Teen Pregnancy

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Date Submitted: 02/23/2011 01:55 PM

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Teenage pregnancy is defined as a teenaged or underaged girl (usually within the ages of 13–19) becoming pregnant. The term in everyday speech usually refers to women who have not reached legal adulthood, which varies across the world, who become pregnant

Causes of teenage pregnancy

In some societies, early marriage and traditional gender roles are important factors in the rate of teenage pregnancy. For example, in some sub-Saharan African countries, early pregnancy is often seen as a blessing because it is proof of the young woman's fertility.[11] In the Indian subcontinent, early marriage and pregnancy is more common in traditional rural communities compared to the rate in cities.[12] The lack of education on safe sex, whether it’s from parents, schools, or otherwise, is a cause of teenage pregnancy. Many teenagers are not taught about methods of birth control and how to deal with peers who pressure them into having sex before they are ready. Many pregnant teenagers do not have any cognition of the central facts of sexuality. Some teens have said to be pressured into having sex with their boyfriend when the teen was young and yet no one had taught these teens how to deal with this pressure or to say "no".[18]

In societies where adolescent marriage is uncommon, young age at first intercourse and lack of contraceptive use may be factors in teen pregnancy.[3][19] Most teenage pregnancies in the developed world appear to be unplanned.[19][20]

Why teens get pregnant??

There are many reasons that teenagers become pregnant. Some of them want to have babies. However, the fact of the matter is that most teen pregnancies are unintentional (80 percent). Additionally, most of them occur to unwed teen mothers. This means that even though most teens do not want to become pregnant, they are still becoming so as a result of sexual activity. While actual force to have sex is rare, many teenage girls (especially those under the age of 15) feel pressured to have sex. And, of...