Teenage Pregnancy
Getting pregnant at a very young age, below 20 years old, teenage pregnancy is the most shocking and devastating news to hear for an affected parents. What are the causes, risks and how to prevent teenage pregnancy?
Causes of Teenage Pregnancy
It starts with the family when parents don’t have the proper guidance to their teenagers because they don’t have enough time to their children. They devote their time to their work, business or anything they are busy with. They(teenagers) lack love, affection, attention, and communication. What the parents can’t give or provide, they to seek it from other people like friends. Once they are out of their home there’s no more control of their activities outside. They may get into drugs, drinking alcohol, getting incorrect advice and information from their peers or experiment themselves having sex.
Sexual abuse: It can be rape, seduction or other sexual violence. Sad to say almost all sexual violence are done by older men and the victims are the young girls.
Sex Education is part of the lessons in schools now. Sex education is also a part of parents responsibilities to their children. There is an appropriate approach to teaching sex education at home at very young age. Health and different parts of the body and their functions are not for anybody to touch or take, by teaching our children this, they will not be victims of sexual abuse.
Other parents find it hard to teach sex education at home especially the conservative type, they find it awkward to discuss it with their children. Talking about sex is not more different with contraceptives but on family values, like sex should come after marriage, they should not hurry nor perform any experiment. Also, parents must discuss the risk involve being a young mother.
RISKS IN TEENAGE PREGNANCY
Getting pregnant at a young age has greater risks compared to older women or women who are at the right age. Health risks these teenage girls will have are the low level of iron, they lack nutrition since their body is not yet fully developed, they are unfit for pregnancy that could result in anemia, premature birth, low birth weight and other complications.
A pregnancy that is not planned will abruptly change their life. Young mothers are school dropout. It’s a big shame going to school pregnant and besides, there are schools that will not allow it unless they are married. No more going out with friends and doing different activities. This is where depression starts, even women of the right age when pregnant experience depression how much to teenagers?
Parents should be aware of depression because their children may have the tendency to commit suicide. This is possible because of the shame they caused to the family, there's no moral support coming from their boyfriend, the feeling of guilt because they disappointed their parents and their frustrations especially when the parents have high expectations.
Young motherhood is linked into poverty especially if they come from a low-income family. They are an additional burden to the family.
PARENTS ROLE ON PREGNANT DAUGHTERS
What if your teenager gets pregnant? How to deal with it?
As a parent, this is the most shocking, devastating and frustrating news to hear. Above all these anger and frustration you have to accept the situation. Talk to your daughter of keeping the baby, abortion is not the solution. A baby born is a blessing. Find out who is the father of the baby, talk to him if his parents know the trouble he is into. Since your daughter is young, teach and guide her like regular prenatal to ensure a good health for both the mother and the baby.
References:
soc.ucsb.edu wiki
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