Adolescent Pregnancy - Sex Education Essay Sample

Adolescent pregnancy is a high-risk situation due to the severe health risks that it presents for the mother, baby, and the society as a whole. According to the WHO (2017), complications during pregnancy are the second leading cause of death among adolescents aged between 15 to 19 years. However, despite the availability of information on sexuality and family planning, the rates of adolescent pregnancy are still high with an estimated 5.2% of teenage girls becoming pregnant before the age of 20 (The Office of Adolescent Health, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, 2017). This has led to the prioritization of the issue as a health priority with various strategies being implemented to reduce the teen pregnancy rate. An evaluation of the risk factors and precursors to adolescent pregnancy can help policy makers and healthcare providers to identify evidence-based practices that reduce teenage pregnancies.

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Several factors increase the likelihood of teenage pregnancy. To begin with, low educational attainment is one of the precursors of adolescent pregnancy (Idaho, 2017). Most illiterate teenagers lack the necessary information on sexuality and birth control as compared to their educated counterparts thus increasing their chances of being pregnant. Also, limited maternal education enhances the likelihood of teen pregnancy following the failure of the mother to teach the child about sexual relationships due to lack of knowledge. Family structure is another precursor to adolescent pregnancy. Teenagers brought up in disrupted families by divorce or remarriage are more prone to get pregnant due to low parental monitoring as compared to those in functional marriages (Idaho, 2017). Also, children raised in foster care are more likely to become pregnant at a young age.

Additionally, the socioeconomic status of the family also plays a huge role in promoting teen pregnancy. Adolescents living in low socioeconomic standards have limited access to resources such as contraceptives and education on pregnancy prevention (Idaho, 2017). Therefore, children from poor backgrounds tend to engage in an early sexual activity for favors such as food leading to an increased likelihood of pregnancy. The use of alcohol and drugs is also a precursor to teen pregnancy as it promotes reckless sexual activity leading to unwanted pregnancies. Lastly, early onset of puberty and involvement in sexual relationships also increases the likelihood of teen pregnancy (Idaho, 2017).

The U.S. Department of Health and Human services addresses several reproductive health topics such as adolescent pregnancy. The site offers sexual health facts as per the different states. Additionally, the department also compares the current rates with the ones recorded in history to help in identifying the reproductive health changes that take place over time. The Guttmacher Institute also runs a similar website that publishes results from credible researchers on sexual health. The website also provides state facts about unintended pregnancies. In addition to providing the national background and context, the institute also tracks the reproductive policies and their effects over the course of time.

In New Jersey, there has been a 71% decline in the rate of teenage pregnancy over the last twenty-five years. As of 2011, the rate of teenage pregnancy in New Jersey stood at 4.7% lower than the national 5.2% (State Facts about Unintended Pregnancy: New Jersey, 2017). This decline can be attributed to the increased use of contraceptives more so condoms. There have also been several initiatives to teach children and their parents about sexual relationships and pregnancy. This has improved the knowledge of teenagers on prevention of unwanted pregnancies leading to a decline in early childbirth. Additionally, the inception of publicly funded family planning centers in New Jersey has averted an estimated 24,330 unintended pregnancies some of which from adolescents (State Facts About Unintended Pregnancy: New Jersey, 2017).

In conclusion, teenage pregnancy is a high-risk pregnancy due to the dangers it presents to the mother, the unborn child, and the society. It predisposes the mother to obstetric complications such as preeclampsia, obstructed labor and postpartum depression which may lead to maternal death. Babies born to teenage mothers are also prone to complications such as low birth weight, prematurity, and respiratory distress syndrome. Additionally, adolescent pregnancies also cost the society billions of dollars to support them and the associated complications. Therefore, it is important for health care providers to understand the risk factors for teen pregnancy as this will help tailor reproductive health interventions to reduce the burden of teen pregnancy.

References

Idaho, P. (2017). Teenage Pregnancy Risk Factors. Siphidaho.com. Retrieved 3 February 2017, from http://siphidaho.com/rephealth/app_risk.php

State Facts About Unintended Pregnancy: New Jersey. (2017). Guttmacher Institute. Retrieved 3 February 2017, from https://www.guttmacher.org/fact-sheet/state-facts-about-unintended-pregnancy-new-jersey

The Office of Adolescent Health, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. (2017). The Office of Adolescent Health. Retrieved 3 February 2017, from https://www.hhs.gov/ash/oah/adolescent-health-topics/reproductive-health/states/nj.html

WHO., (2017). Adolescent pregnancy. World Health Organization. Retrieved 3 February 2017, from http://www.who.int/mediacentre/factsheets/fs364/en/