Alright so we all know that teen pregnancy is a major social problem, and that it is a social trend increasing year by year. Why? Because people are stupid. However, there are different things that take part in teen pregnancies. For instance, a girl may be raped, in which case, she may be forced to take care of a child. In other cases, consensual sex and unprotected sex can lead to unexpected births.
One other cause of teen birth is actually negligent. Statistics show that children who are unsupervised by their parents, or have parents that do not discipline them, tend to become wild and destructive. These teens are a lot more likely to become pregnant, or even father an illegitimate child. The moral of the story: parents should be more active in their child's lives. Also, 20% of white children who's parents weren't married for them to be conceived, end up as bums, basically (well, either pregnant or drug-addicted or in a gang). The rate is much higher for blacks, at a whopping 70%.
If you look at the statistics, within the 21st century, teen pregnancy has increased a lot. It is no longer viewed as a major taboo, though yes, it is still seen in a negative light. Tied with teen pregnancies, abortion rates have increased, causing the nation controversy, since abortion rates are a huge wedge issue. Some teenagers who can afford the abortion tend to do so, while others who can’t are forced to take care of their child. That is, the actual rate of teen pregnancy is a lot higher than what we think it is. Now that’s something we should ponder about.
On a side note, today, in our culture, teen pregnancies have become a source of entertainment, actually. MTV now broadcasts shows in which pregnant teenage girls are being followed. This form of media in fact encourages younger girls to actually become pregnant. It’s a hyped up way to become popular or famous, so some teens takes their chances through that.
Let's take a look at some more facts. Nearly one million teens get pregnant each year. That is, 4 out of 10 women before they turn 20, even. 40 billion is spent each year by the government to help these individuals. The U.S. has a higher teen pregnancy rate than other countries. The rate nearly doubles Canada's, 4 times France and Germany's, and 8 times Japan's. In the year 2000, 79% of teen births were from unmarried teens. Less than 1/3 of teen mothers actually finish high school, and many have more children (1/4 if them have a second child within 2 years). 1/3 of all teen mothers go on welfare within the first year of birth. The children are likely to be born prematurely and unhealthily, possibly with blindness, deafness, mental retardation, cerebral palsy, etc. They are 50% more likely to repeat a grade, and less likely to complete high school. The daughters are 22% more likely to become teen mothers as well, and the sons are 13% more likely to end up in prison.
Why would we glorify such a stupid action? It's completely beyond me. Teens who get pregnant should be scolded, not praised. Not to say that I believe they should be shunned from society or anything. For their kid to end up healthy, they'd need a strong support system as well. Anyway, kids, just don't do it. Or use protection, and don't tell anyone you did.
