a national problem. It affects not only the mother and her newborn but also the community and society in general (Spear, 2004). Teenagers throughout the United States are initiating sexual intercourse at an earlier age than most adults in America would believe; teen mothers are giving birth soon after they are starting puberty, some as young as age 11. Although sexual education and pregnancy prevention classes are available in most junior high and high schools, the United States statistically has the highest rate of teen pregnancy and birth rates when compared to other developed countries (Spear, 2004). Nearly half of all the pregnancies in this country are unintended according to Moos (2003). Young girls have to take on the responsibility of raising a child when they themselves are still children. The added stressors that come with pregnancy can have negative effects when added to the stress already present during adolescence which include pressure from school, peer pressure, and trying to fit in and find a place among peers. The purpose of this paper is to explain some of the leading causes of teen pregnancy, to report accurate and up to date statistics on this subject, to discover how pregnancy in adolescence affects mothers psychosocially, and to discuss the role of the nurse in prevention settings as well as the future implications for nursing regarding this topic.

Sexual activity in adolescence is quite common and is becoming a major topic of discussion in regards to public health due to the increased risk of sexually transmitted infections, pregnancy, and early parenthood (Maurer & Smith, 2005). Bennett, Bloom, & Miller (1995) state that in 1970 there were 200,000 births to unmarried teenagers, and in twenty years that number increased by 80% to 361,000 (as cited by Spear, 2004). Statistics show that over 900,000 adolescents become pregnant each year; that is approximately one out of every 11 teenage girls, and 80% of these pregnancies are unintended (Maurer & Smith, 2005). When looking at teenage pregnancy, one must evaluate the factors contributing to increased sexual activity. Research suggests that the most important influential factor in a teenager’s decision to initiate sexual activity is the attitudes and behaviors of peers, according to Dowell & Vandestienne (1996) (as cited in Maurer & Smith, 2005). Other factors that can contribute to early sexual intercourse include but are not limited to racial or ethnic differences, religious influence, socioeconomic status, family composition, and early sexual maturation. In 1999 The Alan Guttmacher Institute claimed that adolescents that became pregnant and decided to go through with the pregnancy were more likely to come from low socioeconomic circumstances, live by themselves or with a single parent, have lower educational and career aspirations, and have older sexual partners (as cited in Maurer & Smith, 2005). Healthy People 2010 have established some goals and priorities to help lower the number of teen pregnancies by reducing the number of sexually active adolescents, increasing the age of first intercourse, and increasing the use of protective measures in those adolescents who are sexually active (Maurer & Smith, 2005).

When teenagers are confronted with the life event of pregnancy, they are faced with tough decisions related to parenting, adoption, and abortion (Spear, 2004). Many adolescents do not possess the cognitive development necessary to clearly evaluate situations and make consistent rational decisions regarding contraception and reproduction (Spear, 2004) and therefore need support from family, friends, and healthcare staff to improve chances of having a healthy pregnancy. The impact of pregnancy can be quite stressful on the teenager and is illustrated by Anderson, Koniak-Griffin, and Lesser when they quoted a young girl as saying she wasn’t ready to be an adult, much less a mother (1998). Adolescent mothers are at a much higher risk for serious medical complications, low birth weights, and poorer outcomes than other older women in the same situation; the pregnancy may also jeopardize their educational progression and future expectations (Maurer & Smith, 2005). The stress of balancing school, the baby, work, and a social life can sometimes be too overwhelming. Only 30% of adolescent mothers complete high school compared to the 90% completion rate of those without a child (Maurer & Smith, 2005). Shearer and his colleagues (2002) measured adolescent test scores and discovered that the girls with lower scores initiate sexual intercourse earlier and have a higher rate of pregnancy than their peers with higher test scores (as cited in Maurer & Smith, 2005); and Maynard (1996) showed that only 1.5% of adolescent mothers went on to college (as cited in Maurer & Smith, 2005). The lack of education and training can restrict these mothers from obtaining more prestigious jobs with better pay and thus many of these women and their children live in poverty. Poverty brings about many quality of life problems for mother and baby such as an increase in health problems and limited access to health care services (Maurer & Smith, 2005) and Elfenbein & Felice have stated that teen pregnancy is the hub of the poverty cycle because many of those children born will repeat the cycle later in their lives (as cited in Maurer & Smith, 2005). Psychosocially pregnancy can be a crisis that may interrupt the teen’s transition to independence when they are thrust abruptly into the adult role with added responsibilities and commitments. Frost & Oslake bring to attention that social isolation is possible