Pregnancy Essay

Campaign Essay
Bronte Hamblin
Brandon Salomon
Period 2 Teen Pregnancy

Did you know that the United States has the highest rate of teen pregnancy in the world?
The birth rate in the United States is 55.6% compared to Canada which is 22.3%. This is a growing issue in our country.
When pregnant as a teenager, life can become 10x more difficult than you think it already is. Teen pregnancy is life changing. While most teen pregnancies are unplanned, even a planned pregnancy had risks and many complications. An estimated 70% of pregnant teens drop out of school and only half of those young women have jobs. Reasons for dropping out of high school include physical problems, such as morning sickness and emotional problems. Also there is fear of bullying or sexual harassment.
In addition to all that, there are also many medical issues for teen pregnancy. Compared to non-teen mothers, teen moms have higher rates of medical conditions such as high blood pressure. Some issues are caused by teens getting less prenatal care due to low income or embarrassment and/or trying to hide the pregnancy. Teens also have higher rates of premature birth and low birth weight of babies. Just think when you get pregnant as a teen, while your friends are out partying and having fun, you’re at home taking care a baby.
There is no permanent solution to prevent teen pregnancy, but there are many ways we can prevent it. The only absolutely effective way is sexual abstinence. This method is the only one that guarantees no risk of getting pregnant and protects the teen from getting any STD’s. For many years abstinence has been viewed as a decision based upon a religious or moral belief. Another form of teenage pregnancy prevention that is being taught in schools is various contraceptive techniques. Although abstinence remains the best way to prevent pregnancy among teens, it is a fact that there are still a large number of them who will be involved in sexual relations. For this reason, it is important that teens be provided with broad information on how to do so responsibly using certain techniques. Most sex ed in schools consist of one message, “don’t have sex, but if you do, use a condom”. The problem that rises from this is that teenagers are not being exposed to important information on the various forms of birth control, condoms, and other methods of prevention that are available for little or no cost to teenagers.
For most teens, the real consequences of having a child at such a young age are unknown. Teens need to be aware of the harsh reality of raising a baby and the negative effects that and unplanned pregnancy can cause in both the mother and child’s lives. Teenage mothers must be aware of the tremendous effect their offspring will have on society in the future, and the high risk of the cycle repeating once this child becomes a teen. When exposed to such information about the results of an unplanned pregnancy, teens are forced to analyze whether sex is worth the risk of forever changing their lives, and also those of their future children.