Problems Associated With Teen Pregnancy - 2198 Words

Patience Griffin Mrs. Davis Senior English Problems Associated with Teen Pregnancy There are about 860,000 teens who become pregnant each year and about 425,000 give birth. (Lawton 22). Even though in recent years there has been an unexplained decline in unwanted pregnancies it continues to be a problem among teenagers. Even with a decline the CDC says that the teen birth rate in the United States is still nine times higher than other developed countries. Although many teens do not plan on becoming pregnant, it does happen, and there are consequences that come with teen pregnancy. Limited resources, some may have parent or guardian support and some may not, as well as a drastic lifestyle change compared to other teens. In the United†¦show more content†¦Ã¢â‚¬Å"Research shows that many teen mothers do not complete their high school diploma causing future hardship.† (Berne 22). â€Å"According to statistics, more than 80 % of unmarried teen mothers survive on welfare most of their lives.† (Hughes 22). Although there are government programs that offer help they can never cover every expense involved in the care of a child. A teen mother must have daycare if she continues to go to school or has a job. Daycare can be very expensive and the teen mother may be limited to a government funded daycare. Also, with a limited income transportation becomes a problem, making it hard to maintain a job, go to school or get the baby to doctor’s appointments. Unfortunately, children of teen mothers, have a greater chance of ending up on welfare or even jail continuing the cycle of poverty. Furthermore some teens may have parent or guardian support and some may not. Teenagers need he lp in understanding his or her feelings, peer pressure and how to say no in matters regarding sex. (Teen Pregnancy 1). If a teen decides to become sexually active they need to know how to prevent pregnancy and sexually transmitted diseases. (Immell 9). Parents have a strong impact on whether a teenager makes healthy choices for themselves. Often teens are pressured into situations and they are afraid to talk to their parents. Whether a teen decides to keep the baby, put it up for adoption or terminate the pregnancy they need support