Factors That Lead To Teen Pregnancy Essays - Midwifery, Adolescence

Factors That Lead To Teen Pregnancy Although the overall rate of teen pregnancy has been declining, the rates have remained high for teens that are most vulnerable. The great majority of Americans believe that teen pregnancies are a serious national problem, indeed a problem that is the major component of what is thought to be national moral decline. However, what causes these teens to become pregnant at such a young age? A large body of research has identified a number of factores that underlie teen sexual and contraceptive behavior, pregnancy, and childbearing. There exists a three part framework of the factors underlying teen pregnancy. There are biological antecedents, including gender, age, testosterone level, and timing of puberty. These factors are causally related to adolescent sexual and contraceptive behavior and pregnancy. A second group of antecedents can be viewed as manifestations of social disorganization or advantage (Kirby, 1997). These include factors in the community and the family such as violent crime, poverty, unemployment, family marital disruption, parents lack of education, poor child rearing practice, lack of parental support, and inappropriate sexual pressure or abuse. The second group also includes factors in the individual teen such as lack of religious affiliation, drug and alcohol use, engaging in risk behaviors and deviance, delinquency, poor educational performance, an d low expectations for the future. A third group of antecedents are attitudes and beliefs about sexual behavior and pregnancy. These include beliefs, personal values, and perceived norms. Among the many factors which may lead to teen pregnancy, the four that are most predictive of early pregnancy are poverty, early behavioral problems, family problems, and a low self esteem. There are several theories about the reasons why so many young women in poverty become pregnant and carry to full term. Faced with an unintended pregnancy, many teens living in poverty are likely to view early childbearing as a positive, desirable choice. These teens feel that becoming pregnant may in fact improve their lives. Economics may also be responsible for the lower percentage of poor teens who terminate their pregnancies, since Medicaid policies in most states do not pay for abortions, but do pay for services related to childbirth. In addition, some researchers postulate that teenagers consider having a baby as a conscious desire to become welfare dependent. These teens deliberately become pregnant and have babies in order to collect welfare and set up their own households. However, teen mothers are more likely to live in poverty than women who delay childbearing, and nearly half of unmarried teens receive welfare at some time within two years of giving birth. Many pregnant teens believe that their babies will lead lives very different from their own. Poor, inner city, undereducated women live with drug addiction, violence, and a sense of hopelessness. Therefore they feel that by having a child will improve their lives, when in fact they are only exposing their child to the same life they lead. In addition, poor teenagers are more sexually experienced than those of higher incomes, yet they use contracetption less frequently and less successfully, and thus they have higher rates of pregnancy (Trickett, 20). Chances of higher education and well paying jobs diminish substantially for teen mothers. One study documented that teens that prioritize education and future occupations were less likely to become teen parents and they delay their first sexual intercourse. Similarly, poor grades are related to the early initiation of sexual behavior. The direct results of teenage pregnancy frequently include high dropout rates, for one in three pregnant teens do not complete high school. On average, pregnant teens complete fewer years of school. For teens in abusive relationships, sexual and physical violence are often connected. Pregnant teen women often have a history of physical, sexual, and/or family violence. Teens who have experienced childhood or adolescent sexual abuse also have greater sexual vulnerability, which increases the risks of unintended pregnancy and further abuse. Girls who were sexually abused as children are far more prone to risky sexual behavior and early pregnancy as adolescents. In a sample of 500 teen mothers, two-thirds had histories of sexual and physical abuse. According to Trickett of Womens Health Weekly, this shows that while the sexually abused girls are having more sex