Adolescent pregnancy is defined as females who are 13-19 ages engage in sexual

activity and become pregnant either intentionally or unintentionally. There are many causes
and effects to this kind of social issue.
Causes
Teenage pregnancy is most often unintentional and due to a variety of different
reasons. Drugs and alcohol are one of the causes of teenage pregnancy. Teenagers may drink
and experiment with drugs frequently with their friends at social gatherings and parties.
Teens, however, do not realize the impacts alcohol and drugs have on the functioning of their
brain, especially the effects of binge drinking which is consuming large amounts of alcohol
during one sitting.
Drinking excessively as well as experimenting drugs may lead to unwanted and
unintentional pregnancy. These substances greatly affect a teens ability to logically think and
carry out general thinking processes, thus increases the chances they will engage in
unprotected and unsafe sexual activity (wikipedia.org).

Low Socio-economic Status. Teens who become pregnant often come from families
of low socio-economic status. These children often come from families who are suffering
from poverty and do not have all the necessary resources to raise their child. These children
grow up to have low educational goals and successes because of the lack of involvement
from their own parents. It is these groups of teens who begin to experiment with drugs and
alcohol and do not do very well in school. Low socio-economic status is further linked to low
levels of family connectedness.
With their lack of education and knowledge about reproduction, these teens engage in
unprotected and unsafe sexual activity. These teens do not know about the available
contraceptives nor do they explore their options. Ewles (2005) pointed out that low
expectation is the main factor, and there is a significant correlation between young people of
socioeconomically low class and young people of teenage pregnancy and high birth rate.
Separation from employment and separation from education and training may create
inefficiency and helplessness, so the goals and aspirations seem to fail to achieve their future
future. Furthermore, according to a survey conducted by the Ministry of Education, Culture,
Sports, Science and Technology (2006), uneducated schools with a low educational
background and under 16 years old are obviously independent risk factors for 10 generations
of pregnancy.

Peer Pressure and Sexual Abuse. Peer pressure would also be major cause of sexual
abuse, often females may be pressured or forced by an older male partner to engage in sexual
activity. Teenagers usually feel excessive pressure to fit in with their mates. These young
females out of fear may feel forced to engage in unprotected sex without a choice.
According to the Kaiser Family Foundation, more than 29% of teenage pregnant girls
have reported that they felt pressured to involve in sexual intercourse, and 33% pregnant
teens have stated that though they were not ready for a sexual relationship, they went ahead,
in order to avoid rejection or ridicule (Langham, 2010). Sexual abuse is also another reason
why teens may become pregnant. Early sexual abuse has been linked to later teen
pregnancies. Some children have unfortunately been sexually abused my predators or even
family even prior to entering puberty. These young kids often are unable to inform a trusted
adult about the situation due to fear of being harmed by their predator.

Rebellion is also another reason why some teens will become pregnant. In order to
show their independence and deem themselves as having more control over their lives, a teen
may decide to have a child. These television glorify the idea of having a child through the
promotion of these teenagers having a more adult lifestyle, with more responsibility and
decision-making power.

Lack of Knowledge and Glamorization of Pregnancy. Most of the teenagers are

unaware of devastating consequences early parenthood can lead to. Teenagers, who do not
have proper knowledge about safe sex, are more likely to have an unwanted pregnancy.
According to the website, DailyRecord, often teens receive inappropriate information from
videos, movies, or friends, which reflect on their attitude and approach towards the sex. Also,
unsafe sex and incorrect information can increase the risk of various sexual diseases and
infections.
Moreover, today’s movie industry and mass media are encouraging teen pregnancy by
glamorizing it. Often teen pregnancy is viewed as an effective way to gain attention and
reputation among the friends and society (Langham, 2010).

Poverty and lack of academic success contribute, there is mounting evidence that
poor academic success and bad parenting lead to teen pregnancy. Babies from teen mothers
usually have poor health, lower grades, and have lower cognitive tests scores (Witte 137-54).
The majority of children from an unplanned pregnancy are born to unmarried women.
Children raised in single parent families face more challenges; they are more likely to be
poor, dropout, lower grade point average, and poor school attendance records (Brown 11-4). 

Addiction. According to the website, Love to Know, alcohol and drug addictions can
cause pregnancy among teenagers. Often, teens experiment with alcohol and drugs. Drug
addiction is contributing to about 75% pregnancies that occur between the age group of 14 to
21 years. Almost 91% of pregnant teenagers acknowledged that though they were drinking at
the time, they did not pre-plan sex before drinking (Langham, 2010).
Effects
Consequences of Teen Childbearing for Mothers. Early pregnancy significantly
affects the lives of teen mothers. According to the data of the National Longitudinal Survey
of Youth (NLSY), social, educational, economical attainment differ remarkably between
teenage and mature mothers. According to its report, teen mothers bear 1.3 more children on
average than women who delay. Also, there are more teen mothers aged 14 to 30 who are
single mothers, than those women who delay pregnancy.
Loneliness, worries about future, and responsibilities in early age of physical and
psychological development, trigger various mental disorders among teen mothers. They are
prone to depression, chronic anxiety disorder, drugs, alcohol addiction, and suicidal behavior.
Also, due to the lower educational attainment, teen mothers are less successful in their
professional career. In a way, it affects the standard of living of teen mothers and her family
and increases their financial troubles (Hoffman & Maynard, 2008).
Being a young mother in a first world country can affect one's education. Teen
mothers are more likely to drop out of high school. One study in 2001 found that women that
gave birth during their teens completed secondary-level schooling 10–12% as often and
pursued post-secondary education 14–29% as often as women who waited until age 30.
Young motherhood in an industrialized country can affect employment and social class.
Teenage women who are pregnant or mothers are seven times more likely to commit suicide
than other teenagers.
According to the National Campaign to Prevent Teen Pregnancy, nearly 1 in 4 teen
mothers will experience another pregnancy within two years of having their first. Pregnancy
and giving birth significantly increases the chance that these mothers will become high
school dropouts and as many as half have to go on welfare. Many teen parents do not have
the intellectual or emotional maturity that is needed to provide for another life. Often, these
pregnancies are hidden for months resulting in a lack of adequate prenatal care and dangerous
outcomes for the babies. Factors that determine which mothers are more likely to have a
closely spaced repeat birth include marriage and education: the likelihood decreases with the
level of education of the young woman – or her parents – and increases if she gets married
(wikipidea.org, 2019).

Medical Complications. According to the American Academy of Child and

Adolescent Psychiatry, in most of the teenage pregnancy cases, critical medical
complications occur. Often, teens do not receive sufficient medical care during the
pregnancy, leading to pregnancy complications, such as anemia, high blood pressure,
toxemia, premature birth of the baby, or placenta previa (Bodeeb, 2010).
Maternal and prenatal health is of particular concern among teens who are pregnant or
parenting. The worldwide incidence of premature birth and low birth weight is higher among
adolescent mothers. In a rural hospital in West Bengal, teenage mothers between 15 and 19
years old were more likely to have anemia, preterm delivery, and a baby with a lower birth
weight than mothers between 20 and 24 years old.
 Consequences of Teen Pregnancy for Children. Teenage pregnancy not only brings
a wide range of problems to the mother, but also to her child. Pregnant teenagers are at
greater risk of fetal distress, sudden infant death syndrome, and delivering a pre-mature baby.
Even after the birth, the babies are at a higher risk of minor acute infections, accidental
trauma, pre-mature complications, and poisoning.
Children born to teenage mothers often suffer from social neglect, physical and
mental abuse. Once the baby is born, teenagers may not be willing or able to give their child
the undivided attention it needs. A teen may not have all the tools necessary to be an adequate
mother, which can lead to feeling overwhelmed by the constant needs of the baby.
Additionally, some teens may grow annoyed at the lack of freedom to interact with their peer
group due to the baby.
Due to the poverty, such children do not receive adequate education, health care and
other basic necessities. Parenting inexperience, poor family relationship and poverty affect
the overall psychological and physical status of a child. Such children are prone to criminal
and violent behaviors. Also, it has seen that children of teenage mothers are more likely to
become teenage parents themselves (Understanding Cause and Effects of Teenage
Pregnancy, 2012).

Cost of Teenage Pregnancy. The economic costs of adolescent childbearing are

endured not only by the teen mothers, but also by the taxpayers and the rest of the society.
Due to the lower productivity of teenage mothers and their children, children born to teen
mothers contribute an estimate of $2.5 billion less annual income and greater consumption of
taxes than if their mothers delayed childbearing (Hoffman & Maynard, 2008).

Delayed Education. Education may be put on hold when a teen becomes pregnant.
Some pregnant teens may decide to leave high school or finish school at an alternative site. If
a teen has goals of attending college after high school, those plans may be put on hold after
becoming pregnant. And instead, the new mom may decide to focus on the baby or getting
married rather than pursuing further education.

Smoking & Drugs. Smoking and drug use may be problematic during a teen
pregnancy. A teen may not have the willpower to stop using substances that can harm the
developing baby.

Exhaustion. Exhaustion may arise during a pregnancy. A pregnant teen should try to
exercise during the pregnancy. However, if exhaustion arises, it is important to know that this
is often a normal part of pregnancy. Getting the standard eight hours of sleep (or more) every
night is important.
 Depression. Many moms get the "baby blues" during the weeks and months after
giving birth. While these emotional ups and downs can be difficult to manage, they typically
subside. However, being a teen mom comes with a greater risk of being diagnosed with
depression during pregnancy and post-partum depression after giving birth.
The reasons teen moms are at-risk of developing depression vary. Some may for fall
into a depression while trying to handle the emotions a pregnancy creates and all of the
possible negative feedback about the pregnancy from friends and family. While others will
develop post-partum depression as a result of the significant emotional and physical demands
of caring for a new baby.

The Future. Teenage motherhood doesn’t have to mean a young woman won’t be
successful in life. But it’s important they consider what other young mothers before them
have faced related to overall health, financial stability, and the health of their child. Young
mothers should talk to a school counselor or social worker regarding services that can assist
them in finishing school and living a healthier life.
Uncertainty about the future may arise when a teen is pregnant. A teen may feel she
does not have enough knowledge to be a mother. She may also have fears about how having a
baby will impact her own life and dreams for the future.
These worries and concerns can increase if a pregnant teen is also struggling with
conflicting emotions of not wanting the baby. This situation may lead to rash behavior such
as attempting to self-abort the baby or a suicide attempt.
A more holistic approach is required to support girls' rights and to empower them to
avoid early pregnancy. Such an approach should include the provision of age-
appropriate comprehensive sexuality education for all young people; investment in girls’
education, especially through the secondary level; the prevention of child, early and forced
marriage, sexual violence, and coercion; the building of gender-equitable societies by
empowering girls and engaging men and boys; and measures to ensure adolescents’ access to
sexual and reproductive health information as well as services that welcome them and
facilitate their choices.
REFERENCES

Alice Sterling Honig (2012) Teen pregnancy, International Journal of Adolescence and

Youth, 17:4,181-187, DOI: 10.1080/02673843.2012.655912

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Cause and effect early pregnancy. (2016, Apr 30). Retrieved

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https://wiki.ubc.ca/Causes_and_Effects_of_Teen_Pregnancy

https://plan-international.org/sexual-health/teenage-pregnancy?
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