CondomElite

Recently I saw an interesting Primetime TV special about the dangers of teen pregnancies. It brought to light one of the most important issues that has been plaguing the world’s teens. The issue of teen pregnancies, and the many difficulties in life that come from having a child at a young age, has been a serious problem for decades, and in recent years 3 out of every 10 American girls have become pregnant before the age of 20, equaling to approximately 745,000 teen pregnancies every year. On top of that, many of the girls who manage to avoid becoming pregnant in their teen years still become pregnant quite early in their lives. According to recent data, there has been a large increase in the amount of unmarried women who are becoming pregnant and having children in their 20’s. Although the media usually pays more attention to teen mothers than older, unmarried mothers, they still experience a similar plight, since young, unwed fathers often don’t marry the mothers of their children. In teens alone, 8 out of 10 teen fathers don’t marry their child’s mother. These fathers also pay very little in child support, and their children are forced to grow up poor, with only one parent.

Some may ask, “What’s the big deal? Why is having a child when you’re a teenager so difficult?”  Well to that I must say: Where do I start?

First of all, having a child at that age is emotionally and mentally traumatizing for the mother. Having to do school work while taking care of a child is incredibly difficult, and having too hold down a job at the same time only complicates matters further. Because of this, over half of all teen mothers don’t even graduate from high school. As for college, less than 2 percent of all women who give birth to a child during their teenager years get a college degree by the time they’re 30 years old. By having a child when they aren’t prepared, many young girls across the world effectively ruin their chances for an education.

However, it is not just the mother who suffers from the effects of a teen pregnancy. The children of teen mothers are often born prematurely or underweight, and are twice as likely to suffer abuse or neglect as the children of older mothers. These children are also more prone to doing poorly in school or ending up in prison, and according to recent studies, the daughters of unwed teenagers are three times as likely to become teen mothers themselves.

The most effective solution that comes to mind for pregnancy prevention is effective, safe sex education. Condom use is extremely important for the resolution of multiple issues related to unwanted pregnancies. As a mature audience, we have to promote sex education among teenagers.