Adolescent Pregnancy

Other than STDs, the main result of adolescent sexual activity is adolescent pregnancy, which is undesired in 91% of cases. Youth, families, educators, medical professionals, and public servants have all been impacted by this problem. The results of a survey of high school students showed that 48% of males and 45% of girls engage in sexual activity. By the time they were fifteen, one-fourth of the high school pupils had experienced sex. Boys are typically sixteen years old, while a girl who has experienced sexual activity is seventeen. Ninety percent of teenagers aged fifteen to nineteen say their pregnancies were unintentional.

It has been reported that 74% of females over the age of 14 and 60% of females under the age of 15 engage in involuntary sex. 50% of teenage pregnancies happen six months or less after the first sexual contact. In the United States, it is estimated that more than 900,000 teenagers fall pregnant each year. In adolescent pregnancies, live births account for 51% of outcomes; induced abortions for 35% of cases; and stillbirths or miscarriages account for 14% of cases. At least four out of ten teenage girls become pregnant before the age of 20. 25% of deliveries to adolescents are not the mother's first child. The likelihood of having another kid rises when an adolescent gives birth to her first child. Adolescent pregnancy results in one-third of adolescent parents.

There are several reasons why teenagers decide to start having sexual relations early in life. Early pubertal development, poverty, childhood sexual abuse, parental neglect, a lack of career ambitions, early sex in the family and culture, substance abuse, dropping out of school, and subpar academic achievement can all be contributing factors. Stable family environments, parental supervision, decent family finances, regular prayer, parent connections, and living with a full family with both parents are factors that deter adolescents from engaging in sexual activity. Academic accomplishment, hope for a good future, and commitment to a committed relationship are the elements that lead to adolescents using contraceptives on a regular basis.

Adolescent pregnancy carries a number of health hazards. Compared to adult females, adolescents under the age of seventeen are more likely to experience medical problems. Teenagers under the age of seventeen are at considerably greater danger. In these pregnancies, the average weight of the kid delivered by an adolescent is quite low. It normally weighs less than 2.5 kg. In addition, adolescents have a neonatal birth rate that is three times higher than that of adults. Premature birth, underweight babies, inadequate maternal weight gain, poor nutritional status, anemia, STDs, and pregnancy-related hypertension are some of the issues brought on by adolescent pregnancies.

Only 63% of high school students reported using condoms while having sex in the past, despite the fact that the usage of contraceptive techniques by teenagers during their first sexual engagement is increasing. Teenagers who use prescription birth control postpone seeing their doctor for more than a year until they are ready to engage in sexual activity.

According to the research, children who took part in sex education programs, which provided them with knowledge about contraception methods, abstinence, and sexually transmitted diseases, as well as children who participated in discussions to get a clear picture, effectively used contraceptives and condoms without any increase in sexual activity. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, abstinence and the use of barrier contraceptives are the best ways to prevent unplanned adolescent pregnancies and STDs.