Teenage pregnancy is definitely an alarming national concern in the United States. This is because 10% of annual births in the country belong to that of a teenage mother. While this number alone can be a clear-cut source of apprehension, there are far more facts on teenage pregnancy that can cause distress and concern among every citizen of the United States. Below are some of the most vital statistics published by the Guttmacher Institute regarding this social concern:
• Teenage pregnancy is very prevalent. On a yearly basis, an estimate of 750,000 young girls aged 15 to 19 become pregnant. This means that 750,000 young girls are subjected to responsibilities that they are unprepared to face.
• Among this pregnant population, it should be noted that only a few teen mothers planned to be pregnant in the first place. According to statistics, more than eight percent of all the teenage pregnancies are unintended. What’s more is that twenty percent of all the unplanned pregnancies in the United States every year fall under cases of teen pregnancy.
• Facts on teenage pregnancy also showed that approximately 66% of all the cases happen to girls within the age range of 18 to 19 years old. This means that they are almost at the brink of adulthood and they are almost starting out on their way towards the fulfillment of their dreams but then suddenly, teenage parenthood demands a lot of lifestyle changes from them.
• One of the most alarming facts on teenage pregnancy is that among all the cases of adolescent pregnancy, only 57% end in birth while the rest end either in miscarriage or abortion. This only implies that abortion is a popular choice among teenage mothers.
• About 33% of all the pregnant mothers want to abort their babies. In this case, abortion seems to be the only easy way out from the responsibilities and hardships associated with becoming a young mom. However, it should be noted that abortion is very dangerous. If the pregnancy is not terminated by abortion, it can cause various serious birth defects to the unborn child. In the case of mother, he can suffer from hemorrhage, infection, infertility, and even death even if the pregnancy is terminated.
• Another disturbing data in the facts on teenage pregnancy is that young girls who become pregnant are less likely to attend college. This means that early pregnancy is one of the reasons why many teenagers fail to achieve high educational attainment. As a result, these young parents will most likely end up having blue-collared jobs and, if they get unlucky, they will probably be unemployed and dependent on family support. In effect, they are more likely to face poverty, domestic violence, malnutrition, and more social problems. GP