Teenage Pregnancy: The Epidemic

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Teenage pregnancy is an epidemic that has been highly debated and publicized during the past few decades. Although it has been statistically proven to be on the decline since the 1950s, it is still a major discussion and topic of concern especially for the health of the unborn child and the mother. The aspect of teenage pregnancy might have been approved and a regular occurrence in the 1950s, but now with the multitude of contraceptives and preventative methods it is heavily frowned upon.
Throughout the 1950s, the United States was exiting and recovering from World War II and this recovery moment gradually initiated a baby boom. During this time, the soldiers were ready to make up for lost times and women began to marry earlier and have children sooner. In those times, the earlier women began to have children, the more they usually had. Once girls reached their teenage years and were able to conceive children, they were married off and had to begin their womanly duties (Brown). The aspect of having multiple children was essential to the family unit in the 1950s and preventative methods were not up for discussion. This aspect was detrimental for the baby as well as the mother with the mother being uneducated and so young. School had to be put behind everything family related and sometimes so was health (Willis). The idea of possibly dying during birth was a matter that was stressed for the life expectancy of the mother and the child, but having a plethora of children was important for the welfare of the household at this time (World). Not only did the father have to provide and the mother had to withdraw from paid labor to take care of the household, but the children had their part. Most couples had more children in an effort to...

... middle of paper ...

...reasing a majority of the problems that face teenagers today.

Works Cited

Brown, David L. Cornell University. 2008. 5 April 2014 .
Friedman, Lauri S. Teenage Pregnancy. Farmington Hills: Greenhaven Press, 2010.
Marino, Justin F. "Homebound Teenage Pregnancy ." Speech/Meeting Papers (1976): 3-4.
Services, U.S. Department of Health and Human. Office of Adoloscent Health. 20 December 2013. 1 April 2013 .
Solomon, Carmen Fear. Statistical. June 19 2013. April 05 2014 .
Willis, Laurie. Teen Pregnancy. Farmington Hills: Greenhaven Press, 2012.
World, Draper. "Mother Too Soon." Draper World Population Fund (1975): 13-18.

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