Adolescent pregnancy is a global and societal issue affecting the vast majority of countries on the planet. The rate of teenage births in 2020 was 15.4, down 8% from 2019 and 75% from the 1991 record of 61.8.1. In 2020, there were 158,043 female deliveries in this age range, accounting for fewer than 5% of total births (Osterman et al., 2022). Although there are fewer teenage pregnancies in the United States now than before 1970, this statistic is not meant to contradict the issue of adolescent pregnancy has been misrepresented.
One of the most prevalent consequences of teenage pregnancy is preeclampsia (PE). PE is a unique prenatal arterial condition that affects many systems and threatens around 5% of all pregnancies. PE is connected with a variety of risk factors and bad maternal outcomes, including diabetes, overweight, postpartum hemorrhage, placenta abruption, HELLP Syndrome, hepatic failure, and death (Bakwa-Kanyinga et al., 2017). Insufficient parental care and open dialogue about sexuality issues, poverty, adherence as the primary themes in school sex-education curricula, and the increased use of social media and television were identified as significant risk factors for increased adolescent pregnancy rates (Bain et al., 2020). Interventions targeting individual, interpersonal, social, and governmental variables are necessary to lower juvenile pregnancy ratios.
Several helpful options are available around the country to assist people who have had an adolescent pregnancy. In this scenario, unplanned pregnancy counseling may be the most beneficial for young women. Pregnant teens can seek counsel from skilled specialists who can help them grasp every unwanted pregnancy option accessible. These specialists are not attempting to persuade someone to make a choice. They act as a source of advice for pregnant teenagers and answer any concerns they may have. A community health clinic is another essential facility. It can be pretty helpful to a young lady facing an unintended pregnancy. These clinics can assist in obtaining the necessary medical treatment throughout pregnancy. Professionals at the clinic can confirm pregnancy, advise on alternatives based on the patient’s stage of pregnancy, and assist in connecting the patient to nearby hospitals for childbirth. The majority of these clinics provide free or reduced-cost treatments to adolescents in such circumstances.
Adolescent pregnancy rates are now at historically low levels. Teenage pregnancy rates have fallen not just nationally but also in each state. State declines varied from 25% in West Virginia to 62% in California between 1992 and 2010 (Osterman et al., 2022). Furthermore, adolescent pregnancy rates have declined throughout all 50 states and racial and cultural groups. Increased and improved contraceptive usage has been the most probable primary driver of the long-term drop in unintended pregnancies.
References
Bain, L. E., Muftugil-Yalcin, S., Amoakoh-Coleman, M., Zweekhorst, M. B. M., Becquet, R., & de Cock Buning, T. (2020). Decision-making preferences and risk factors regarding early adolescent pregnancy in Ghana: stakeholders’ and adolescents’ perspectives from a vignette-based qualitative study.Reproductive Health, 17(1).
Bakwa-Kanyinga, F., Valério, E. G., Bosa, V. L., Alfama, C. O., Sperb, M., Capp, E., & Vettorazzi, J. (2017). Adolescent pregnancy: Maternal and fetal outcomes in patients with and without preeclampsia.Pregnancy Hypertension, 10, 96–100.
Osterman, M. J. K., Hamilton, B. E., Martin, J. A., Driscoll, A. K., & Valenzuela, C.P. (2022). Births: Final data for 2020 (National Vital Statistics Reports Volume 70, Number 17). Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.