Child pregnancy, Teen pregnancy, Adolescent pregnancy have been on the increase in our Society today.
It is no gainsaying the fact that Teenagers and young Adults undergo changes physically, psychologically and otherwise. These changes most often drive them to always want to experiment with what they do not know or understand.
Sex is one of those experiments and in most cases, they end up with unwanted Child pregnancy.
Most Religion and culture also support the marriage of children as young as 8 years old; thereby increasing the chances of these children getting pregnant at very young age.
Pregnancy is the period of being pregnant or the period when a woman is going to have a child or young tissues develop in the uterus. In this case, t is expected that a girl should get to a certain age before she gets pregnant.
Child pregnancy could prove very harmful to both the Child, mother and the Society. If a girl gets pregnant at a young age when her tissues are not yet ready to carry a baby in her womb. She faces so many uncertainties. These may include miscarriage or even death.
What is the Cause of Teen Pregnancy?
Many questions what the causes of child pregnancy are. Many have also been in the research on how to prevent children from getting pregnant. Some of these reasons why a child could get pregnant at an early stage may be:
Likely causes of Teen Pregnancy.
- Teenage Peer Pressure and Influence
- Absence of Parental Guidance
- Teenage Drinking
- Unprotected sex
Teenage Peer Pressure and Influence
During the adolescent years, your teen may often suffer the pressure to make more friends or become one similar to their peers. Several times you will find that a teen may let her friends in the group influence her decision to involve in the sexual activity even though she lacks understanding of the consequences of the act.
Often, teens have sex just to project that they are cool and sophisticated. Most of them end up with an unintended pregnancy. As a result, many teens become involved in a sexual relationship under peer pressure even though they are not ready for.
Absence of Parental Guidance
Teenage Pregnancy does not only affect the Girls, it also affects the boys. Many Teenagers become vulnerable to sex. This mostly happens when they discard parental guidance.
Research has it that Teen girls become more vulnerable to pregnancy if they have no or limited guidance from their parents. Today, lots of parents are busy managing their work-life and busy schedules.
Some find it difficult to spend some time with their teen daughters. As a result, most teen daughters find it difficult to freely to talk to them. They also do not feel comfortable letting them in on their decisions as far as relationships and life are concerned.
When Parental Guidance is absent, most teens do not get the chance to learn the consequences of being in a [sexual] relationship. They become more reliable on their friends for the decision and most end up getting misguided.
So, make sure you spend quality family time with your children. Be more open with your Teenager on talking about various teenage issues.
Teenage Drinking
Oftentimes, peer pressure pushes teenagers to try to drink alcohol. Misused Teen drinking is another prominent cause that can lead to unexpected pregnancy. Lots of teenagers love to experiment with alcohol and drugs; either on their own or under peer pressure. Abusive Alcohol consumption reduces the ability to regulate the body/impulses. Studies reveal that nearly 75% of teen pregnancies occur due to uncontrolled teenage drinking habits.
Sexual abuse/Rape
Influence of peers can also make your teen visit inappropriate, unsafe places, such as unauthorized pubs and bars. Your teen may suffer from sexual abuse, such as molestation or rape. They may also fall into drug abuse or company of wrong people at such unsafe places. Sexual abuse or rape can lead to teenage pregnancy.
Unprotected Sex
Unprotected Sex affects both the old and young. But for teenagers who do not know much about sex and its consequences, unprotected sex becomes a cause for alarm. Most teenagers can not control the urge for sex because they may be inexperienced. Thus unprotected sex increases the likelihood of Teen pregnancy or the dreaded STI.
Teen Pregnancy vs Child Pregnancy: Whose Fault?
These reasons outlined above are some of the things that could lead to Teenage Pregnancy. They are also preventable. So how can we prevent Teenagers from getting Pregnant?
