TEENAGE PREGNANCY: BIRTH AND BEYOND

“I am not finding pregnancy much of a joy. I am afraid of childbirth, but I am afraid I can’t find a way of avoiding it.”


Teenage is a crucial growth phase in the life of any individual fraught with physiological changes and often, psychological conflicts. In this condition, finding oneself to be a pregnant teenager can come down as shocking and even traumatizing for the individual, as-well-as, for her family and friends. 

Teenage pregnancy is the occurrence of pregnancy in females under the age of twenty. Teenagers belong to the age group of thirteen to twenty, and while teenagers are not practically children, they aren’t adults either, and this phase of confusion puts them at a greater risk. As sexual development sets in, teenagers are hounded by curiosity to explore their bodies. Due to a lack of awareness regarding sex, they often engage in unsafe sex, eventually becoming teenage parents.

Mostly such pregnancies are unplanned, and minors are not ready to bear the responsibilities of being a parent. Globally, the rate of teenage pregnancy is relatively high. Most cases are reported from the United States, the United Kingdom, and Africa, whereas rates are comparatively lower in Asia. As per studies, it is seen that the quality of teenage pregnancy is higher in developing countries as compared to developed countries, and mostly rural areas report higher cases than urban areas. This shows that the socio-economic background of teenagers majorly contributes to teenage pregnancies. Mostly teenagers from lower backgrounds with little or no sex education end up with teenage pregnancies.

Mostly such pregnancies are unplanned, and minors are not ready to bear the responsibilities of being a parent. Globally, the rate of teenage pregnancy is relatively high. Most cases are reported from the United States, the United Kingdom, and Africa, whereas rates are comparatively lower in Asia. As per studies, it is seen that the quality of teenage pregnancy is higher in developing countries as compared to developed countries, and mostly rural areas report higher cases than urban areas. This shows that the socio-economic background of teenagers majorly contributes to teenage pregnancies. Mostly teenagers from lower backgrounds with little or no sex education end up with teenage pregnancies.

In developing countries, sexual abuse of underage girls from lower backgrounds majorly contributes to rising rates of teenage pregnancies. Hailing from low-income backgrounds, these girls are pushed into sex trafficking to support their families and are exploited by older men. In most developing countries, girls are married off eighteen, and such teenage pregnancies are not met with social and moral stigmatization.

Whereas in developed countries, most teenage pregnancies occur out of wedlock while the teenagers are still in school, leading to social ostracization and alienation of such adolescent mothers. They often have to drop out of school, and without a formal degree, they have to do low-income jobs to support their child. Such children hailing from underprivileged homes, often without a father, engage in criminal activities and drug abuse, thus add to social evils and poverty. In a nutshell, teenage pregnancies create a domino effect in society at large.

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