Teen Pregnancy
Eriana Brewer March 20,2012 English II
Teen Pregnancy
There is nothing wrong with being pregnant as an adolescent. This is what many people believe. I beg to differ. Being pregnant at a young age has become a “trend” in this generation. Statistics show that in the U.S. about 820,000 become pregnant each year. That means 34% of teenagers a year get pregnant before the age of 20. Studies also show that close to 25% of these teens have a second child within 2 years.
All teen pregnancies are a choice. This is yet another untrue statement. Four out of ten girls between the age of 13 and 14 claim that ex is involuntary. Studies also show that 79% of the teenagers that are pregnant are unmarried, and close to 25% of these teens have a second child within 2 years. Studies from South Africa have found that 11–20% of pregnancies in teenagers are a direct result of rape, while about 60% of teenage mothers had unwanted sexual experiences preceding their pregnancy.
The birth and abortion rate in the United States is high. The teen birth rate has declined slowly but steadily from 1991 to 2002 with an overall decline of 30 percent for those aged 15 to 19. These recent declines reverse the 23-percent rise in the teenage birth rate from 1986 to 1991. The largest decline since 1991 by race was for black women. The birth rate for black teens aged 15 to 19 fell 42 percent between 1991 to 2002. Hispanic teen birth rates declined 20 percent between 1991 and 2002. The rates of both Hispanics and blacks, however, remain higher than for other groups. Hispanic teens now have the highest teenage birth rates. Most teenagers giving birth before 1980 were married whereas most teens giving birth today are unmarried.
Being pregnant as a teen has no negative health factors. The worldwide incidence of premature birth and low birth weight are more prominent in adolescent mothers. Teenage mothers between 15–19 years old were more likely to have anemia, preterm delivery,
Teen Pregnancy
There is nothing wrong with being pregnant as an adolescent. This is what many people believe. I beg to differ. Being pregnant at a young age has become a “trend” in this generation. Statistics show that in the U.S. about 820,000 become pregnant each year. That means 34% of teenagers a year get pregnant before the age of 20. Studies also show that close to 25% of these teens have a second child within 2 years.
All teen pregnancies are a choice. This is yet another untrue statement. Four out of ten girls between the age of 13 and 14 claim that ex is involuntary. Studies also show that 79% of the teenagers that are pregnant are unmarried, and close to 25% of these teens have a second child within 2 years. Studies from South Africa have found that 11–20% of pregnancies in teenagers are a direct result of rape, while about 60% of teenage mothers had unwanted sexual experiences preceding their pregnancy.
The birth and abortion rate in the United States is high. The teen birth rate has declined slowly but steadily from 1991 to 2002 with an overall decline of 30 percent for those aged 15 to 19. These recent declines reverse the 23-percent rise in the teenage birth rate from 1986 to 1991. The largest decline since 1991 by race was for black women. The birth rate for black teens aged 15 to 19 fell 42 percent between 1991 to 2002. Hispanic teen birth rates declined 20 percent between 1991 and 2002. The rates of both Hispanics and blacks, however, remain higher than for other groups. Hispanic teens now have the highest teenage birth rates. Most teenagers giving birth before 1980 were married whereas most teens giving birth today are unmarried.
Being pregnant as a teen has no negative health factors. The worldwide incidence of premature birth and low birth weight are more prominent in adolescent mothers. Teenage mothers between 15–19 years old were more likely to have anemia, preterm delivery,
Cited: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Teenage_pregnancy http://www.familyfirstaid.org/teen-pregnancy.html http://www.teenpregnancy.com/