Teen pregnancy is a societal problem, a family problem, and a personal problem all rolled into one. While the pregnant teenage girl is the one who stands to suffer the most from the circumstance in the short run, many more problems loom over the horizon. Her family, her child, and often many of her family members will pay a high price for the indiscretion that led to the pregnancy. Certainly, the man involved in the process should be held accountable in a variety of ways. Whether he stand up to his responsibility or not, often the costs associated with teenage pregnancy is still off of the chart financially, emotionally, and in many other ways.
In the United States, 4 out of 10 girls will have one or more babies before their 20th birthday. This is the highest rate of any developed nation. Each year more than 60 of every 1,000 teen girls will deliver a baby. This factors out abortions and miscarriages. Our society pays billions. Almost 40 billion dollars per year go out in welfare and Medicaid funds due to teenage pregnancy and births. Three quarters of teen parents will receive welfare payments within 5 years of their first birth.
Children born to teen moms are sicker, poorer, and less educated as a group than those born to parents in their 20’s. The health problems range from infant death, to cerebral palsy, to dyslexia, to hyperactivity disorder, and respiratory problems. These same children tend to have more behavioral problems because they are raised by teens who frequently lack the ability to master parenting skills. Statistically, they perform worse on standardized tests and are more likely to repeat a grade in school. The scariest part of all is that they are the most likely group to become teen parents and repeat the cycle.
Families agonize over teen pregnancy. However, these are some of the same people who gasp when sex education and contraceptive training is mentioned. While I by no means condone premarital or teen sex, there are certainly times when we can’t stick our heads in the sand as if it doesn’t happen. Families often feel embarrassed by the event. This is not usually because of pregnancy, but because they believe that it makes them look like bad parents.
Girls who have a baby as a teenager don’t fare too well either. Physically, they can have problems because their bodies may not be mature enough or large enough to give birth without consequences. Only 1/3 will finish high school. After that, only 1.5% will get a college degree by the age of 30. One in ten will have their child or children removed to foster care for abuse and neglect compared with 1 in 20 for older parents. It isn’t a matter of taking the blame. The question is do you want to take the lifelong penalty.
The incidence of STD’s rises with sexual activity in teens. So, pregnancy is not the only hazard. Finding a way to reduce teen pregnancy and delay the beginning of sexual experimentation is needed in our society. Education and mentoring programs are showing some hope. However, these programs have to be renewed year after year because every year a new crop of teens steps onto the world stage. Education needs to begin in middle school if it is to have a chance to make a difference throughout the teen years. Parents and churches need to step up and join the process to win this battle.
Morals plus contraception are needed. Abstinence is still the best solution to avoiding this problem altogether. Sports programs, after school activities, and weekend projects can help occupy teens who might otherwise face the temptations of sexual pressure.
