CSEC ENGLISH SCHOOL BASED ASSESSMENT

 Name: Jamar Henry

 Candidate number:1000571502
 Center number: 100057
 School: Kingston College
 Teacher’s Name: Mrs. D. Telfer-Smith
 Theme: Teenage Pregnancy
 Topic: THE HEALTH RISKS OF TEENAGE PREGNANCY
 Territory: Jamaica
 Table of Contents

Contents Pages

Plans of investigation 1

Media Piece #1 2

Media Piece #2

Media Piece #3

Reflection #1 5

Reflection #2 6

Reflection #3 7

Written Report 8

Oral presentation 9

Dub poetry 10

References 11
 Plan Of Investigation

The group theme for my English S.B.A is “Teenage Pregnancy” however, I will be focusing on
the “Health Risk of Teenage Pregnancy". I chose this topic because it has been a long-standing
issue over the years with little attention being paid to address the issue and I just plan to use this
research to educate myself, friends and families about the health risks associated with teenage
pregnancy.

This research will aid in the improvement of my research skill, it will also help me to become a
better English student by also improving my reading and writing skills.

To successfully carry out this research I plan to incorporate the use of an article, a poem and a
video. I will use my research skills to gather information, analyze it, and present the results.
 Media Pieces
Media piece #1

An article titled “Adolescent Or Teenage Pregnancy: Signs & Tips For Prevention” by Dr Bisny
T. Joseph

When a woman under 19 years of age gets pregnant, it is an adolescent or teenage pregnancy.
Nearly 21 million girls between the ages of 15 and 19 get pregnant, and approximately 12
million of them give birth each year in developing countries. In this, approximately 10 million
teenage girls may have an unintended pregnancy, and nearly 777,000 pregnancies occur in girls
below age 15 (1).

Teenage pregnancy is concerning since it can be associated with a higher risk of complications
during pregnancy and childbirth. High blood pressure, anemia, and infections are common in
teen mothers. In many cases, babies can also be prematurely born or have low weight (1). Read
on to know the pregnancy symptoms, health risks, and other challenges of teen pregnancy and
ways to cope with it.

Signs And Symptoms Of Teenage Pregnancy

Signs and symptoms of teenage pregnancy can be similar to pregnancy symptoms in women of
other age groups. Missing the menstrual period can be the initial sign of pregnancy. However,
teenage girls can have missed periods or irregular periods due to different reasons.

You may have to confirm pregnancy with a urine pregnancy test or visit a gynecologist for the
exact cause of missed menstruation.

The other signs and symptoms of pregnancy may include (2):

Light vaginal bleeding from implantation of a fertilized ovum (egg) into the uterine wall

Swollen and tender breasts and nipples due to hormonal changes

Fatigue caused by increased progesterone hormone

Headaches due to rising hormone levels

Morning sickness, namely nausea and vomiting. Although it is called morning sickness, it may
occur at any time

Frequent urination due to the increase in the human chorionic gonadotrophins (hCG) hormones,
which leads to increased blood flow to the pelvic regions in the initial weeks of pregnancy and
due to the pressure on the urinary bladder from the growing womb during the later trimesters.

Food aversions and cravings

Mood swings

These symptoms can also be seen in other medical conditions, and the symptoms may vary
among girls. You may seek the help of health care providers for the exact diagnosis.

Why Can Teenage Pregnancy Be A Problem?

Teenage childbearing is associated with a higher risk of pregnancy and childbirth-related

complications. Most teen girls may not be matured enough for childbearing and childcare.

Babies born to teenage girls may have health problems due to inadequate prenatal care. Lack of
prenatal vitamins, minerals, and other forms of care may increase the risk of health issues in both
mothers and babies.

Most teen pregnancies are unintended and may have severe consequences for a teen’s mental and
physical health. Social issues and lack of financial support could affect the psychological well-
being of young women, and they may often develop depression and ignorance towards infants.

Along with the health risks, it can be difficult for teen mothers to seek proper prenatal care if
they do not have financial resources. It will be hard for them to take care of themselves and their
education along with the baby.

Lack or delay in prenatal care can be the primary reason for most of the health risks of
adolescent pregnancy. A pregnant teen may be vulnerable to developing the following health
problems (3).
Anemia

Depression

Excess or poor weight gain

Undernutrition or malnutrition

Eclampsia (seizures in pregnant women with preeclampsia, that is, organ failure due to high
blood pressure)

Babies born to teen mothers may also have certain health risks, including (3):

Low birth weight

Premature birth

Congenital malformations

High risk of sudden infant death syndrome

Risk of mental retardation, brain damage and birth injuries

The absence of a family support system and a lack of income sources can further make teen
pregnancy challenging. Unintended pregnancy may cause postpartum depression and postpartum
blues in some teenage mothers.

Being a mother of more than a child can be extremely difficult for teen parents, especially for
single mothers without support.

What Are the Probable Consequences Of Teenage Pregnancy?

The significant consequences of teen pregnancy may include the following (4).

Unintended and unplanned pregnancies could result in less interest and chances of mother to
seek prenatal care. Some pregnancies are identified in later trimesters, and the mother may not be
able to receive early prenatal care. Lack of prenatal care could have adverse outcomes.
Financial burden and poverty can cause extreme hardship for teen parents who lack family
support or other financial resources.

Teen mothers may have difficulties in balancing newborn care and education. Statistics show
that only 3% of teenage mothers were able to finish graduate school before the age of 30 years
(4).

Childcare can be stressful for young people due to a lack of knowledge and family support.

Single mothers may have additional emotional problems and relationship troubles, along with
other struggles.

Financial difficulties and emotional issues may also cause a lack or delay in postpartum care and
newborn care.

Mothers who are under 15 years of age may have a more challenging time coping with
childbirth.

Unintended pregnancies may result from sexual assault or child marriage. These cases require
additional medical care.

Altogether, it is not easy for a child to take care of another child. Many teen parents may not be
able to ensure the well-being of the newborn since they lack resources and knowledge.

How To Reduce The Risks Of Teen Pregnancy?

The best method to reduce the risk of teen pregnancy is to educate children about reproductive
health from an early age. There are many ways to prevent pregnancy after unprotected
intercourse, thus seek medical care for appropriate prescriptions.

Parents can adopt the following methods that may help reduce the incidence of teen and
adolescent pregnancies (4) (5).

Reproductive education helps reduce the rate of unintended pregnancies among teenage girls.

You can develop strong bonding with your child to make them comfortable to share any
incidence of sexual abuse or unprotected sex.

Have a two-way conversation about sex and your teen’s perception of it. Gradually acquaint the
teen about the consequences of unprotected sex and teenage pregnancy.
Teenage is the phase when dating tends to begin. Acquaint the teen with ways of setting
boundaries in their relationship.

It is okay to set rules on dating but do so while considering your teen’s opinion. Have a
discussion with the teen to reach a consensus.

If pregnancy is discovered, then act promptly. You may discuss the possible options and
resources to avoid the continuation of pregnancy as per doctors’ recommendations.

If your teen decides to continue the pregnancy, then the teen should take the following steps to
reduce the risks.

Ensure regular prenatal care as soon as possible to reduce the health risks and complications of
teen pregnancy and childbirth

Take prenatal vitamin and mineral supplements to avoid congenital malformations and other
complications

Avoid alcohol, drugs, or tobacco use

Follow a healthy diet and stay hydrated

Do walking or other exercises suggested by the doctor

You may also seek help from support groups and other teen and pregnant (TaP) programs in your
community for emotional and financial support.

These symptoms can also be seen in other medical conditions, and the symptoms may vary
among girls. You may seek the help of health care providers for the exact diagnosis. The

American Academy of Pediatrics suggests that medical termination of pregnancy (MTP or

abortion) can be considered if your teen is willing and the rules and regulations permit it. Giving
a baby for adoption can also be considered if the teen does not want to have the child in case of
advanced pregnancies (6).
Teen pregnancy is a complex situation, and its occurrence can be overwhelming, both for teens
and their families. Do not hesitate to seek the advice of a doctor and other legitimate
organizations or professionals that specialize in the domain of teen and adolescent pregnancy.
Media piece #2:

A poem titled “Young and Confused” by Manjiri Kochrekar

Young and confused, not enough food,

babies at home crying,

mommy feels like dying.

Her life seems to always change around,

she feels like she’s on a roller coaster about to dip down.

Lonely and depressed,

never gets enough rest.

Having no job,

all she wants to do is sob.

Was this all a mistake?

or is it a risk she wants to take?

Life as a teen mom came out so wrong,

she thought she would be a singer and one day produce a song.

Reality finally struck her like lightning in the sky,

and she began to realize,

The only thing she will hear to sleep is her babies midnight cries.

This is real and this is her life,

although she’s only 16 and not trying to be a WIFE.

Beside all the baby drama,

she always fights with her momma,

Her own mother won’t be there,

and her father doesn’t even care.

Aside from this, she has no MONEY

all she has in her cabinets, is expired HONEY.

She’s young and BEAUTIFUL, but then again POOR,

remember she’s only a TEEN; she’s 16 at war.

How do you prevent this? Why are you asking me?

Were only here to tell you, not to have sex at 16,

to all the girls, and boys TOO!

don’t have sex until you know you’re TRUE.

Media piece #3

A video titled “Why teenage pregnancies is a high risk?” published by Cloudnine Hospitals
 Reflection #1

Before commencing this SBA, I was unaware of the of the health risks that are associated with
teenage pregnancy, however after my research I now realize the negative psychological and
physical impacts it can have on an individual. The first piece of medium used was an article
titled “Adolescent or Teenage Pregnancy: Signs & Tips for Prevention” by Dr Bisny T. Joseph.
The article encapsulates the different psychological and physical effects teenage pregnancy has
on an individual, ranging from complications during child birth to anxiety and other mental
issues. Analyzing this article has not only given me the chance to incorporate it in my English
S.B.A but to also educate my friends and family about the things I learnt from it.

The poem entitled A poem titled “Young and Confused” by Manjiri Kochrekar encompasses
different psychological health risks that include depression and loneliness that a victim of
teenage pregnancy may face. The poem is about a 16-year-old girl who got pregnant and is faced
with the burden to provide for a child with no support as her parents gave up on her. Reading this
media has given me the chance to educate my female friends not just about the health hazards of
teenage pregnancy, but also about the social challenges that come as a result, so that they can
consider abstaining from sex until they are certain.

The third piece of medium used was a YouTube video titled a video titled “Why teenage
pregnancies is a high risk?” published by Cloudnine Hospitals. Although the video was short, it
was very informative in terms of explaining the risk and complications for pregnant teens
delivering a baby. She also highlighted that the chances of having a healthy baby are slim
because, teens are at a high risk to induce hypertension, high blood pressure, anemia or a low
blood count in the process of pregnancy as they are not fully developed to facilitate pregnancy.
After analyzing this piece, it has given me the opportunity to spread the word about the serious
complications associated with teenage pregnancy.
 Reflection #2

The intended purpose of an author or writer when creating any form of discourse is heavily
influenced by the use of certain literary devices and language techniques when trying to achieve
their purpose whether to explain, to entertain or to describe. Throughout all media pieces literary
devices were used to engage the target audience. In the first piece titled an article titled
“Adolescent or Teenage Pregnancy: Signs & Tips for Prevention” by Dr Bisny T. Joseph, the
author utilizes Standard English in the article which makes the article easy to read. The article
also makes the use of statistics when she stated that “approximately 10 million teenage girls may
have an unintended pregnancy, and nearly 777,000 pregnancies occur in girls below age 15.”
This helps to strengthen the article's credibility.

Manjiri Kochrekar's poem "Young and Confused" depends on emotional appeal to evoke the
reader's emotions. In the poem, the author uses rhymes such as "Aside from this, she has no
MONEY, all she has in her cupboards is expired HONEY." The poetry becomes more enticing to
the reader as a result of using this technique.

The third piece of medium used was a video titled “Why teenage pregnancies is a high risk?”
published by Cloudnine Hospitals, in this video the speaker, Dr. Shefali Tyagi uses simple
language when explaining thing as she did not use medical terms this would make the video be
suitable for all audiences of all ages and status. The video was also very informative though short
as the speaker went straight to the point.
 Reflection #3

The completion of this S.B.A. has benefitted me in a number of ways. I had always been wary of
working in groups before starting this research. This is because I always end up doing all of the
work and taking on the majority of the obligations in my group. However, after meeting with my
peers on a regular basis to discuss themes, I realized that working as part of a team would help
me to complete the assignment more efficiently.

Secondly, after conducting this investigation and after analyzing all three pieces of media used, I
now have a broader knowledge of issue teenage pregnancy and the health risks associated with it.
Although my topic focuses on the health risks associated with teenage pregnancy, after assessing
all three pieces I also learnt about the causes of teenage pregnancy and the impacts it has on
society. Acquiring this knowledge will now give me the ability to advise others about the
dangers.

Finally, this S.B.A. enhanced my research skills by having me to use the internet to obtain
artifacts and pieces for my study, as well as my writing skills by requiring me to summarize
material to stay under word restrictions.
 The Written Report

What is teenage pregnancy? What is the cause? …. Who should be blamed? The parents,
Society, or the education system? These were the questions that entered our thoughts before
completing this research. Therefore, our group decided to traverse the theme, “Teenage
pregnancy”. We formulated a group based on similar curiosity. The topics we investigated were:
“What are the negative effects of teenage pregnancy”, “What are the causes of teenage
pregnancy?”, “What are the main threats of teenage pregnancy”, “What are the health risks of
teenage pregnancy?” and “What are the social risks of teenage pregnancy?”

The group conducted a voting session by polls to select the three best artifacts. We thoroughly
discussed and analyzed each data in order to select the pieces that answered our questions. We
selected an advertisement entitled “Fighting Sexual Pressure” by YoungMindsVS (2014), a
video entitled “Teenage pregnancy: Causes of Teenage Pregnancy” byUNFPA Caribbean
(2017), and an article entitled “Not wanted!” by Nadine Wilson-Harris (2017). We selected these
artifacts because they alert society about the causes, threats and social issues of teenage
pregnancy and they added to the authenticity and dependability of the research.

From the Advertisement, we understood that there are dangers, such as peer pressure where
individuals may be forced into what there peer group may find socially acceptable, in fear that
their partner will be forced or persuaded into what their partner will leave them, another factor of
widespread of images containing nudity are being sent to others, which can cause the individual
to feel ashamed and threatened by the thoughts of others.
 ORAL PRESENTATION

THEME: Teenage Pregnancy

TOPIC: Health risk to teenage pregnancy

RATIONALE: The reason why i chose this topic was because i wanted to use my research to
make others more aware of the health risks of teenage pregnancy.

DEFINITION: Teenage pregnancy is when a woman under 20 gets pregnant its a usual phrase
that often refers to teens between the ages of 15-19. But it can include girls as young as 10.

BACKGROUND: Approximately 90% of births to girls ages 15-19 in developing countries

occur within early marriage where there is often an imbalance of power.

THREE PIECES OF MEDIA: My three pieces of media includes an article from the internet
news site “The Standard: Let us take stock and invest in the well being of teen mothersArticle .
And a video from youtube entitled Why are teenage pregnancies Health risks? Video

RATIONALE FOR STIMULI: The reason for selecting those particular media is because they
contain more relevant information that relates to my topic

MODE OF PRESENTATION (GENRE): POEM

RATIONALE OF CHOSEN GENRE: It helps to show how i feel and this genre will express that

LANGUAGE DEVICES EXHIBITED IN GENRE: Rhyming words, Exposition and Tone

POEM.

Why should my fun have to end? I thought that this was just the beginning. I see my friends go
outside to have fun. And all I can do is watch as they drive by. As they set forth to discover their
youth, I'm well on my way towards ending my own.

They call me irresponsible. They think that now my life’s impossible. But when they look at me,
they only see the pregnancy. But do they see the pain only I know?

I thought I had life figured out, And that freedom would last forever. Now I'm hungry and
hormonal, and mom and dad are disappointed. I think I can make this work with the boy I'm in
love with. But my life wasn't built for perfection and I see that now.

They know that I'm much too young for this. Does it seem like I'm the one to blame? And they
say that they know better than me. Does it seem I don't feel ashamed? But they truly don't
understand my pain. So can they tell me what to do? Because i don't know. I’m underaged, and
pregnant
 References
(Bisny,2022) Adolescent Or Teenage Pregnancy: Signs & Tips For Prevention.
https://www.momjunction.com/articles/health-risks-of-teenage-pregnancy_00377831/

(Kochrekar, 2022) Young and Confused.

https://www.momjunction.com/articles/teenage-pregnancy-poems_00389135/

(Cloudnine Hospitals, 2020) Why teenage pregnancies is a high risk.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0zkP72Kq5YQ