Research conducted in the year 2007 by the Centers for Disease Control concluded that there is a three per cent increase in teen pregnancies from 2005. It is also a known fact that very few of these teen mothers had planned on becoming parents. In the United States alone, close to a million teens get pregnant. These rates are much higher than those found in any other first world country. In relation to Japan and Netherlands, this is eight times high and two times higher than Canada or England.
Some of the reasons for this comes from the fact that the western culture and especially the Hollywood influence has led to glorification of sex and it is no longer seen as a sacred deed between a married couple but as a recreational activity for all and sundry. Very little is said about the consequences. Children are raised listening and watching TV commercials that are rife with these suggestive texts and scenes and teens end up practicing what they see.
There are other predisposing factors that would lead to teen pregnancy. For instance, if a girl comes from a poor family, she may lack the proper kind of schooling which would help her long for a bright future and therefore she has nothing to look forward to and being pregnant is not such a big deal. Poverty will also deny her access to birth control methods. Another reason is poor grades and performance in school. Frustration in class will in some cases make a teen look for comfort in the wrong ways. If a girl was raised in a single mother's or father's house and other like issues will probably make a girl to be at a risk of early pregnancy.
Other risk factors for teen pregnancies would be performing poorly in class. Girls who have poor grades in school sometimes look for comfort for their frustrations and are easy targets for peer pressure. Other reasons would include a teen being raised by a single parent, either mother or father, having being born by a teen mother, or having a sister who is also a teen mother.
To curb this menace, parents, guardians and other relevant authorities need to open communication lines between them and the teens. All efforts should be taken for teens to know the side effects of engaging in sex at such an immature age.
For the best abstinence education visit ampartnership.org, the leader in abstinence curriculum. Their abstinence resources are perfect for schools, churches, organizations and parents, and has been proven to make a lasting healthy impression on teens regarding abstinence and marriage.
