Introduction

In today’s modern world, the rate of the teenage pregnancy in young women has come to

a close. Most of the time, the teenage pregnancy is unexpected. It is so in the cases of both the

married and the unmarried women. It has been said that two or three of the women in the world

become victims of the teenage pregnancies and four out of that five is unintentional. Anyways, it

becomes a great shock to know that the women have become pregnant in their early or late teens.

This is normally brought about by some unseen factors and the teenage girls due to the lack of

the right decision-making skills fall a prey to the curse of bearing the child even in the young

age. Despite the widespread sex education and peer counseling and guidance, there still is a wide

prevalence of teen pregnancy, a challenge that does not only affect the teenagers but the society at

large. The consequences of being a teenage parent can be difficult but it can also build and

strengthen one’s character and awareness to future generations.

Being a teenage parent can be difficult, teenage parents tend to face difficult challenges

during their parenthood. According to the March of Dimes, about three in 10 teenage girls

become pregnant before the age of 20. While many of these pregnancies end in abortion or

adoption, teen girls who do decide to keep their babies face many challenges. Although less is

known about teen fathers, research indicates that they, too, face problems associated with being

parents. They have also mentioned that pregnant teen mothers are likely more to suffer

complications during their pregnancy. Their babies are also more likely to have health issues

such as prematurity, low birth weight or other serious problem. Another problem is the education

of a teenage parent. According to StayTeen.org, more than half of teenage parent do not graduate

from their school. Teenage parents often have difficulty of taking care of their children and
continue their school at the same time. Not being able to graduate makes it difficult for teenage

parents to find stable and well-paying jobs. According to March of Dimes, more than 75 percent

of unmarried teen mothers go on welfare within five years after having their first baby. Teen

fathers also experience this difficulty. Another is the relationship of teenage parents, pregnancy

and parenthood can damage the relationship between teen parents. According to the National

Campaign to Prevent Teen and Unplanned Pregnancy, eight out of 10 teen fathers do not marry

the mother of their first child. Becoming a teen parent also seems to have long-term implications

for marriage: in comparison to people who did not have babies as teens, teen parents are

significantly less likely to be married by the age of 35. Lastly, depression; teenage parent are

more likely to experience severe depression, it can be caused by the shame that they receive, or

their anxiousness of being a parent which drives them to abort or neglect their own child.

According to the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, depression is common

among pregnant teens. Teen parents may feel guilty or anxious about the future. Teen parents are

also more likely to subject their children to abuse and neglect because they feel overwhelmed by

their unfamiliar, ever-demanding roles as parents.

Despite of the difficulty caused by teenage pregnancy, teenage parents also improve their

selves for the benefit of their selves, their partner, and their children. According to (Biehal et al.

1995; Broad 2005; Haydon 2003; Rolfe 2003; Dominelli et al. 2005; Chase & Knight 2006;

Chase et al. 2006; Knight, Chase & Aggleton 2006; Barn & Mantovani 2007; Cashmore &

Paxman 2007), teenage mothers define their pregnancy as a life-turning event which made them

turn into having a more positive and settled lifestyle. They were inspired to leave their risky

behaviors such as substance misuse, casual and unsafe sex and involvement in crime. Parenthood
gave them a sense of responsibility, maturity and purpose, and a feeling of adult status and

identity in which they previously lacked. Many also expressed that parenthood gave them pride

to provide love and care that their parents failed to give. It also helped them fill the emotional

void in their life as they received love and affection that their family failed to give them. Tyrer

and colleagues (2005) also present similar findings for young fathers, who expressed positive

feelings towards their children and stated that parenthood had contributed to a greater sense of

maturity and responsibility and, in some cases, involved giving up drugs and ending disruptive

friendships.

Teenage Pregnancy has been one of the most controversial issues for decades now, and

yet people still have not found a solution for it to be put into an end. According to the National

Campaign to Prevent Teen and Unplanned Pregnancy, nearly 3 in 10 girls will become pregnant

before the age of 20. In 2012, 305,388 teens (ages 15-19) gave birth. Meanwhile, about 18% of

women obtaining abortions are teenagers (i.e. about 200,000). Due to these high numbers, many

people are rightly concerned about the need for education and resources for these young women.

Being both a young student and a responsible citizen, one must take the step of being an

influential teenager to the youth. Teenage parents should be set as an example for other teenagers

of what are the consequences and the hardships that a teenage parent can have. Also, they should

give awareness to their children about the hardships and struggles of being a teenage parent so

that their children can avoid making the same mistake that they have committed.

As with all problems there is always a cause and effect. There can never be a solution if

we do not focus on the cause and correct the issue from that level first. All these teen

pregnancies are results of a personal need that hasn't been met in the home. When you lack
something you tend to find it elsewhere and this can bring you problems especially if your

judgment skills haven't reached the matured level yet. The values and character development of

every child must come from the family and will just be reinforced in schools. A stable support

system and unconditional love can equip each teen with the necessary tool to combat whatever

pressure coming their way as they face the world. Temptations are everywhere but with the right

mindset and firm values that are instilled in them as they start to grow, teens can focus more on

their personal development and the achievement of their goals in life.