In America, we as free citizens enjoy many luxuries that the majority of other countries throughout the world do not have. With a developed economy, a leading position in many professional fields, and a reputation of being known as the land of opportunity, America is quite desirable to foreigners, which is why we have such a large number of immigrants that want to become citizens in the U.S. However, there are many social issues that people are not aware of that are affecting our economy, our growth as a nation, and our youth's future. One of these pressing issues of today is the rate of teenage pregnancy.
Teenage pregnancy is not something that just comes out of nowhere. When you look at countries such as The Netherlands that are developed just like the United States and have the same amount of sexually active youth, it is natural to ask yourself this question- of the youth that are sexually active, why are more becoming pregnant in the United States than in The Netherlands? What makes our society less able to control teens and their susceptibility to pregnancy? Well, there are quite a few factors. Some of these factors seemed quite obvious, while some others I would not have thought to be an issue. .
Overall, the main issue appears to arise from the absence of using birth control and contraceptives. As a young adult, it is quite normal to feel a sense of embarrassment or privacy when talking about one's sex life. It can be hard to talk to your parents or your friends in order to get advice or help on what you should do, which is why many people just choose not to use any form of birth control. Not only that, but discussing with your partner to wear a condom, for example, can be a touchy subject for most young women as well. Even when forms of contraception are right in one's face, ignorance can easily steer young adults away from taking proper precautions. What I mean by this is, not being knowledgeable about the importance of using contraception and believing in false myths such as "it won't happen to you" or "if he pulls out, I won't get pregnant" is a crucial factor of the teen pregnancy rate here in America.
