|
According to statistics from CDC, there were over 409,000 infants born to teens between 15 to 19 years old in 2009. About two-thirds of this number was born to teens younger than 18 years old. Teen pregnancy is a growing concern, and along with this come other issues. Among western industrialized nations, the rate of STDs, unwanted births, teenage pregnancies and abortions is significantly higher in the US than other countries.
One of the effects of teen pregnancy is economic in nature. Each year, taxpayers pay over $9 billion because of unwanted pregnancies among teens. This is because of the increased need for healthcare, budget for foster care, and loss of revenue due to underemployment among teen moms, and incarceration rates of teen parents. Aside from the economic effects of teen pregnancy on the country, there are other effects that teens should be aware of. It's best if parents or other responsible adults in the family take the time to explain this to teens and educate them of the other effects that teen pregnancy has on them.
- Adverse academic effect - Over 50% of teen moms don't graduate from high school every year (compared to the 90% graduation rate of young women who did not give birth during their teen years). Many teen moms do not have the time management skills to get a job, rear a child, and study all at the same time. As a direct effect of this, many young mothers don't qualify for good jobs and are less likely to be financially successful in life.
- Higher likelihood of incarceration - Raising a child puts teens under a lot of pressure. Considering that they barely have the time to grow up and mature, teens who suddenly find themselves responsible for another human life often don't take to the pressure very well. They can get into trouble during the adjustment period, and may take longer to accept the fact that their priorities need to change.
- Health issues for mothers and babies - The bodies of teenage girls are just beginning to develop, which makes getting pregnant and giving birth a health risk for both mother and child. A lot of pregnant teens give birth to premature babies because their bodies haven't developed enough to carry a baby to term. Premature babies are more at risk to health problems such as respiratory distress, heart ailments, gastrointestinal irritability, and others. Majority of babies born to teenage moms suffer from premature death. Because of the pressure of child-rearing at an early age, teen moms are also more likely to turn to alcohol, drugs, and other substances after they give birth.
- Self-esteem issues - One serious effect of teen pregnancy is depression. Many young women who went through teenage pregnancy often develop poor self-esteem issues and (because of the stress) can continue to spiral down as child-rearing responsibilities become more difficult and demanding.
Prevent Teenage Pregnancy by Educating Teens
Many parents dread the time when they will need to talk to their teens about sex. However, this is important if parents want teen pregnancy prevention. Surprisingly, many young people don't even know that they can get pregnant even if they only have unprotected sex once.
It may be difficult to know where to start or how to open the topic. Here are a few suggestions that may be useful:
- Be on the lookout for openings - There are actually a lot of moments that could be used as springboards for sex education at home. Any opportunity to talk is a good time to start. Sometimes the opportunity arises while watching relevant to the topic on TV. Sometimes it could be during dinner, or while driving home. The best time to talk is when your teen is in a conversational mood.
- Be direct about it - It's always best to be direct about the topic rather than beat around the bush and start sounding awkward and unsure. Talking to your child about the risks of oral sex, unprotected sex, premarital sex, and other connected issues need not be awkward if the parents who initiate the conversation won't act embarrased by it in the first place.
- Listen - Young people will have their own ideas about this topic. Rather than lecture and shut down the possibility of continued discourse, it's best if you let them talk and listen well to what they have to say. You don't need to agree with what they are saying, but not listening to them and not letting them talk closes the doors of communication and prevents you from gaining an insight on what your teen is thinking about sex.
- Indicate a willingness to talk - Keep the doors of communication open and encourage your child to ask you about sex anytime.
|
