In the recent years, the incidence of pregnancies at adolescents has been on the rise at alarming rates in the United States. Teenage pregnancies have caused adverse effects to the young mothers, the infants born to the young mother’s ant the whole society (Kappeler & Shaw, 2015, p. 196). It is estimated that out of 1000 adolescent girls, 96 of them who are aged between fifteen to nineteen years become pregnant every year. About 85% of these teen pregnancies are unplanned, and approximately 40% of them end up procuring abortion as because they do not have the support and resources of raising a child at an early age (Kappeler & Shaw, 2015, p. 198).
The individuals who decide to keep the pregnancies and take the responsibilities of becoming a parent at a tender age face many challenges that undermine their developmental adaptations. Most of them often do not finish their high school as they find it difficult to do both responsibilities of parenting as well as undertaking their education (Lederman & Mian, 2003, p. 33). Because of such challenges, the society comes into helping the young mothers in the responsibilities and helping them to finish their studies. The effort of the community towards supporting the teenage mothers has cost them $20 billion in resources.
Despite the social programs that address the issues of early pregnancy, most of the children born to teenage mothers, approximately two-thirds of the total lives below or at poverty levels. From the investigations made, numerous developmental factors have contributed to the rising rates of teenage pregnancies (Partington et al., 2009, p. 101). During the period of adolescence, several dramatic and physical and psychological transition which creates a lot of disturbance to the adolescents like fighting with the changing body features, feelings and emotions, which can lead to separating from their parents at an advanced stage.
Teenagers who become pregnant at an early age they tend to suffer from psychological problems as well as emotional upheaval brought about by the pregnancy. They are ill equipped on matters regarding becoming pregnant, as they are too young to understand the changes and effects that come about during the pregnancy period (Paul, 1993, p. 99). They barely know the changes that early pregnancy will bring into their lives and how they will have to cop up with the added responsibility of parenting their young ones.
Teen mothers often have a diverted mind as their attention is all drawn by their babies who need care and as a result, the cognitive plans held in the future by the mother become obsolete at the moment since the time for pursuing such programs are no longer in place. Most of the teenagers do not see any need of carrying out their responsibilities of making plans for the future at the time of adolescents (Partington et al., 2009, p. 104). They are engulfed in the emotions and challenges of teenagers and they end up realizing who they are after the period is over.
Teens at adolescence stages are susceptible to risky behaviors because they do not have cognitive skills like the adults. They lack cognitive and affective skills of controlling themselves over their emotions, and they end up in irresponsible behaviors. Not only do the risky behaviors cause them to becoming pregnant but also causing them to contract sexually transmitted diseases and human immune deficiency virus (HIV). The rates of contracting the diseases lie mostly in the teenage of youth because they are sexually active and indulge in risky behaviors like engaging in unprotected sex. Such cause of action leads to high rates of transmission of diseases that has significantly affected the society and the whole nation at large.
In 2008, the world health organization approximated that there were new cases of sexually transmitted diseases that could be treated globally. The STDs included gonorrhea, chlamydia, syphilis and trichomoniasis that occur every year. The figure depicted an increase from the previous year, which meant that many youths are still indulging in irresponsible sexual behaviors at a higher rate. The above rate of the STDs has stigmatizing effects on the young men and women and has adverse effects on the reproductive consequences. The effects of the diseases include ectopic pregnancy, infertility in females, preterm births, neonatal death and high transmission of HIV/AIDS among the several effects.
The high rise of the adolescent and teen irresponsible sexual behaviors has led to an investigation on what can be undertaken to improve early diagnosis, treatment and control of diseases that can be cured. Biomed Central, therefore, came up with a strategy of focusing the challenges that face the clinical management on several important treatments of sexually transmitted diseases and other related syndromes. The experts will use the knowledge of experts in the field to offer opinions on where best to improve regarding treatment of the diseases. The diseases to be under study are the microbial diseases that are becoming resistance and increasing as well as infections that exhibit few signs of strength.
A study of 42 adolescents with the diagnosis of pregnancy between 1987 June and February 1990 with reviewing of data was conducted. The pediatric house staff and six attending physicians saw all the patients. Both downtown health center and teen health center charts were reviewed regarding information on race, age, previous pregnancies, and methods of birth control. The patient's primary complaint and the pelvic exam was carried out and performed were obtained from the downtown health center charts. Gestation age at presentation was received from teen pregnancy center maps by the physical examination and the date of last menstrual period.
All patients tested positive for urine pregnancy test and further, they were assessed for the presence of chlamydia, gonorrhea, and trichromatic. The interval between the initial diagnosis of pregnancy at the downtown health center and the first teen pregnancy center visit were based on the dates of the two visits recorded on the charts.
Prenatal care is imperative in ensuring good perinatal maternal care regardless of the age of the women. Pregnant teens, however, receive less prenatal care than the elderly women do who calls for an improvement in the prenatal care of the younger generation to help them cope with the new challenges and responsibilities awaiting them.
The high rates of premarital sexual activities called for measures of combating sexual problems. One way of dealing with the adverse matter is promoting sexual education within the closer family. The purpose of the paper was to increase knowledge on sexual matters through parents educating their children on the ways of avoiding situations that can lead them into indulging in irresponsible sexual behaviors (Lederman & Mian, 2003, p. 34). The non-randomized controlled trial evaluated the effect of the educational program. Volunteer parents were selected from middle to upper in the neighboring socio-economic schools.
The parents participated in the session that took two hours and included information about sexuality and the exercises that were intended to improve communication skills. The experimental group filled questionnaires immediately before and after the period of the education program. The control group also filled the questionnaires as per the request made by them. The parents were asked the number of times they talked to their children regarding sex education topics (Chen & Tabrizi, 2015). The differences in frequencies were reported before and after the program were compared using the two-tailed. Matched t-test was obtained and 51% of the parents, the experimental group and 47% of the control group completed the exercise and from the outcome, it was noted that there was an increase in communication. From the experiment carried out, it was suggested that parents should facilitate child information on sexual matters so that they can reduce the cases of unplanned teenage pregnancies as well as contracting of sexually transmitted diseases and HIV.
In conclusion, teenage pregnancies and transmission of sexually related diseases is found out to be on a high rise and therefore, strategies to combat the adversities should be laid down. Sex education should be made the basis of the procedures to impart the knowledge of the vulnerable group on issues that directly affect them (Pomeranz, Matson & Nelson, 1991). The teens who have already been hit by the turbulent adolescence wave should also be supported morally, financially and in any other possible way so as to reduce the heavy burden that is bothering them at the early age of their lives. The United States as a nation should also avail the necessary resources in combating issues that face their youth. They should create activities that the young people can engage in and keep themselves busy (Rebecca et al., 1990) The activities that keep them away from idle minds that trigger them into thinking of engaging in immoral behaviors such as indulging in irresponsible sexual practices.
References
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Kappeler, E. M., & Shaw, F. E. (2015). ADOLESCENT HEALTH AND TEEN PREGNANCY IN THE UNITED STATES: A PROGRESS REPORT. Adolescent Health and Teen Pregnancy in the U.S, 130, 196-198.
Lederman, R. P., & Mian, T. S. (2003). The Parent-Adolescent Relationship Education (PARE) Program: A Curricum for Preventon of STDs and Preventionin Middle School Youth. Spring, ProQuest Nursing & Allied Health Source , 29(1), 33-39.
Partington, S. N., Steber, D. L., Blair, K. A., & Cisler, R. A. (2009). Second Births to Teenage Mothers: Risk Factors For Low Birth Weight and Preterm Birth-Perspectives on Sexual and Reproductive Health. ProQuest Nursing & Allied Health Source , 41(2), 101-107.
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