The Negative Effects Of Teen Pregnancy

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Recommended: the merits of comprehensive sexual education

Teen pregnancy is has been a prevalent issue in not only today’s society, but for past generations as well. Teen pregnancy is the term used for teenaged females, typically aged 15-19, that are pregnant and expecting a child. In earlier centuries, teenaged pregnancy was the norm due to shorter life expectancy, which promoted earlier marriages and development of families. Fast forward to now, teen pregnancy has become highly stigmatized as the public have recognized that it, in most cases, negatively affects the future prospects and outlook of the childbearing teenager, the child, and society. Parents want their children to succeed and enjoy the benefits of higher education, better careers, and opportunities before they begin having children …show more content…

A teenager is more likely to have a child if they themselves were a product of teenage pregnancy. A stronger communication and relationship between parent and child could significantly impact the chances of teen pregnancy as parents have stronger influences on their children’s decision. A large indicator of teen pregnancy is the socioeconomic status and background of the teen. Teenagers who are situated in more disadvantaged circumstances are more likely to exhibit risky behavior and become pregnant; it is also a lot harder for disadvantaged teens to obtain access to and afford contraceptives or reproductive health …show more content…

It requires large amounts of effort from parents, educators, government officials, organizations, and society itself to help prevent and lower the rate of adolescent pregnancy. The first and most appropriate step to take is to promote and provide the proper sex education to teenagers. Currently there are two dominant sex education programs: abstinence-only sex education and comprehensive sex education. Abstinence-only sex education fundamentally teaches teenagers to delay sexual activity until marriage, and instills an emphasis on the morality and values of sex. It also does not condone sex before marriage, citing physical and emotional consequences, and many of these programs do not include information on safe sex practices and

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