Teenage pregnancies can be caused by several factors such as lack of sexual education, poverty, sexual violence, and social pressures. This leads to negative health outcomes for both the mother and baby. Teen mothers are at risk of issues like insufficient prenatal care, high blood pressure, premature birth, and postpartum depression. They may also feel isolated. Babies could face developmental and health problems. To prevent teenage pregnancy, communities should promote abstinence, educate youth on contraceptives, and ensure access to birth control methods.
3. Lack of
information
about sexual and
reproductive
health and rights
Sexual violence
Family,
community and
social pressure to
marryPoverty
Use of drugs
and alcohol
Media influence
4. Lack of information about sexual and reproductive
health and rights
Sexual and reproductive health can be a sensitive topic. In many
places around the world it is taboo to openly speak about sex. This
can make it difficult to access information and services around
sexual and reproductive health, especially in places where
religious and cultural beliefs restrict access to contraception or
abortion
5. Sexual violence
For many girls, sexual abuse leads to unwanted pregnancy as
teenage girls who have been forced into sex are less likely to have
the opportunity or choice to use contraceptives. The evidence
shows that in many places girls are at greatest risk of exposure to
sexual violence within the context of close relationships such as
those with family, friends and intimate partners. Lack of safe
access to water and sanitation and safe passages to school can
also increase the risk of sexual abuse and rape.
6. Family, community and social pressure to
marry
What does poverty mean for young people in the developing
world? For far too many girls it means adolescent sexual activity-
often transactional-followed by pregnancy and marriage. An
estimated 15 million girls are married before their 18th birthdays
each year - thats 29 girls every minute. When a girl lacks
economic opportunities to support herself, or cannot receive
support from her family, she is more likely to become involved in
adolescent transactional sexual activity.
7. Poverty
Teens who get pregnant tend to come from more disadvantaged
families than those who do not become pregnant . Moreover,
among pregnant teens, those who choose abortion tend to be
more advantaged than those who opt to carry baby term. As a
result teen mothers are more likely than women who delay
childbearing to come from poor families, and before they become
pregnant, to be behind in school and to have lower academic test
scores.
8. Use of drugs and alcohol
During adolescence, teenagers may drink and experiment with
drugs frequently with their friends at social gatherings and
parties. Teens, however, do not realize the impacts alcohol and
drugs have on the functioning of their brain, especially the effects
of binge drinking which is consuming large amount of alcohol
during one sitting. Drinking excessively as well as experimenting
drugs may lead to unwanted and unintentional pregnancy. These
substances greatly affect a teens ability to logically think and
carry out general thinking processes, thus increases the chances of
engaging in unprotected sexual activity.
9. Media influence
The media has a large effect on teen pregnancy, especially shows
such as Teen Mom and 16 and Pregnant . These shows often
glamorize pregnancy and hide the true hardships associated with
pregnancy which encourages teenagers to become pregnant.
10. 2. Impact and health risk of teenage
pregnancies to the teenager
12. Prenatal care
Teens who are pregnant are at the risk of not getting adequate
prenatal care.
This is critical, especially in the first trimester of the pregnancy,
as it looks for medical problems in the mother and baby, it
monitors the babys growth and deals with complications that may
arise.
13. High blood pressure
Pregnant teenagers has a high risk of getting high blood pressure.
This can also be referred to as pregnancy-induced hypertension.
Higher risk of preeclampsia. This condition is very dangerous and
combines high blood pressure with excess protein in urine,
swelling of the young mothers hands and face, and organ damage.
Medication that the teen need to take to control the symptoms
mentioned above, may cause further complications (such as
premature birth).
14. Premature birth
A full-term pregnancy lasts about 40 weeks. If a baby is born
before 37 weeks it is considered to be a premature baby.
Premature babies are at risk of experiencing respiratory,
digestion, cognitive and other problems.
15. Postpartum depression
This depression starts after delivering a baby.
If the young mother is depressed, she may not take good care of
her baby.
16. Sexually transmitted diseases
Sexually active teens are at risk of contracting a sexually
transmitted disease (STD).
For teens who have sex during pregnancy, STDs such
as Chlamydia and HIV are a major concern, it can infect the uterus
and growing baby.
Some STDs can cause infertility or even death.
One can prevent getting a STD by abstinence or practicing safe
sex.
17. Feeling alone and isolated
Some teens feel like they have no one they can talk to about
their pregnancy.
Due to the lack of support from family members, or anyone whom
they trust, they are less likely to go for regular prenatal visits.
They are also less likely to eat well, exercise or get enough rest.
18. Social consequences
Lower access to higher education, high divorce rates, premature
death of women, population growth, weak and unhealthy children
and single motherhood are all negative consequence of teenage
pregnancy.(Dev Raj et al, 2010: 6).
21. How can teenage pregnancy be prevented?
The best prevention is abstaining from sexual activities. Teenagers
should be encouraged not to have sex. By abstaining they could avoid
getting pregnant and getting STIs.
If they are already sexually active, it advisable that they sit down with
their parents or trusted adults and get advice on different birth control
methods that are available. This can be used to prevent unwanted
pregnancy.
Teenagers should be exposed to broader information on how to
responsibly use different contraceptive techniques, this can be taught in
health class or the school can invite a nurse to have this conversation
with learners.
Different birth control methods should be made available and easy to
access.
22. References
Beguy, D., Kabiru, C.W., Nderu, E.N., (2009). Inconsistencies in self-reporting of sexual
activity among young people in Nairobi, Kenya. The Journal of Adolescent health, 46(6),
595-601.
Dev Raj, A., Rabi, B., Poobalan, A., van Teijlingen, E.R., Chapman, G. (2010). Health
science journal: Factors associated with teenage pregnancy in South Asia: a systematic
review. Pp 6.
Grow by MD. (2020). Pregnancy. https://www.webmd.com/baby/teen-pregnancy-medical-
risks-and-realities#2 (Last viewed 5 August 2020).
Miller, B.C., Benson, B., Galbraith. (2001). Family relationships and adolescent pregnancy
risk: A research synthesis. Developmental review 21(1): 1-38.
Pires, P., Baatsen, P. (2016). Yes I Do Gaining insight into the magnitude of and factors
influenving child marriage and teenage pregnancy and their consequences in Mozambique.
Unicef. http://www.unicef.org/malaysia/Teenage-pregnancies-overview
Williamson, N.E. (2012). Motherhood in Childhood: Facing the Challenge of Adolescent
Pregnancy: UNFPA State of Word Population 2013, United Nation Publication Fund.