Realities in Teen Pregnancy
By: Whitney Ortiz Teenage pregnancy has become an epidemic in today’s society. The lasting effects of teenage pregnancy can not only have immediate repercussions but can be felt for decades to come by children. Although some teens feel that they are mature enough and ready to have a child, statistics show that is not the case. Teens can keep teen pregnancy rates declining by understanding the affects that becoming a teen parent will have on them academically, economically, and socially which will ultimately enable them to have a better quality of life. Today’s job market is very competitive, with education being at its forefront and its most important qualification. Teens will often find themselves quitting or putting school on the back burner and this can have lifelong affects. According to The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, “Pregnancy and birth are significant contributors to high school dropout rates among girls. Only about 50% of teen mothers receive a high school diploma by 22 years of age, whereas approximately 90% of women who do not give birth during adolescence graduate from high school.” High school is only the first step, a higher education such as college or trade school naturally leads to better paying jobs. One of the most extensive lasting affects of teenage pregnancy is the inability to find a job due to the lack of education. Although this is not the case for all young mothers, most either can not find a job or have a job that does not pay well enough for them to gain independence; this in turn causes them to depend on government assistance, such as WIC ( Women Infants and Children), food assistance ( to supplement the cost of the inflating food prices), Medicaid (to help pay for medical care), and even Section 8 (government assisted housing). Also, because of the lack of income, some young mothers depend on family and friends for help with the basic necessities in life. This can put a strain on close relationships. Getting from place to place may be a challenge as well due to the inability to pay for a means of transportation. This would make it difficult to not only find a job, but to maintain job stability; which is important in todays competitive job market. Childcare can also be an issue, because of the lack of disposable income. Daycare for an infant can be anywhere from $150 (on the lower end) to $350 or more a week; which is quite expensive when making minimum wage. The inability to have reliable child care could make it difficult to maintain a job which would limit the amount of money that the teen mom would make, which would in turn, make the young mother more dependent on others. From the time a teen becomes pregnant things immediately start to change. Their social life starts to shift in a different direction than those of their friends and peers. Psychology Today says one of the ways to maintain friendships is to make time for friends. Teen moms will find this hard to do because they either cannot physically participate in the same activities they use to enjoy with friends or once they have the baby they may not have the time, finances, or energy to do so. Teen dads also find themselves unable to maintain friendships because very often they are encouraged to focus on finding employment and working as much as possible leaving no time to socialize. Research shows that a lack of social interactions raises the rate of people who suffer from depression. Some symptoms of depression include: difficulty bonding with your baby, fatigue, and thoughts about hurting your baby to name a few. This could be dangerous to both mother and baby. Inconclusion, there are harsh realities to teenage pregnancy and child born to teenage parents. Knowing the academic, economic, and social effects of becoming teen parents can help decrease the number of teenage pregnancies that are plaguing our country. |
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Works Cited
“ Reproductive Health: Teen Pregnancy.” Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 2019, https://www.cdc.gov/teenpregnancy/about/index.htm
Firestone, Lisa. “5 Ways to Maintain Lifelong Friendships... including the most important quality of a good friend.” Psychology Today, 22 January 2013, https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/compassion-matters/201301/5-ways-maintain-lifelong-friendships
Boston, Quintin, Dowden, Angel Riddick,Ethridge, Glacia, Gray, Kendra,
Spencer,Natalie,White, Niah. “A Phenomenological Analysis of the Impact of Teen Pregnancy on Education Attainment: Implications for School Counselors.” Journal of School Counseling, vol. 16, no.8, 2018
King, Janelle T[w1] . ”How does being pregnant affect a teenage mother” Love to know, https://pregnancy.lovetoknow.com/wiki/How_Does_Being_Pregnant_Affect_a_Teenage
Friedman, Lauri S. Teen pregnancy, Greenhaven Press, Farmington HIlls, MI : Greenhaven
Press, c2010.
“ Reproductive Health: Teen Pregnancy.” Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 2019, https://www.cdc.gov/teenpregnancy/about/index.htm
Firestone, Lisa. “5 Ways to Maintain Lifelong Friendships... including the most important quality of a good friend.” Psychology Today, 22 January 2013, https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/compassion-matters/201301/5-ways-maintain-lifelong-friendships
Boston, Quintin, Dowden, Angel Riddick,Ethridge, Glacia, Gray, Kendra,
Spencer,Natalie,White, Niah. “A Phenomenological Analysis of the Impact of Teen Pregnancy on Education Attainment: Implications for School Counselors.” Journal of School Counseling, vol. 16, no.8, 2018
King, Janelle T[w1] . ”How does being pregnant affect a teenage mother” Love to know, https://pregnancy.lovetoknow.com/wiki/How_Does_Being_Pregnant_Affect_a_Teenage
Friedman, Lauri S. Teen pregnancy, Greenhaven Press, Farmington HIlls, MI : Greenhaven
Press, c2010.