Teenage Pregnancies

In the Kent area 968 15-17 years olds had fallen pregnant in 2009. Surprisingly these pregnancies over europe was the lowest in nearly thirty years.

• 1998 under eighteen year olds - 41,089
• 2009 under eighteen year olds - 35,966

Ive found that babies born to teenage mothers have a 60% higher infant mortality rate and a 63% increased risk of being born into poverty compared to babies born to older mothers. Children born to teenage mothers are known to do less well at school and become uninterested early from education way before they have finished education, let alone further education. 

Daughters of teenage mothers are twice as likely as daughters born to older mothers to become teenage mothers themselves. Similar disadvantages affect young fathers also. I remember in Secondary school i had just two lessons on sex education. It was a basic run through of sex, contraception and the changes our bodies go through when we reach puberty. Statistics show that an increase of sex education in schools has gone up over the past ten years. There are now television programmes which go into full detail about sex, pregnancies, teenage worry's and concerns about their bodies. Not only this but a programme '16 and pregnant' is a series of children having babies, a story/diary of their pregnancy and birth. I can only hope it is a way of scaring, making young adults more aware of the seriousness of having a child, and the hardship it takes. This increase of education should help to prevent young pregnancies.

Is it just education?

Yes education is a big part of this problem, and can help prevent pregnancies in the future, but up bringing can be a big part of it too. Parental guidance, advice can be a huge part of the child's decision. If the teen finds it difficult to discus issues with there parents let alone sex, it'll be a challenge to ask their parents about the morning after pill, about contraceptions and what to do next if they do fall pregnant. 

I personally have come from a family in which i feel i could talk to each member about any worries i have. Having three sisters, we all have the underlying worry of pregnancy after sex even though contraception has been used. If i couldn't turn to my family for help, my friends would be the next step in hope they would advise me on what to do next. Even so, i don't think anyone would be able to advise you on what to do as we all have different opinions on abortion etc, unless they too have been through a similar experience.

One of the most important reason for teen pregnancies is the way in which the age group are looking at sex. For a majority, lack of appropriate sex education, and how the media portrays sex in an inappropriate and careless approach in general which could lead to teenagers looking at sex very differently. Most lack the maturity and understanding of the seriousness of sex and can get carried away in the moment.
Teen pregnancies can also result from sexual abuse of teenage girls. Instances of teen pregnancies resulting from sexual abuse by sexual predators, or even date rapes have been on the rise. Again this could be due to the lack of experience and maturity. Alcohol abuse can also lead to teen pregnancies as drinking leads to carelessness and lack of control. Your vision and views become blurred leading to actions you would never dream of doing when sober. Maybe this aspect can be used in my final still life.