The Issue Of Teenage Pregnancy
The issue of teenage pregnancy is one which has never been of greater importance than now. More and more teenagers are becoming pregnant and having babies of their own, and it is very important to not generalize about the potentially negative outcomes of teenage pregnancy. Not only are these teen pregnancy rates a significant marker of female adolescent sexual and reproductive health, because an unintended pregnancy can have serious implications for a young woman?s health, especially if she is not ready for a child and decides to have an abortion.
There are so many different things that can go wrong in a teenage pregnancy, especially if it was unplanned, as most are, and the teen is not even aware that they are pregnant until a few weeks later. We all know that teenagers are growing up and trying out new things so many teenagers are using drugs and alcohol, which can be detrimental to a fetus, especially if the mother is unaware that she is pregnant and is using to the extreme.
Abortion Rate
Of course it is not only the teenagers these days that are having abortions, but when we look at the teenage pregnancy statistics specifically, we can see that the teenage pregnancy rate has dropped over the past few years while the abortion rates have spiked to an all-time high. Abortion actually accounted for slightly more than half of pregnancy outcomes in North America over the past few years and for those who did choose to give birth, data shows that both mother and child were disadvantaged from a health and economic perspective.
How to Solve the Problem
Many people are confused and seem lost when it comes to solving the problem of teenage pregnancy. In all actuality, the problem here is not that difficult to understand. Parents need to be more open and understanding with their children, and know that talking about the birds and the bees can no longer wait until they are in high school. Children are growing up faster than ever these days and there is nothing that can really be done about it, although you can take the proper steps towards protecting your child as best as possible and educating them on the necessary information.
It may be a little uncomfortable to get into a discussion like this, but by informing your child about safe sex and pregnancy, they will make smarter decisions in the future and will be less likely to wind up with an unplanned pregnancy.