Teenage is from the age of thirteen to nineteen. Therefore, the cases of getting pregnant and delivering the child in these years are considered as teenage pregnancy. The legal age for marriage is set as 18 for girls and 21 for boys because by then their bodies are grown enough to have sex and its consequences. Girls can conceive a child and deliver it normally from this age and both girls and boys are mentally prepared for the responsibilities of parents. And because it is a problem our society faces, we should understand teenage pregnancy – causes and consequences.
Causes Of Early Pregnancy
There are many factors that stimulate the growing rates of teenage pregnancies. Let us have a look at them.
Social Factors
Societal norms vary from place to place. In some parts of the world, people have been following the concept of child marriages for centuries. Whereas, in other some parts, aborting a child is a sin.
Low Education Rate
Education lifts a person from the same old mud he has been into. But lack of education also leads to bad life decisions and low awareness about the consequences. Because of low education rates in some parts of the world, people there do not know a better perspective around.
Poverty
Poverty results in low education rates. Also, poor families marry their daughters early to avoid paying heavy dowry. Poverty also leads to selling off daughters to prostitutes which eventually leads to teenage pregnancy.
Lack Of Awareness About Contraception
These days, youngsters believe in having sex frequently. But that is not an issue until they use protection. But increasing teenage pregnancy rates suggest that there is much less awareness about contraception.
Peer Pressure
Peer pressure is a great deal in teenage groups and it makes these kids do things they otherwise won’t. And one such thing is having sex which we know can lead to teenage pregnancy.
Sexual Abuse
Sexual abuse may lead to such early pregnancies because females of this age group are not much aware of pregnancy avoiding medications. Therefore, rapes are one of the important causes of early pregnancy.
Media Influence
Media has been brainwashing us for decades now. We now consider wants as needs. Same is the case with getting sexual at an early age. The content we are surrounded with shows having a relationship is cool and staying virgin is old fashioned.
Consequences Of Teenage Pregnancy
Teenage pregnancy is bad because it has bad consequences as stated below.
Medical Issues
Teenage pregnancy causes medical conditions such as anemia, high blood pressure in the mother, while in child it can result in low birth weight and cephalopelvic disproportion.
Economical Issues
Adding the responsibility of a child at this age causes many economical problems because on an average a person works after the age of 18. Also, it the legal age to work.
Social Issues
Society is not much welcoming towards such cases. Therefore, it is not helpful either. Thus females that give birth in their teenage years face social cut down.
Abortion Risks
Because many girls do not want to face social and economical consequences of being a teenage mom, they prefer abortions. Many do it because they do not want a kid. But that also leads them to abortion risks. It can also lead to death.
Premature Births
Teenage bodies aren’t sufficient to keep the baby for 9 long months. Often there are cases of premature births which can cause following conditions in the child:
- Apnea
- Respiratory distress syndrome
- Intraventricular hemorrhage
- Jaundice
- Anemia and other
Thus, teenage pregnancy is not recommended at all and should not be motivated.
