Teen Pregnancy Essay, Research Paper

I. The United States has the highest teen pregnancy rate in the western world with approximately 1 million adolescents becoming pregnant every year.

II. Teenage mothers tend to have insufficient prenatal care.

A. Mothers and unborn children suffer from malnutrition.

1. lack of information

2. lack of money

B. Teenagers tend to slack on prenatal doctor’s visits

1. less screening for potential problems.

2. less preparation and counseling

C. Mothers do not received counseling on the actual birthing process.

D. Important information on appropriate behavior for the mother is not received.

1. smoking

2. drinking

3. drugs

III. Decreased prenatal care has many negative effects on children.

A. Babies born to women under the age of twenty are more likely to die in the first year after birth.

B. The infant mortality rate of babies born to teen mothers is 9.7 deaths per 1000 live births.

C. Diminished care can result in future developmental delays

1. cognitive

2. social

IV. Many problems arise when teenagers raise babies.

A. The Majority of teen moms are unmarried and undereducated.

1. lower income

a. lack of nutrition

b. difficulty obtaining childcare

c. decreased options of continuing education

2. high rates of poverty

a. unsafe feeling

b. low self esteem

c. low self efficiency

3. None or limited paternal involvement

a. negatively affects baby

b. minimal emotional support for mother

1. decreases degree of maternal role satisfaction

2. lowers self esteem

B. Teenagers often lack experience.

1. less verbal

2. less responsive to child’s needs

a. cognitive

b. emotional

c. motor

C. Teenagers are dealing with many issues of their own.

1. loss of own childhood

2. possible loss of friends and social support

3. dealing with their child’s behavior

4. learning how to discipline their child

5. taking on responsibility

V. Many support programs are developed to assist teenage mothers

A. Success of community service programs.

1. Services are offered free of charge or at minimal costs based on income

2. Programs are designed to address many aspects

a. health care

b. education

c. child care

d. psychological counseling

e. employment

B. Problems with community service programs.

1. no transportation to get to the programs

2. too proud to ask for help

a. feel they are being disrespected by professionals

b. want to prove they can do it on their own

3. lack of support from community

a. clergy

b. teachers

c. classmates

d. work associates

VI. This is a generalization based on statistics, but not true of all teenage mothers.

A. increased responsibility

B. personal growth