Teen Pregnancy: How to Prevent It

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Recommended: Representation of teenagers in the media

Teen Pregnancy
Imagine it - Clicking through all the channels on television to find something that would strike any american’s interest. Young looking girls on the television are talking about their lives, and the issues they hold. The show is called Teen Mom. How could such vibrant young ladies have so much responsibility at this age? Why would they take on this role of motherhood when they themselves still depend on the assistance of their own parental figures? Shockingly, adolescent children becoming parents is not uncommon in america.
In fact, the United States has the highest adolescent pregnancy rate of any industrialized country. With 7% of female adolescents aged 15-19 years old becoming pregnant annually, (Mckelvey, 2012) it is a percentage much higher than it should be. Although this is a number that has decreased over the past few years due to American recognition of the problem, it is still a percentage that is higher than any other nation. It is also shown that the highlight of this fact is mostly centered around Latinas. Causes related with this nation-wide issue, and solutions such as improvement in the education system, will be considered throughout this paper. The discussion of the relationships between young adults and their friends or family is one of the major points that seemingly help the deterioration of this high statistic. Overall, every suggestions can help to prevent teen pregnancy, and also prevent more girls from starring on shows such as Teen Mom.
Economically speaking, teen pregnancy is a large factor in the nation. In 2008, Adolescent pregnancies cost the U.S. an estimated $10.9 billion from increased welfare and medicaid payments, incarcerations, foster care, and lost tax revenue. (Azar, 1839) A...

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...se Practitioners 22.10 (2010): 540-547. Academic Search Premier. Web. 4 Dec. 2013
Bunting, Lisa, and Colette McAuley. "Research Review: Teenage Pregnancy And Parenthood: The Role Of Fathers." Child & Family Social Work9.3 (2004): 295-303. Academic Search Premier. Web. 4 Dec. 2013.
MacDorman, Marian F., Eugene Declercq, and T. J. Mathews. "United States Home Births Increase 20 Percent From 2004 To 2008." Birth: Issues In Perinatal Care 38.3 (2011): 185-190. Academic Search Premier. Web. 4 Dec. 2013.
Mckelvey, Lorraine M., et al. "Effects Of Home Visiting On Adolescent Mothers' Parenting Attitudes." American Journal Of Public Health 102.10 (2012): 1860-1862. Business Source Elite. Web. 4 Dec. 2013.
Azar, Beth. "Adolescent Pregnancy Prevention: Highlights From A Citywide Effort." American Journal Of Public Health 102.10 (2012): 1837.MasterFILE Premier. Web. 4 Dec. 2013.

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