"I'm pregnant!" These were the words echoing in fifteen year old Tina's head. How was she going to relate this to her 'barely-legal' boyfriend? Likewise, how would she convey this to her mother? Teenage pregnancy continues to rise rampantly in most parts of the world. The factors contributing to teenage pregnancy are lack of knowledge, increase in sexual activity at an early age, sexual abuse, lack of supervision and peer pressure. The major factor contributing to teenage pregnancy is lack of knowledge. Why is lack of knowledge considered to be the major factor which contributes to teenage pregnancy? Experts say that teens are less educated about pregnancy prevention today than numerous years ago due to a decrease in abstinence education in schools. Teenagers who are uneducated about sex are the ones who most likely have an unplanned pregnancy. Gale Encyclopaedia of Education: Risk Behaviours: Teenage Pregnancy states that "In the United States in 1997, the last year for which accurate estimates are available, approximately 896,000 young women under the age of twenty became pregnant due to the lack of knowledge. This statistic proves that there is an urgent need for sex education to teenagers, especially those in school. Peer pressure, in most instances, leads to sexual activity at an early age, which in turn leads to a high risk of becoming a teenage parent. Many teens engage in unsafe activities, where sexual activity is most common, just so their peers will notice them or so that they may fit in. Teenagers worry that not going along with what their friends do or say, can make them less popular or even an outcast. Pressure to have sex can be intense for teenage girls. They should be educated about the consequences of sexual activity. Lack of supervision and sexual abuse can go hand in hand in most instances. Some parents have such a busy schedule, that they do not take time out to interact with their children.
Children can be victims of sexual abuse but they do not know how to relate the problem to their parents because of the issue of lack of communication. This lack of supervision can lead to teenage pregnancy. If the issue of Teenage Pregnancy is not addressed, it will continue to be a problem in today’s society. Most teenagers do not plan to get pregnant, yet the figures continue to escalate. Education on teenage pregnancy is necessary for schools, families and the society to help teens understand the role of sex and sex education rather than explore it on their own. Being a pregnant teen has a lot of responsibility, so teenagers should now think before they act. Teenage pregnancy can surely be minimized but can it be curbed?
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