Causes and health implications of early pregnancy among teenagers in a community

INTRODUCTION Teenage pregnancy can be defined as an under-aged girl becoming pregnant with a baby that typically occurs out of marriage. In some countries, an under-aged girl is one who is not up to 18 years, though teenage age differs from one country to the other.

Teenage pregnancy is a problem of great concern all over the world today. The rate of teenage pregnancy is in a progressive state. It carries social disgrace in many cultures of different countries. Poverty, illiteracy, irresponsible parenthood may be brought about by this teenage problem.

Some of the significant contributing factors to teenage pregnancy are the lack of awareness about unprotected sex, early marriage, lack of sex education in schools, peer pressure, lack of parental guidance and a lot more. It can cause lasting devastation in the lives of both the mother and the child. Teenagers being immature will not be able to provide good nourishment and upbringing to the child. Besides not being prepared financially and emotionally at this confusing stage of her life, the mother will not be capable to give her best attention and love to the child which may further lead to irresponsibility towards the child.

There is a greater probability that a teenage mother may give premature birth to a baby. This creates more serious risks for the baby. Some of the dangers associated with teenage pregnancy are retinal problems, development of bleeding in the brain, intestinal problems, sudden infant death syndrome and a lot of potential congenital defects. If it is fortunate that none of these happen, the baby is much more at risk to face a lifetime of unhealthy conditions.

The primary solution is to uproot this problem by imparting sex education in schools. If teenagers will be educated on sex matters, their curiosity will not lead them to any harsh and poor decision making that could ruin their future. Community can get rid of teenage pregnancy by creating awareness among teenagers. It becomes the duty of every parent to

advise their children on sex related issues. It is also important for parents to monitor the activities of their teens. Inculcating the right values, helping them to judge what is moral and immoral; the difference between good touch and bad touch and how to overcome peer pressure is what can solve this problem. Inability to address this problem of community will produce a generation of irresponsible adults who could ruin their lives with their own actions and consequently the lives of their loved ones.

Teen Pregnancy Todays Problem and Great topic of interest in all Sectors of Community

There is no magic formula to reduce the incidence of this social problem, but it is possible to cope by family communication adequate, accurate information about sexuality and changing attitudes that permit greater equity between men and women. Pregnancy during adolescence is a topic of great interest in all sectors of community, and motivating studies, debates and information campaigns aimed at preventing adverse effects. This is more than justified if we consider that about one-fifth of the world population is between 13 and 19 years of age, i.e., there is millions of young country going through the stage where they start their sexual life active, but where their personality is still forming. The consequences resulting from a pregnancy of this kind are very numerous "although for a time gave more importance to biological or medical factors, i.e., complications that arise such as increased incidence of spontaneous abortions or premature, is now speaking openly that there are many social and psychological complications". There is almost always a strong pressure on young women who are pushed into dropping out of school, are attacked by her family and the environment, have less opportunity to get a job (when they get it is poorly paid) and are interrupted life plan, remembering that should educate your child in an environment unfavourable. "We still live in a community where the burden in such situations rests with women. If you look at how many people agree with your partner, you realize that most run away, even before knowing if pregnancy or not. Nor is it unusual to find that the same family is advised that the man is made for the disengaged. " The issue is very complex and requires a collective effort to provide adequate information on sexuality to the general population, not forgetting to be fought for the creation of more equitable gender relations.

Teenage pregnancy is every one that occurs in less than 19 years, but clarifies that gynaecologists consider only those cases occurring in women who have less than 2 years of starting her period.

What Are The Causes Of Teenage Pregnancy? In our world today most especially in the developing country, teenage pregnancy is as a result of traditional roles and early marriage, because teenage pregnancy is seen as a blessing and a proof that the young woman is fertile. In most cases, poverty contributes to this, when one does not have someone to take care of her at her early age. In the developed world, the causes of teenage pregnancy is different in the sense that it is mostly outside marriage and carries lots of social stigma. Thus, adolescent sexual behaviour is one of the causes of teenage pregnancy. In our world today, having sex before 20yrs is the in thing, it is even the normal all over the world and this brought about high levels of adolescent pregnancy which creates sexual relationship among teenagers without the provision of comprehensive information about sex. The in-take of drugs, alcohol etc contributes a lot to teenage pregnancy meanwhile as a teenager you may not be ready for sexual intercourse at that moment but being intoxicated with drugs and alcohol makes you to be involved in unintended sexual activity just because sex at that time is less emotionally painful and embarrassing. To avoid this, eradicate anything alcohol or drugs. Furthermore, sexual abuse is also one of the causes of teenage pregnancy. Rape as a sexual abuse has more effect in the life of our teenage girls causing unwanted sex and teenage pregnancy. Conclusively, age discrepancies also causes teenage pregnancy in the sense that a teenage girl with a partner much older than herself is more likely to get pregnant more often than a girl that have a partner of a close age, as she prefers having the children than abortion since she is not educated enough to use contraceptives.

Major Causes of Teen Pregnancy in Our Community

The causes that favours this type of pregnancy that "there is a specific, but many, and may be individual, familial, social, economic or cultural. It does not happen with other problems, such as addiction or crime, which has a defined profile that lets us know from childhood that kids are susceptible because their properties. " Thus, among the most common factors that can be displayed singly or combined, states: * Disinformation. Not only the lack of awareness on sexuality and contraception is critical, but the fact that "those who are more knowledgeable about these issues do not always apply. Besides there are still many taboos and gaps in school education, some research shows that teens know the methods to prevent pregnancy even know how they work, but do not use. " *Adolescent psychology. By nature they are rebels and their parents are the opposite, so "if they say they do not have a boyfriend, you're going to have." * Search for identity. It is a key factor in this stage of life, and have a partner or create a pregnancy can represent a way of asserting themselves as male or female. * Soledad. The teenager feels misunderstood, so thinks that having a partner or a child will feel more loved. * Need for authority. Young people feel that everyone wants to give them orders, and believe that having a child will play a new role as senior social and independence. * Membership. Just as there are groups in which there is a "requirement" of smoking or drinking alcohol to be accepted, others have an edge to become sexually active. * Dysfunctional family. Over 80% of teen pregnancies occur in those from cells in the prevailing social isolation, lack of affection and troubled relationships. * Background. Several studies show that if parents were teen parents, is more likely that your children are. "They say imitation is young or because you think, 'If you became pregnant at my age, why I'm not going to do?'". * Cultural habits. Especially in rural areas there are populations where there is no expectation of life to marry and have kids. * Economy. It is increasingly common for both mother and father work outside the home and this prevents any proper communication and sex education. * Educational and socioeconomic level. Some studies show that the higher level of education and economic solvency fewer pregnancies in young people, although none of these factors ensures, for example, that a family is not dysfunctional.

We must not lose sight of the severe social inequality between women and men. "Sometimes the guy is very authoritarian and even resorts to violence for not using contraception, and if it joins the girl does not have good self-esteem, it is common that she agreed to have sex without a condom or other protection ".

Can it be desired? The reactions of adolescents to await news of a baby are very diverse, although in most cases experience disbelief. 10 to 15% of pregnancies are premeditated by the girl and her partner. This figure includes only those who had sex because they wanted to be parents, and excludes women who accepted the challenge of raising their child without so desire.

It is very difficult to know if the girl wants to have the child only by the desire to be a mother. "There are several factors involved in this decision, for example, when the family environment is not ideal, it is common that the young try to get new constant or lasting emotional relationships with their partner, and believes that having a baby will open the possibility of build strong bonds. It is also common to find young people who think that because of pregnancy will receive more attention from their parents. "

Here are some of the following factors contributing to the causes of teenage pregnancy

1) Lack of Parental Guidance Most people evade their children from talking about sex. In some cases, they provide false information regarding sex and discourage their children to participate in any informative discussion about sex. In some cases, teenage mothers are not well educated about sex before getting pregnant and thus this leads to lack of communication between the parents and the children.

2) Adolescent Sexual Behaviour Among the adolescents, peer pressure is a major factor that encourages the teenage boys and girls to indulge in sexual activities. Early dating, as early as 12 years of age, is another factor that contributes to teen pregnancy. According to a research, 29% of teens were pressurized to

have sex, 33% of teens were sexually active and that they felt things moving fast sexually.

3) Inadequate Knowledge about Safe Sex Most adolescents are unaware of safe sex. They probably have no access to the traditional methods of preventing pregnancy. And the main reason behind is that they are either too embarrassed or fear to seek information about it. It was found that more than 80% of teenage pregnancies are unintended.

4) Exploitation by Older Men This is another major factor that contributes to pregnancy among the teenagers. Those girls who date older men are more likely to become pregnant before they attain womanhood. Rape, sexual exploitations etc. also takes place that leads to unwanted pregnancy among teenage girls.

5) Socio Economic Factors Teenage girls who belong to the poor families are more likely to become pregnant. Researchers have found that even in the developed countries teenage pregnancy occurs most commonly among the deprived sections.

Prevention is possible Education Talking about reproductive health is one of the most important points, but note that experience shows that information is most effective when children learn about sexuality from an early age. A good parent support courses and workshops are there in the field and that address issues such as the use and importance of contraception and how to avoid pregnancy or contracting a sexually transmitted infection.

Family It is very important that the parent-child relationship is open, warm, with good communication and empathy implement (the biggest treat to watch "teenager side" and vice versa). Parents should get rid of the fear of talking about sexuality and to recognize that when they do not know a topic, they should seek information together so that the youth understand that there is an opening and to be taken into account.

Equity It is important to change some deeply ingrained cultural concepts for men to understand that pregnancy is a matter of two and not just women. The man has an obligation to take responsibility in preventing this problem and get involved more if you go to be a father, because although there is no formal union with your partner is very important to their presence during pregnancy and their child's education. Campaigns. Its scope has been less than expected, but various statistics show that in spite of all the results are favourable. Experts interviewed recommend that these efforts should emphasize that women and men are equally responsible about making decisions about their sexuality, and should encourage nonpartner violence. They must prevail clear messages about the use of contraceptive methods and how to answer the most frequent among adolescents. Improve care Although health centres are required to provide information on methods to prevent pregnancy, there are times when young people are neglected and not given the assistance they are entitled to be minors. Moreover, it is noteworthy that when the teen pregnancy allowed to elapse and decide to have the baby, must undergo medical monitoring and periodic reviews, as only in this way can effectively assess their nutrition, general health status and embryonic development to improve the conditions of mother son. It is also useful to provide psychological therapy that addresses the challenge of motherhood with better items. As young people, concludes: "Too much information one has died. It is not superfluous for all adolescents know about their sexuality, because the more awareness you have, the greater your protection against unwanted pregnancy."

Dangers Involved in Teen Sex and Pregnancy The most major negative effect is that their education gets affected. Due to various reasons involved, a teenage mother usually drops out of school and never goes to college. And as you may know, raising a child is not only a tough job, but also an expensive one. So as a result this mom may need to take any small job she can with typically low pay. Statistics show that babies born to teenage mothers tend to be underweight and are more prone to suffer from health issues in future. Also a teenage mother has a higher chance of facing many female issues in the future. The most damage that teen sex and pregnancy causes is the emotional toll it has on the teenage parents and their families. The decisions made at this time affect the lives of all involved for many years to come. Reasons for Teen Sex and Pregnancy It is a heavy burden to be a teenager. It is the stage in life where they feel that they need to belong somewhere. They have the urge to be accepted by their peers. And if their friends have sex, then they too do it as they want to be accepted by others. Teenagers, who do not have a smooth relationship with their parents, often feel that they are unloved. They see having sex as a way to find love in their life. In certain cases teenagers welcome pregnancy, as they feel that taking care of their baby will provide them with the love, that they feel, is not shown by their family. It has been shown that teenage boys are the ones initiating sex the majority of the time though not always. Another major reason for the rise in pregnancy in teenagers is ignorance. They live in the moment and don't stop to think about the consequences of their behaviour and the affect it may have on their future. Prevent Teen Sex and Pregnancy

The teen years are a very challenging time in the life of a person. It is the time where they mature from children to responsible adults. It doesn't always progress easily as there are times when both the adult and the child are in the same body and you don't know which one will make a decision. It is the responsibility of the parents to educate their child and guide them so that they don't go astray.

This is a time when children are curious to try out new things and the urge to rebel against anything that is said to them. This makes it important to explain your decisions and rules. Without the understanding, the result may be the opposite of what a parent has intended. Parents have to talk with their children about sex, and not run away from the issue. An open discussion about the topic will instil better moral judgement. They will listen if the teen sex and pregnancy issues are presented in an understanding and non-threatening way. Get involved in your children's lives by helping them look into the future and plan their success. Though teen sex and pregnancy is increasing at an alarming rate, it can be avoided by just sitting and having an open discussion with your children. After all it is the job of the parents to be supportive and provide the necessary moral support to their kids.

Teenage Pregnancy Causes - Factors Responsible For Pregnancy Among Teens

Sexual intercourse is the main reason behind any pregnancy. Most of the researchers did research to figure out the reason of widespread teenage pregnancy. Some people have a myth that teens have a desire to get pregnant but this is not true as almost 80% of pregnancies in teen age are unintentional.

According to the researchers, the main reason behind this is the lack of maturity, education regarding sexual intercourse, contraception and lack of personal responsibility in teen age. Moreover, it has been found that teenage pregnancy is also due to the employment opportunities and limited education or poverty.

No knowledge regarding birth control or understanding sex is one of the main fundamental cause of teenage pregnancy. Ignorance is also a major reason behind teenage pregnancy. If we look to the scenario in America, we can easily find teens, especially girls, get so much messages about sex. But these messages do not explain the consequences of teenage sex. It is shown as an immediate gratification which prepares girl for sex without adequate education. Although sex can be seen advertised in movies and television, but there is no equal initiative

to educate about the birth control. Open discussions should be initiated about sex but this is very rare.

Any female could become pregnant if she has lack of control on her life or has low expectations regarding her future. In some cases, it has been found that teenage pregnancy is also a result of depression that directs them towards risky sexual activities. Some teenage girls end up in pregnancy due to alcohol or drugs abuse which is the reason behind inadequate use of contraception.

Inadequate love from family or absence of a father figure causes the mindset of the teenage girl to be attracted towards an older man to receive affection which might end up in her pregnancy if that man has some other desires. In most of the cases, boyfriends have been the source of pregnancy in teenage girls as girls have an impression that sex would bring their boyfriends more close to them.

Researchers have discovered a large difference between the pregnancy rates in European countries and others due to better contraceptive services, low child poverty, acceptance of teenage sexuality and better sex education. For example, there is a 10 fold difference between Holland and US.

To view the cause behind the teen pregnancy many surveys have been conducted on adolescents to try to understand their viewpoint. According to a study done in 1996 on 58% of boys and 76% of girls, most of the teenage girls had sex just to satisfy their boyfriends. One of the three teens of age between 15 to 17 has agreed that they were pressurized to have sex by their friends.

To shock the masses, in a study of 1997, it was revealed that 70% of girls feel embarrassed to purchase birth control or gain knowledge on sex from a doctor. It is very difficult to determine the relation between the teen pregnancy and its factors. However, researchers have agreed on a fact that teenagers should be educated about the contraceptive methods and consequences of unprotected sex.

Risks for Pregnant Teens As a pregnant teen-ager, you have a higher risk of:
y

Premature labour and/or delivery (going into labour before the baby is fully developed)

y y y

Anaemia (low iron levels in your blood) Preeclampsia (swelling, high blood pressure and protein in your urine) Having a baby with a low birth weight (less than five and a half pounds)

To help prevent these problems for you and your baby, be sure to eat right, get enough calories in your diet, and gain the right amount of weight for your body type. This is not the time to worry about gaining weight. Do not smoke during pregnancy. Also, be sure to avoid alcohol and illegal drugs, and don't take over-the-counter medications unless you have discussed them first with your health care provider. Keep all of the regular checkups with your doctor, so he or she can make sure things are progressing well for you and the baby. It is important to know that you and your baby are growing normally. Premature Labour Labour that starts before your 37th week of pregnancy (three weeks before your due date) is called premature or early labour. It's important to know the signs of premature labour. Most babies born prematurely do well, but sometimes they have problems that can last for life, such as cerebral palsy or learning problems. Getting regular checkups, not smoking while you're pregnant, and letting your health care provider know if any of the following signs of labour are happening are the most important things you can do to help prevent having a premature baby. Call your doctor or health clinic right away if you have any of the following during your pregnancy:
y y y y y

Contractions: four or more in one hour, with or without pain Low, dull backache, pressure or pain Period-like cramps Pressure in your pelvis that feels like the baby is pushing down Cramps in your intestines, with or without diarrhoea

Discharge from your vagina: any change from your usual discharge, especially if thick, watery or bloody

Decreased movements of the baby; if the baby seems to be moving less and you feel less than 10 movements in a 12-hour period

Preeclampsia Preeclampsia (also called toxaemia or pregnancy-related hypertension) is the development of swelling, high blood pressure and protein in your urine during pregnancy. Pregnant teens have a greater chance of developing preeclampsia during their pregnancy. Symptoms include:
y y y y y y y y

Swelling of the hands or face when you get up in the morning Quick weight gain (more than two pounds per week) Headaches Having less urine when you go to the bathroom Feeling sick and/or throwing up High blood pressure Changes in your eyesight (flashing lights in your eyes) Pain in your lower belly

Though some swelling of the feet and ankles is normal during pregnancy, call your doctor if you notice swelling in your face or hands. Low Birth Weight Babies Teen mothers are much more likely to have low birth weight babies, which can result in serious medical problems, including underdeveloped organs leading to lung, vision, intestinal and other problems. Smoking during pregnancy is the most common reason for a low birth weight baby and is one of several habits that you need to control. Not eating right, not gaining enough weight and not taking regular multivitamins are some other reasons teen mothers have low birth weight babies. Drinking alcohol and taking certain drugs during pregnancy can also result in a low birth weight baby.