Teenage Pregnancy
Teenage pregnancy is defined as a teenage or underage girl (usually within the ages of 13-17) becoming pregnant. The term in everyday speech usually refers to women who have not reached legal adulthood, which varies across the world, who become pregnant. Pregnant teenagers face many of the same obstetrics (midwifery) issues as women in their 20s and 30s. However, there are additional medical concerns for younger mothers, particularly those under 15 and those living in developing countries. For mothers between 15 and 19, age in itself is not a risk factor, but additional risks may be associated with socioeconomic factors.
While teenage pregnancy is treated as a social issue in developed countries, (teenage pregnancy in developed countries is usually outside of marriage, and carries a social stigma in many communities and cultures ) in other countries and cultures, particularly in the developing world, teenage pregnancy is usually within marriage and does not involve a social stigma.
Among OECD developed countries, the United States and United Kingdom have the highest level of teenage pregnancy, while Japan and South Korea have the lowest.
*Despite a one-third decline since the early 1990s, the United States still has the highest rates of teen pregnancy and birth among comparable countries. In 2006, the U.S. teen birth rate was 41.9 births per 1,000 teens aged 15-19. By way of comparison, the U.S. teen birth rate is one and a half times higher than the teen birth rate in the United Kingdom (26.7 per 1,000) which has the highest teen birth rate in Europe, more than three times as high as the teen birth rate in Canada (13.3 per 1,000), more than eight times higher than the teen birth rate in Japan (5.1 per 1,000), and seven times higher than Denmark (5.9 per 1,000) and Sweden (5.9 per 1,000)*, according to the United Nations Statistics Devision(2006) teen birth rates for 2006.
Why are teenage pregnancy rates so high, and what can be done about it?
Why are we asking this now? So while teenager pregnancies are dropping, it is still a constant problem as there are more and more kids who enter their teenager years each year.
Some will say that there has been a general reduction of family values with less emphasis on marriage and a growth in single parent families. Others would argue that today’s youngsters have been subjected to “sexploitation” – by the commercial world. …or, we have to shange the approach to sex education!
Why the teenage pregnancy rate in Holland is that low- only five births per 1,000 teenagers. Its abortion rate per teenage head of the population is also one of the lowest in Europe. The approach to sex education that they have is very different. Yes, children can discuss sex during their primary school years but it is discussed in an atmosphere of talking about relationships and caring and respect for others. In the Netherlands, sex education is delivered in the context of learning about relationships not biology.
Is it a good idea to teach sex education to children aged five? Can giving sex lessons to innocent children destroy their childhood?
-I would say No; if you give them creative educational programs that are effective for their age, stop sex education being consigned to biology lessons, and ensure that children learn about relationships and the option of abstinence along with the facts of life.
Strengthen a culture of family values, personal responsibility regarding sex, getting pregnant, and bringing children into the world.
Improve the lives and future prospects of children and families and, in particular, to help ensure that children are born into stable, two-parent families who are committed to and ready for the demanding task of raising the next generation.
If we are successful, child and family well-being will improve. There will be less poverty, more opportunities for young men and women to complete their education or achieve other life goals, fewer abortions, and a stronger nation.
Campaign agains TV and internet pornografy – Schools should use an accredited service for their internet provision – which can have blocks put on it to bar hardcore porn from websites used by pupils, beacuse meny of school and university websites worldwide had become affected by hardcore pornography.
The daughter of Alaska Governor Sarah Palin said. “I hope people learn from my story — It’s so much easier if you’re married, have a house and career. It’s not a situation you want to strive for.”