COM V01
Teen Pregnancy
General Purpose: To inform
Specific Purpose: At the end of my speech, the audience should be able to describe three major contributing factors of teen pregnancy.
Central Idea: Teenage pregnancy can be defined as pregnancy of women who have not reached twenty years of age, regardless of their marital status.
Introduction
I would like to take the time to talk about a topic that’s relatively close to my heart; and that is teen pregnancy. Let me start of by telling you a story about a girl in high school, who was dating your typical foot ball player. She was a cheerleader with many dreams she wanted to accomplish. One day, while she and her boyfriend decided to ditch school, she decided to take a pregnancy test to realize, she is in fact pregnant. My name is Xanath and I became pregnant at sixteen. I could have wished to of waited until I was married and had a profession under my belt. I had many dreams all planned out for my future like, joining the military and becoming a police officer. My dreams never seemed impossible to reach. I didn 't want to believe it. How could I be pregnant at sixteen? Although teen pregnancy is on its all time low in years, we are still seeing children having children. They are faced with many different challenges and forced to make heart breaking decisions to give their child a better future. According to an NBC News article, written by Maureen Salamon, 3 of every 10 American girls become pregnant by the age of 20. (Salamon)
Blueprint: Teenage pregnancy can be defined as pregnancy of women who have not reached twenty years of age, regardless of the marital status. Today I would like to discuss three major contributing factors of teen pregnancy, which are the lack of knowledge for the teen, the pressure to have sex, and the desire to become pregnant.
Transition Sentence: To begin, I would first like to discuss the first major factors that contribute in teen pregnancy.
I.) The lack of knowledge is the first major contributing factor of teen pregnancy.
A.) Most teenagers have little or no knowledge about the consequences when they engage in sexual activity.
1. According to a Fact Sheet from Planned Parenthood, written by Deborah Weiss, sex education should start from the age of a kindergartner. The more you speak to your children about the consequences about having sex, the more they know how to handle it. (Weiss)
2. Teenager who haven’t been properly introduced to the topic of sexuality, are the ones who end up getting pregnant.
B.) Parents are the primary source of the teenager’s knowledge about sex.
1. When a teenager has an absent parent, it’s that much more difficult to try to get a point across, when it’s being done by a single parent.
2. Xochilt Gomez, a counselor at a teen parent high school in Oxnard, quoted, “When I asked my students why did they made the decision to have a baby? They answered with, “Because there was no one really around to supervise us when my boyfriend or girlfriend came over.” (qtd Gomez)
Transition Sentence: This brings me to my second fact on the contribution on teen pregnancy.
II.) The pressure on teens to become sexually active is a major contributing fact in teenage pregnancy. A.) The fear of rejection contributes to this factor in teen pregnancy.
1. From my experience, the feeling of being pressured to have sex overwhelms you at such a young age.
2. For a teenager, who has been with the same person for a couple of months, they often just give in, to please the other person without thinking the consequences of their decisions.
B.) Teen on teen pressure to engage sexual activity has a lot to do with teenage pregnancy.
1. In an interview by Dr. Michelle Golland, she asks a teen mom her input on the pressure to have sex. She stated, “At school, everyone is doing it.”
2. Since other teens see other teens engage in this activity or talk about it, they are prone to join in and try what everyone has been talking about.
Transition Sentence: This brings me to my last fact on the contribution on teen pregnancy.
III.) For a very odd reason, some teenagers desire to get pregnant.
A.) Teenagers constantly want love and affection and they think by fulfilling these needs are fixed with having a baby.
1. In 2008, 17 girls at Gloucester High School in Massachusetts made a pregnancy pact where they all decided to get pregnant at the same time.
2. Kathleen Kinsbury, the writer of an article on Time Magazine, described how when the girls found out they were pregnant, they cheered with high fives, and celebrated with baby showers. (Kinsbury)
3. They girls decided to get pregnant because they were all best friends, and they wanted their children to grow up together.
B. TV shows, movies, magazines, politics (Bristol Pailin), can influence the pressure in engaging in sexual activity.
1. Teen mom shows some struggles of being a teen parent, but at the same time they show the teen moms diving nice cars, their plastic surgeries, and they always manage to look extra dolled up.
2. Bristol Painlin, the daughter of former governor Sarah Pailin, surprised everyone with her pregnancy news when her mother was running for president in 2008. (
Transition Sentence: Let us review what I’ve discussed.
Conclusion: All in all, I’ve discusses three major contributing factors of teen pregnancy. They are the lack of knowledge on the teenager part, the fear of rejection, and the desire to get pregnant. Bringing a child into this world is a blessing, but in its proper time. I wouldn’t change my situation for the world. My daughter has pushed me to get where I’m at now.
Work Cited
Weiss, Deborah. Reducing Teenage Pregnancy. Planned Parenthood Federation of America Inc. 2013. Web. 8 Apr. 2013 <http://www.plannedparenthood.org/files/PPFA/reducing_teenage_pregnancy.pdf>
Salamon, Maureen. Teen Pregnancy Needs to be De-Glamorized . NBC News, 2010. Web. 8 Apr. 2013 http://www.nbcnews.com/id/39759635/ns/health-childrens_health/t/teen-pregnancy-needs-be-de-glamorized-experts-say/#.UWXGqzf_EkA
Gomez, Xochilt. Personal interview. 3 April 2013
Golland, Dr. Michelle. “Teen Pregnancy & Teen Sex.” YouTube. 25 May 2011. Web. 8 Apr. 2013.
Kingsbury, Kathleen. “Pregnancy Boom at Gloucester High.” Time.com. Time Magazine, 18 June 2008. Web. 3 Apr. 2013
Cited: Weiss, Deborah. Reducing Teenage Pregnancy. Planned Parenthood Federation of America Inc. 2013. Web. 8 Apr. 2013 <http://www.plannedparenthood.org/files/PPFA/reducing_teenage_pregnancy.pdf> Salamon, Maureen. Teen Pregnancy Needs to be De-Glamorized . NBC News, 2010. Web. 8 Apr. 2013 http://www.nbcnews.com/id/39759635/ns/health-childrens_health/t/teen-pregnancy-needs-be-de-glamorized-experts-say/#.UWXGqzf_EkA Gomez, Xochilt. Personal interview. 3 April 2013 Golland, Dr. Michelle. “Teen Pregnancy & Teen Sex.” YouTube. 25 May 2011. Web. 8 Apr. 2013. Kingsbury, Kathleen. “Pregnancy Boom at Gloucester High.” Time.com. Time Magazine, 18 June 2008. Web. 3 Apr. 2013
You May Also Find These Documents Helpful
-
Although popular opinion sometimes indicates otherwise, according to a statistical analysis from the US Department of Health and Services (2014), teen pregnancy rates have been steadily declining for the past twenty years. In America, most teenagers are not yet fully independent from their parents, as teenagers in other cultures sometimes are, so they are not ready to become parents. Since this issue has a huge impact on young women and men affected by it, this may account for the disparity between popular opinion and the statistical data on the subject.…
- 2110 Words
- 11 Pages
Satisfactory Essays -
In years past teen pregnancy created problems in several countries. However in the United States among teenagers, teen pregnancy rose, but there was no help from programs like the National Geographic’s channel, and Teen Mom that aired on MTV. Individuals saw a version of what might have been with cameras rolling, however if the cameras are not rolling then life takes on a different meaning.…
- 312 Words
- 2 Pages
Satisfactory Essays -
Across the United States, federal and state policy-makers are trying to control what they see as an epidemic in adolescent pregnancy. But is there really an epidemic? And, more importantly, when did the American society start to perceive teenage pregnancy as such? Teenage pregnancy is a major concern in today’s society; there are many ways to prevent teen pregnancy, many people to get advice from, and many decisions that a teen parent must make.…
- 356 Words
- 2 Pages
Satisfactory Essays -
Kirby, Douglas. (2007). Emerging Answers: Research Findings on Programs to Reduce Teen Pregnancy. National Campaign to Prevent Teen Pregnancy, pp. 15, 108-113. Retrieved from http://www.teenpregnancy.org/resources/data/pdr/emerganswsum.pdf…
- 974 Words
- 4 Pages
Better Essays -
The fourth source by the Office Of Adolescent Health has a strong and detailed overview of teen pregnancy and childbearing. I found this source through University of Alabama Scout search engine and the audience is the general public. The source includes statistics from 2013 that 273,000 babies were born in the US from females ages 15-19. The text also mentions the sad reality that comes along with teenage pregnancy such as, mother and teen less likely to finish school, more likely to rely on public assistance, more likely to live in poverty as adults, and more likely to have children who has poorer education, behavioral, and health outcomes throughout their lives rather than a child born into older parents that are prepared for a child. Along with addressing the issues of teen pregnancy, the source also touches on strategies and approaches to prevent unwanted teen pregnancies such as the contraceptive method I talk about in my paper. This information adds to my paper because it demonstrates the problems with teen pregnancy and the steps the US can take to lower the teenage pregnancy rates.…
- 888 Words
- 3 Pages
Satisfactory Essays -
Reducing Teen Pregnancy: Engaging Communities. (2012, July 5). Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Retrieved July 23, 2014, from http://www.cdc.gov/Features/TeenPregnancy/…
- 1619 Words
- 5 Pages
Better Essays -
Lyons, Linda “Assessing the Patterns That Prevent Teenage Pregnancy” Health Source-Consumer Edition Spring 99, Vol. 34 Issue 133, p.221, 20p…
- 852 Words
- 4 Pages
Good Essays -
I. Today, teen pregnancy is flaunted in front of everyone. It makes the front page and covers the magazine racks. There are dozens of televisions shows covering all aspects of a girl’s journey through…
- 1246 Words
- 5 Pages
Good Essays -
When teens discover they are pregnant, more than 50% of teens will make their first decision about their pregnancy, by telling someone right when they find out themselves. A teen telling another person is a big step for them in the right direction of growing up in this situation. Many teens first tell their parents, the father of the child or a very close friend or family member. Once the big news of a teenager’s pregnancy is known by someone other than themselves, teens then discuss and make the decision of either keeping their baby, giving it up for adoption or getting an abortion. Surprisingly 35% of teens, who become pregnant get an abortion, only 1% of pregnant teens decide to put their baby up for adoption and finally about one third of pregnant teens decide to keep and raise the baby (Wender). Once pregnant teens make their first parenting decision, they then move on to many…
- 1574 Words
- 7 Pages
Better Essays -
Teen Pregnancy is a very serious issue in America. There are many statistics and facts about teen pregnancy and how it is such a big problem in America. So, in my paper I want to talk about teen pregnancies and ways to prevent it. I want to explain that teen pregnancy is not the end of the world and that pregnant teens have a future. I want to also talk about my experience and how having a child at a young age changed my life in many different ways.…
- 1568 Words
- 7 Pages
Good Essays -
Teen pregnacy is one of the most controversial subjects in America, research shows how unhealthy it is for a family’s when there is teen pregnant in the household. Teenage pregnancy has risen and fallen and looked at from many angles as “just” in todays society, thanks to shows such as “16 and pregnant” and ”teen mom” which doesn’t show how hard life would be for most young teenage parents, what hardships they will face. Teen pregnancy is scary no one should have to do it, it’s not a disease it can be avoided, so why is it such a big issue, why haven’t the birth rates aboung teens dropped nearer to zero. The point of this essay is to explain how and why teenage pregnancy is a problem that needs to be dealt with and how it affects life for the mother, father and child.…
- 2686 Words
- 7 Pages
Better Essays -
The Department of Health and Human Services states that, “in 2013, there were 26.6 births for every 1,000 adolescent females ages 15-19, or 274,641 babies born to females in this age group. Nearly eighty-nine percent of these births occurred outside of marriage. The 2013 teen birth rate indicates a decline of ten percent from 2012 when the birth rate was 29.4 per 1,000. The teen birth rate has declined almost continuously over the past 20 years” (hhs.gov, 2014). Although teenage pregnancy rate has dropped in recent years in the US it remains eight to ten times higher than in other developing countries (Mossler, 2011). Early sexual education can help to decrease teen pregnancy. According to the text, “early sexual activity is associated with early puberty, parental discord and divorce, an absent father, lack of parental supervision, poor academic performance, and drug and alcohol use(Mossler,2011). If you are you are anyone you know needs information about teen pregnancy there is help please call 1-800-835-6360 www.unexpectedpregnancyhelp.com/…
- 223 Words
- 1 Page
Satisfactory Essays -
Teenage pregnancy has not always been such a big issue as it is today. The big problem before was unmarried mothers, age was not important. One reason why, is because many males and females had completed their education by age 15 or 16 (Farber, 2003). If a girl did become pregnant, the families pushed for marriage. As long as the family could be supported, the public saw no problems. In the past 30 years views on teenage sexual activity, pregnancy, and parenting have dramatically changed. Our society is now very open-minded and accepting about teen pregnancy.…
- 817 Words
- 4 Pages
Better Essays -
Teen pregnancy is frequently discussed all over the country and the efforts have not reduced the numbers, as teens continue to have unsafe sex which eventually leads to pregnancy. These developments led different experts to consider the issue of abstinence, abortion, and general sex education in order to reduce the rates of pregnancy among teens. The average teen will be curious about sex when he or she starts puberty and begins to be aware of his or her body. There are different strategies for dealing with teenage pregnancy such as sex education, abstinence, or abortion but the most effective strategy involves the careful use of birth controls.…
- 2374 Words
- 10 Pages
Good Essays -
I have realized, recently, that teenage pregnancy has become very prevalent, especially with high school girls. I know I am not the first person this has ever happened to and I know I won’t be the last. This is not something I ever intended to happen but I am determined to make the best of the situation. Every girl thinks that it won’t happen to them and that they will get lucky. Unfortunately that isn’t always the case. Many girls who get pregnant at such a young age get judged, and are ridiculed for what has come upon them. It’s sad to see girls go through this pain and suffering. Pregnancy is supposed to be a beautiful thing, not something to be…
- 815 Words
- 4 Pages
Satisfactory Essays