Effects of Teenage Pregnancy
Teenage pregnancy can be a complex philosophical issue affecting the young mother, family and friends. Teenage pregnancy can be defined as a period between the ages of 13-19 when a teenager gets pregnant. There are numerous complications associated with teen pregnancy which affect both the mother and the child. Teenager's bones are not fully developed, and the body is yet to mature. Therefore, to avoid such problems, it is wise to visit a primary health care provider as early as possible. Thus, during birth, the teenagers' bones might be strained leading to the injury of the pelvic bones as well as the spine which might lead to permanent damages. Besides, the child is always put at risk because teenage mothers are more likely to give birth to premature. Also, most adolescent mothers lack robust support systems, parenting skills and even knowledge of how to cope with stress. Besides, they are less likely to finish high school which prompts them to get jobs which are not well-paying jobs. Also, most remain dependent on their families while others choose to seek help from programs provided by the government such as the program of Advancement through Health and Education. This paper aims to highlight the effects of teenage pregnancies on teenagers and their families.
Societal Attitudes and Challenges
Often, Teenage mothers and their families are often looked down upon depending on the Families' socio-economic background. These teenagers also experience ridicule and anger from their families and schoolmates and at most time’s abandonment from the children's fathers. Due to poverty, teenage mothers' are forced to indulge in transactional sex for them to get resources to support their children. Children born in families run by single moms also are faced with numerous obstacles. They are more likely to suffer from mental health disorders, and depression and also the high levels of poverty experienced in their families place them at disadvantaged positions likened to kids born and raised by both parents (Micali et al., 321). Besides, the nonexistence of a father figure within a family brings about mixed reactions and dilemmas. These children undergo emotional problems due to the lack of fathers in their lives which might be dangerous in the future. Besides, some of these children suffer from self-esteem issues and social challenges which come in handy with living in a single parent household. The pressure which some of these children go through is tremendous, and they always feel unloved and rejected by their fathers. There is a lot of pain associated with parental denial, and there is no other worse technique of ruining a person's life.
Poverty, Crime, and Parental Responsibilities
Statistics conducted within the United States claim that there is, in fact, a relationship between poverty and crime and children born in single parent families. Mothers who give birth during their teenage hood are always not ready to take up their responsibilities of parenting. Once these mothers are abandoned, they are left juggling to raise children and provide for the family as well. 41% of these teenage mothers never get married throughout their entire lives (Diaz and Jeremy, 101). I believe it is very unfair for children to suffer due to their parent's mistakes. Children brought up by teenage parents are introduced into a competitive world, and they often have to start their lives as handicaps since they are automatically placed in the lower economic levels. Most women who get children during their teenage years have lower chances of getting well-paying jobs. Consequently, they are forced to support their children with minimum salaries and the slight aid they receive from the government. Also, the burden of raising kids, paying bills and working build up pressures in the single parents which at times leads to physical and emotional stress on the mother as well as the child.
Societal Impact and Conclusion
Teenage pregnancy is a very complex issue because it generally impacts the society. For instance, adolescent mothers often raise unproductive members of the community. These children are often associated with harmful elements such as drug addiction and crime which only serve as possible outlets of the stress these children living poverty-stricken lives experience. Besides, most of these children often end up having children at their teenage years, therefore, perpetuating the vicious cycle of poverty and hopelessness in life (Garwood et al., 166). Further, adolescent parents are often overwhelmed by the responsibility of providing for their family and also instilling discipline and ethics in their children.
Conclusion
Teenage pregnancy is a critical issue as is generally affects the society. Numerous studies have tried to show the negative impacts of teenage pregnancies on the adolescent moms and their babies as well. Low-income family relationships often affect the children who impact their psychological behavior which at times promotes their criminal practices. Besides, teenage pregnancies are a burden to society, and to develop happy and peaceful communities; it is necessary to reduce the increasing cases of adolescent pregnancies. Also, every child in the country has a right to be accorded with opportunities despite their race, social and economic background. The best way to do this is through supporting teen mothers and educating society on the risks of early sex.
Works Cited
Diaz, Christina J., and Jeremy E. Fiel. "The effect (s) of teen pregnancy: Reconciling theory, methods, and findings." Demography 53.1 (2016): 85-116.
Garwood, Sarah K., et al. "More than poverty: The effect of child abuse and neglect on teen pregnancy risk." Journal of Adolescent Health 57.2 (2015): 164-168.
Micali, N., et al. "Adolescent eating disorder behaviours and cognitions: gender-specific effects of child, maternal and family risk factors." The British Journal of Psychiatry 207.4 (2015): 320-327.
