Teenage Pregnancy Problems are Mostly Unintended

Teenage pregnancy is continuously declining in America since the introduction of contraceptives in 1990. However, despite the fact that the teenage pregnancy rate is experiencing a steady decline, the U.S. teenage pregnancy rate still remains to be among the top among all the industrialized nations around the globe. In fact, teenage pregnancy problems in America continue to be one of the most alarming teen problem in the Western world.

According to the most recent national health surveys of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDCP), more than one million teenagers of the United States become pregnant every year. Of this one million, almost twenty percent are giving birth to their first child.

Why teenagers get pregnant

Teenage pregnancy problems have continuously gripped the American population. In 1995, the National Survey of Family and Growth reports that almost fifty percent of the whole American population within the age group of fifteen to nineteen years old have actually engaged in sexual intercourse.

Also, despite the fact that contraceptive use and abstinence has achieved popularity over the last two decades, it should be noted that less than fifty percent of the sexually active male teenagers within the 15-19 age group actually use condoms consistently during sexual intercourse.

Despite the decline in teenage pregnancy rate, many teenagers still engage in a relatively risky sexual behavior. Based on the recent health statistics, about ninety percent of all teenage pregnancies in America are actually unintended.

Why unintended and unplanned teenage pregnancies happen

According to many health experts, most teenagers around the globe are highly at risk for unintended pregnancies primarily because they have not received adequate sex education. Thus, teenage pregnancy problems occur because many are unaware of the dynamics of pregnancy and sexual intercourse and they are not aware of the negative consequences of such.

However, survey among the most sexually active teenagers in America showed that there are some teenagers who actually still choose to engage in risky sexual behavior despite the fact that they are aware of the risks. Below are some of the reasons why sexually active teenagers still engage in risky sexual activities and end up having unintended pregnancies:

A sense of invulnerability: Some teenagers actually believe that they cannot get pregnant because of a single or a very quick sexual intercourse. This misconception is very common despite efforts in increasing sexual awareness.

Fear of contraceptive side effects: Some teenagers actually fear the side effects of contraceptives than the consequences of teenage pregnancy. Among the most feared side-effects are impotence and infertility. Such is commonly attributed to the use of pills and injectable contraceptives.

A wrong perception of sex: Some teenagers think that sexual activity is an activity to prove their love to their partner. As such, they equate protected sex to lack of dedication, trust, and love to their sexual partner. Others think of sexual activity as a way to prove their courage or a way to actually fortify their maturity. In these cases, protected sex is deemed as an act of cowardice or childishness.

Limited consideration of future consequences: Some teenagers are actually aware of the negative consequences of their sexually risky behavior, but they eventually refuse to care about their future. These teenagers choose to ignore teenage pregnancy problems primarily because they want to enjoy their youthfulness without having regard for their future. GP