The Worrying Effects Of Teenage Pregnancy

Here in the United States almost one million teenage girls become pregnant every year. The effects of teenage pregnancy here in the United States are widespread and largely negative for the adolescent parents, the children who are born and society as a whole. Unfortunately the number of teenage pregnancies seems to be increasing every year and if something is not done to correct the problem then the socioeconomic crisis that we are now faced with is only going to get worse.

The Parents

What are the effects of teenage pregnancy on the mothers and fathers who become parents while they are still children themselves? To answer that question one only has to consider teenage pregnancy facts and statistics. Around fifty-seven percent of all teenaged mothers decide to give birth to and keep their child. About thirty-three percent of teenaged mothers never finish high school and are unprepared for a career as a result of this. Eighty percent of these mothers do not marry the father of their child. Obviously one of the effects of teenage pregnancy is therefore poverty for the mother and her child.

Then there are the emotional effects of teenage pregnancy on the parent or parents. No teen is emotionally or mentally prepared to meet the challenges of parenthood. Nor are they ready to make all of the necessary sacrifices or put the child's needs before their own. Here in the developed world there is often no extended family or support network to help raise the child. Consequently teenaged parents often become depressed, overwhelmed, discouraged and bitter. Some of these frustrated parents may take their anger out on the child.

The Children

What are the effects of teenage pregnancy on the children that are born of them? Statistics show that babies born to teenage mothers are more likely to have health problems and to suffer abuse or neglect because the parents cannot handle the responsibility of raising them. Consequently the children of teenage parents are more likely to be unstable and engage in behaviors that society disapproves of. For instance the children of teenaged parents are 22 percent more likely to become adolescent parents themselves. There is also an increased probability that these children will engage in antisocial or illegal behavior and end up in prison.

Society

Because teenage mothers often have to ask for financial assistance, the ordinary tax payer also feels the effects of teenage pregnancy. When a teenage mother cashes her welfare check, society pays the bill. The total cost of this bill is close to seven billion dollars per year. Society also pays when the children of these teenaged parents are incarcerated for engaging in criminal activities later on in life. The truth is that every United States citizen feels the effects of teenage pregnancy which is why we urgently need to take action to address the problem instead of continuing the futile political debate about what should be done.