Causes of Teenage Pregnancy

Fourteen year old Yah-yah was raped by her mother’s “friend”. As a result, she has an unwanted pregnancy. She is angry with her mother because she didn’t do anything to protect her. People in society are misjudging her. Yah-yah is frustrated and on the verge of suicide. Teenage pregnancy has been a phenomenon since biblical ages. Dr. Michelle Golland stated, The United States has the highest teen pregnancy rate in the industrialized world. There are 750,000 teen pregnancies annually. The Caribbean has not escaped this plague. A study done by a fourth year medical student at the University of the West Indies reported that pregnant unmarried teenagers form the biggest single social problem in Jamaica. From the study it was concluded that teenagers were responsible for 16% of the total births in Jamaica, i.e. for some 9,300 babies. There are many factors contributing to the high incidence of early pregnancy: (1) Lack of Parenting Guidance; (2)Lack of basic education; (3) Inadequate knowledge about safe sex (4) Exploitation by older men.
Firstly, the root cause of teenage pregnancy is the lack of parenting guidance. Often times, parents do not permit their children to talk about sex. Also some parents go far as providing their children with false information about sex. For instance, the child may ask “Where do babies come from?” The mother may reply, “Babies come from the sky.” The lack of parenting guidance in relation to educating their children about sex was illustrated in a study conducted in Jamaica by S.S Gooden. Gooden found that only 45% of his sample claimed to have had any sex education at home. S.S Gooden also contended that some girls was so eager to obtain information that they read books. One girl reported that her mother explained to her about menstrual cycle, after it had begun. It is important to note, that information about sex is gathered outside the home by children. Sources where information are gathered includes book, magazines, and the