teen pregnancy

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Teen Pregnancy
The pregnancy in females below the age of 20 is what is popularly known as teenage or adolescent pregnancy. Based on the available statistics, teen pregnancies are on the rise today, most of which are unintended and often lead to abortions, and other precarious healthcare risks. Recent statistics front the USA as the leading nation adolescent pregnancy rates among the western industrialized nations. According to DoSomething.org, 3 out of 10 girls in the U.S. get pregnant before they turn 20, implying that over 750, 000 teens become pregnant each year (n.p). DoSomething.org also connotes that such teen mothers often become pregnant again a few years after the first child. That gives the picture of the society that in which we live today. A society fraught with many helpless teen mothers.
Statistics show that more than half of girls who get pregnant at their teens often drop out of school and find it almost impossible to resume education in the long-run. Arai found that over 50 percent of all teen mothers do not finish their high school education (Arai 58). The fortunate ones, however, may get support from their families and friends, as parents of adolescent mother rarely support such adolescent adults because of frustration. However, some learning institutions provide daycare services, which help adolescent mothers finish schooling. Unfortunately, though, many schools do not offer such programs. Therefore, teen pregnancy is a thorn in the society; it is one problem that affects nearly every family, ethnic group, and population on an equal measure.

Causes
Be that as it may, before delving into the possible solutions to teen pregnancy, it is important to look at some of the primary causes of the same. According to Arai, providing appropriate cure to foundations of a problem leads to a permanent solution to its impacts (20). Causes of teenage pregnancy include all factors that lead teens into sexual relations: peer pressure, the absence of parents, lack of knowledge, rape, teenage drinking, and glamorization of teen pregnancy.
Peer pressure forces teens to do everything just fit in the group. Adolescents often let their friends sway them into having sex even when they do not have a comprehensive knowledge of the consequences of such acts. Instead, they engage in sexual relations to appear sophisticated and cool before their friends and this, unfortunately, make them end up with unplanned pregnancies.
Parents play an important role in the life of a child. Apart from fending for them, parents guide and support their children to develop moral values. Teen girls without parents are highly likely to get pregnant because of the lack of support and guidance (Weiss 206). Another cause of teenage pregnancy is sexual abuse or rape, in which teen girls suddenly find themselves being forced into sexual activity without their consent.
The lack of knowledge about the sex is also perilous in this respect. More often than not, teens lack the knowledge required make responsible and informed decisions about having sex. Neither do they understand the emotional nor biological effects of sex. Also, in this age of social modernism, teenage drinking is common, and this exposes many youngsters to the risk of having unprotected sex (Weiss 207). The question that everyone would, therefore, ask is what can be done to undo, correct or solve the problem of teen pregnancy.
Solutions to Teen Pregnancy
Abstinence education. One of the coolest and most operative strategies to prevent teenage prevent teenage pregnancy is to encourage teens to avoid having sex, with or without protection (Barth 183). Teenagers ought to be extremely careful by avoiding participating in a sexual engagement that they may regret in the future. Parents, teachers, and the society should also take it upon themselves to teach children and youths about sex and why they should avoid it. These teachings should target both boys and girls on an equal measure. For several decades, abstinence has been regarded as a decision rooted in religious or moral belief, but it is the only sure way of preventing teenage pregnancy. Abstinence guarantees zero risks of becoming pregnant and keeps teens from getting any sexually transmitted infections.
Parents to talk openly and teach their children. As Pistole notes, education is key to contending the adolescent pregnancy problem, and this should start from home (59). Parents should take precautionary measures right from the birth of a child. Children should be educated on social values that will guide into their teenage years. They have to teach children that they are not rejected because of their virginity as that keeps them pure. As Arai connotes, bring them up in the right path when they are still young, and they will always remain on the track (Arai 62). Astray. That is giving solutions to a problem before it develops into a problem.
Lay out the Consequences. Although it sounds harsh, parents should be extremely frank with their daughters and tell them once they get pregnant in their teenage years and give birth, they should expect no support from them. This strategy has worked for many families and if emphasized, therefore, can work positively towards curbing teenage pregnancy.
Encourage Mentoring. The older teens in the society should be impacted to act as mentors to their younger fellows, particularly, because many adults in the community are not comfortable mentioning the issue of sex at home. Students can meet in focus groups and talk freely about abstinence and safe sex. Weiss established that getting information about abstinence and safe sex from peers can be more effective than getting from adults (89).
Learn to say NO. Modern-day youths engage in sexual intercourse at an upsetting rate. Presumably, this is because of the excess freedom, unhappy family relationship, and peer pressure. To protect herself from unwanted pregnancy, the girl child should learn to say NO and keep boys off her trail.
Discuss Options. This step is more or less the same as sex education, but it largely delves into the options to which girls and boys who are sexually active may resort. Teens should be taught on a variety of contraceptives they can use to avoid unwanted pregnancies and diseases. Albeit abstinence tops the list of teen pregnancy prevention measures, it is true that a substantial number of teens who can hardly stop engaging in sexual relations. Consequently, it is imperative to provide teens with enough information on how do sex responsibly using available contraceptive techniques. Also, in the event that the teen is already pregnant, the parent or guardian should discuss with the girl the options available to her: teen parenting and adoption among others.
Involve the whole community. The government should impact the whole community, through incentives, rules, and regulations, to rise against teenage pregnancy. This strategy can help curb social issues that lead to unexpected early pregnancies, such as rape or sexual abuse. Churches, businesses, schools, parents, and other social institutions should send the same message aimed at stopping teenage pregnancy.

Works Cited
Arai, Lisa. Teenage Pregnancy: The Making and Unmaking of a Problem. Bristol, UK: Policy Press, 2009. Print
Barth, Richard P., et al. “A Skill Building Approach to Preventing Teenage Pregnancy.” Theory into Practice, vol. 28, no. 3, Summer89, p. 183.
DoSomething.org. “11 Facts About Teen Pregnancy.” DoSomething.org | Volunteer for Social Change, 2017, www.dosomething.org/us/facts/11-facts-about-teen-pregnancyPistole, M. Carole. “Preventing Teenage Pregnancy: Contributions from Attachment Theory.” Journal of Mental Health Counseling, vol. 21, no. 2, Apr. 1999, p. 93.
Weiss, Josie A. “Preventing Teen Pregnancy by Avoiding Risk Exposure.” American Journal of Health Studies, vol. 25, no. 4, Dec. 2010, pp. 202-210.