Home Health Center Teenage Pregnancy

Teenage Pregnancy



The issue of teenage pregnancy is an important one and it must be handled sensitively. There are a lot of consequences of getting pregnant at an earlier age. These include health complications for both the mother and baby. Teenage girls who become pregnant are at a high risk of developing physical, emotional and social problems if the situation is not handled properly. While it is true that teenagers can avoid pregnancy through the use of birth control measures, they should still wait until they are more mature and can take informed decisions. Therefore the best way to prevent teenage pregnancies and their consequences is to refrain from any type of sexual activity during the teenage years.

Teenage Pregnancy Facts 

The following are some facts and statistics on teenage pregnancy which have come to light after a great deal of research:

• The younger the age at which pregnancy occurs (12 to 14 years), the more likely it is that the initial sexual encounter was involuntary
• Very few teenage girls who become pregnant go on to finish their high school. Even fewer receive college degrees.
• Babies born to teenage mothers are at a higher risk of being born prematurely. They are also more likely to be weaker and neglected.
• Children born out of teenage pregnancies tend to perform poorly in school and are also more likely to be bullied.
• A large number of teenage mothers have another baby within three years of their first pregnancy.
• Girls born to teenage mothers are more likely to become pregnant in their teenage years themselves
• About 29 percent of teenage pregnancies are aborted
• 14 percent of pregnant teenage girls suffer a miscarriage