Teen pregnancy has been around for generations; however, not until the twentieth century has teen pregnancy become a major issue. Statistics show that "11% of girls in the 15-19 age group get pregnant each year, while for out of ten girls become pregnant before they reach twenty." (Bell) With teen pregnancy on such a rise, there are many issues that can be discussed: the many risks of teen pregnancy, society's approval of teen pregnancy, the responsibilities of teen parents, and ways to handle or prevent teen pregnancy. Although these are not the only important factors that arise in the subject of teen pregnancy, they are among the most important.
There are many risks for teens when they become pregnant. Young girls who get pregnant do not know what they are getting themselves into. Most young girls get pregnant by mistake. Children who are born to teen mothers are at risk because of their mother's young age and undeveloped body. (Bell) By being born to younger women, infants are more than likely to face great dangers such as being born prematurely, dieing in the neonatal period, or being born with low birth weight. Most pregnant teens deny their pregnancies in their early stages, causing them not to seek the medical assistance they need. (Sylvester).
Teenage mothers are less likely to finish their proper schooling. (A.A.P) A teenage mother of one is more than likely to have one more child in two years. If she has a second child, she is less likely to finish high school, get married, and go through welfare for a major part of her life. (Sylvester) Teenage mothers are likely to be single parents, and they do not get the proper prenatal care. Risks that teenage mothers may encounter include, but are not limited to, poor maternal weight gain, anemia, and pregnancy -induced hypertension. These problems are worse with younger teenagers. (A.A.P) Drug and alcohol use, mental illness, suicide, poor educational performance and criminality are some of the great risks children that grow up in single parent families face.