Teenage pregnancy: National Campaign to Prevent Teen and Unwanted Pregnancy

Adolescent Pregnancy as a Societal Issue

Adolescent pregnancy is a big societal issue in the United States for a variety of reasons. First and foremost, children born to adolescent parents are more likely to have mental illnesses and other social problems later in life. In addition, teenage moms are more prone to experience medical difficulties such as early birth. There’s also the social shame associated with becoming a teen mother.

Causes of Teenage Pregnancy

Teenage pregnancy is caused by a number of circumstances. Poverty, coming from a single-parent household, drug and substance misuse, low self-esteem, and dysfunctional families are among them. Teenagers may be more vulnerable as a result of one or more of the aforementioned issues. Social, economic disparities like fewer economic opportunities, low levels of education, racial segregation are also contributing factors towards teenage pregnancy. For instance, teens from poor families can easily be manipulated by a promise of better opportunities. Abuse of drugs and alcohol could lead to a loss of judgment increasing the risk of pregnancy in teens.

State Resources for Teen Pregnancy Prevention

New York State Department of Health Program is a state resource devoted to the fight against teen pregnancy in the state of New York. It supports community programs that offer education and awareness on issues of sexuality. It also offers access to reproductive health programs and social development for teenagers. Another state resource is the Family Planning Benefit Program. It assists low-income earners to access family planning services. Such services reduce cases of unwanted pregnancies among teenage girls (New York State Department of Health).

Decline in Teen Pregnancy Rates in New York

According to the National Campaign to Prevent Teen and Unplanned Pregnancy, there was a 65 percent decline in teenage pregnancy in the State of New York between 1995 and 2015. The total rates of teen pregnancy have fallen across all races, although disparities still exist. There were 8,961 teen births in the year 2015. The drop in teen pregnancy can be attributed to sexual abstinence, an increase in the use of birth control, and more awareness on matters of sexuality.

Impacts of Teenage Pregnancy

Teenage pregnancy can cause problems in society. For instance, there is a huge public cost incurred in childbearing. Teenagers also lose valuable time they would otherwise invest in education and other critical activities. Risk factors should be fully addressed by all stakeholders to reduce the rate of teenage pregnancy.

References

National Campaign to Prevent Teen and Unwanted Pregnancy. New York Data. Retrieved Octo. 16, 2017, from https://thenationalcampaign.org/data/state/new-york

New York State Department of Health. (n.d) Priority Area: Healthy Mothers, Healthy Babies, Healthy Children - Adolescent Pregnancy Prevention. Retrieved Octo. 16, 2017, from https://www.health.ny.gov/prevention/prevention_agenda/healthy_mothers/adolescent_he alth.htm