Definition of the Problem
Teenage pregnancy refers to a situation where girls get pregnant and give birth before the age of 20. Planned Parenthood (cited in CDC, 2015) says that most teenage pregnancies occur among girls aged 18-19 years. Many of these births are results of unplanned pregnancies. They account for 20% of unplanned pregnancies in the United States (HHS, 2015). Although the rate of teen pregnancy in the United States (U.S) is slowly declining, the CDC (2015) says that in 2013, 273,105 babies were born from teenage pregnancies. According to the global statistics on teenage pregnancy, the US has a higher teenage birth rate than most developed countries, including Canada and the United Kingdom (U.K) (HHS, 2015). This is a worrying concern.
Justification of the Problem
Teenage pregnancy is an important public health issue because it affects societal and population health. For example, girls who become pregnant before their 15th birthday are likely to suffer from increased health risks during pregnancy because their bodies are usually underdeveloped to sustain a pregnancy and carry it to full term (WHO, 2015). However, the negative effects of pregnancy for teenage mothers who are above 15 years are more socioeconomic than biological. Teenage pregnancy, if unresolved could lead to negative socioeconomic outcomes for the teenage mothers and their families. The WHO (2015) says that many teenage pregnancies that end in birth often lead to poor emotional and physical health for the new mothers. The babies are also likely to suffer from poor physical health. Research also shows that teenage pregnancies also increase the chances that a mother and her child would live in poverty and possibly have poor educational outcomes (WHO, 2015). Such eventualities would limit their prospects of getting a good job. Based on the above-mentioned effects of teenage pregnancy, it is important to consider it an important public health issue.
Resolving the Issue
Years of research have revealed what works and fails when tackling the problem of teenage pregnancy. Relative to this assertion, decades of research have revealed that quality sex and relationship education emerge as the top solutions to managing this problem because they help teenagers to make informed decisions about their reproductive health (HHS, 2015). The same research also reveals that increasing access to effective contraception is also crucial in minimizing incidences of teenage pregnancy. The two factors are interdependent because sex education is pointless if teenagers do not have access to contraceptive services. Similarly, teenagers would be unable to make the right choices of contraceptive services if they did not have proper sex education. Therefore, tackling the teenage pregnancy problem in America revolves around the two issues – quality sex and relationship education and adequate access to effective contraception.
References
CDC. (2015). Teen Pregnancy in the United States. Web.
HHS. (2015). Trends in Teen Pregnancy and Childbearing. Web.
WHO. (2015). Adolescent Pregnancy. Web.