10 Things You Didn’t Know About Teen Pregnancy by Elisa Depina

1- In a “Ted Talk” given on March 2012, Leymah Gbowee a peace activist in Liberia, speaks on behalf of women and girls around the world. She say that all the African girl wish for a better life, wish for food for their children, wish that sexual abuse and exploitation in schools would stop. In 2004 in Africa she met one girl who had been raped by the father everyday, got pregnant, and all she wanted was to go to school.

2- On March 3 2014, Wikipedia tells that Africa has the highest rate of teens pregnancy in the World. Especially in Sub-Saharan the women get married at an early age. some country teens get married early, like in Niger 87% of women surveyed were married and 53% had given birth to a child before the age of 18.

3- On August 16, 2013 the title of a” article” What Are The Causes Of Teenage Pregnancy? written by R.Y. Langham shows that approximately 750,000 of 15- to 19-year-olds become pregnant each year. Many teens get pregnant because they are afraid to talkto their parents about sex. Sometimes their parents are busy with others things and they don’t pay attention to their children’s education.

4- NBC News shows the challenge in Nate Howell’s life, a student who girlfriend got pregnant when he graduated from his high school. Nate hoped to go to college and be a football player, but when his girlfriend got pregnant he didn’t go to college. All his dreams did not come true because he needs to work and support his new family.

5- In 2014, “The National Conference Of State Legislatures” concludes that teens pregnancy affects the graduation rates. There were 65% or more teens who did not complete their degree. But only 40% of teens mother had finished high school and fewer than 2% had finished college by 30 years old.

6- Langham also had expressed that many time teens get a pressure to have a friend and fit in with their peers. Their friends will influence their decision to have a sex even though they don’t know what will be the consequence after they act. But the end results is a unplanned pregnancy. The Kaiser Family Foundation concludes that more than 29% teens tells that they feel pressure to have sex and 33% feels that they are not ready for a sexual relationship.

7- The National Campaign to Prevent Teen and Unplanned Pregnancy shows that the U.S has the highest numbers of teens pregnancy rates in the western industrialized world. In 2008 the African American and Hispanic teen pregnancy rate was over two and a half times higher than the teen pregnancy rate among white teen girls of the same age group. Teens had fewer babies in 2010 than in any year since the mid-1940s. Also 8 out of 10 teen dads don’t marry the mother of their child.

8- Based on the fact sheet published by “Drake Law’s Middleton Center for Children’s Rights”, the flyer points out that women have a right to feel free and decide what is better for them. Also the center says that  if you decide to have a baby the center may provide you a group of people who will support you. But if you decide to have an abortion it will be confidential. The organization who perform abortions are not allowed to talk to your parents about your decision.

9- Another problem that Mayo Clinic reports is that teens drop out of school when they start to think about their physical changes and the economic problems that will happen when the baby is born. This will all affect teens emotions. Also they start to feel different because they don’t have enough experience to have a baby.

10- The America’s Adoption Agency reveals that all women who had choose to put their baby up for adoptions had a chance to continue with their career, education or even get married. For most women, knowing that their child is safe and happy is the biggest benefit for all mother.

 

Works Cited

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“American Adoptions — America’s Adoption Agency.” Advantages of Adoption for Women Considering Adoption. N.p., 21 Mar. 2014. Web. 21 Mar. 2014.

“Drake Law School – Middleton Center for Children’s Rights.” Drake Law School – Middleton Center for Children’s Rights. Drake University Law School, 3 Mar. 2014. Web. 19 Mar. 2014.

“11 Facts About Teen Pregnancy.”Do Something. Web. 18 Mar. 2014. <https://www.dosomething.org/tipsandtools/11-facts-about-teen-pregnancy>

“http://www.livestrong.com/article/146681-what-are-the-causes-of-teenage-pregnancy/.”LIVESTRONG.COM. LIVESTRONG.COM, 16 Aug. 2013. Web. 20 Mar. 2014.

“http://www.nbcnews.com/id/35448556/ns/us_news-the_elkhart_project/t/baby-changes-everything-true-cost-teen-pregnancys-uptick/#.Uyw_eiu6pXJ.&#8221; Msnbc.com. N.p., 21 Mar. 2014. Web. 21 Mar. 2014.

Leymah Gbowee. Digital image. N.p., 3 Mar. 2014. Web. <http://seventy2minutes.com/blog/2014/03/leymah-gbowee-unlock-intelligence-passion-greatness-girl&gt;

“Postcard: Teen Pregnancy Affects Graduation Rates.” Teen Pregnancy Affects Graduation Rates Postcard. Web. 16 Mar. 2014. <http://www.ncsl.org/research/health/teen-pregnancy-affects-graduation-rates-postcard.aspx>.

“Search Results | TED.” Search Results | TED. Web. 18 Mar. 2014. <http://www.ted.com/search?cat=ss_talks&q=teen pregnancy>.

“Teenage Pregnancy.” Wikipedia. Wikimedia Foundation, 18 Mar. 2014. Web. 18 Mar. 2014. <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Teenage_pregnancy>.

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“The Adverse Effects of Teen Pregnancy | FindYouthInfo.” The Adverse Effects of Teen Pregnancy | FindYouthInfo. Web. 16 Mar. 2014. <http://www.findyouthinfo.gov/youth-topics/teen-pregnancy-prevention/adverse-effects-teen-pregnancy>.