FREE ESSAY ON FACTORS THAT LEAD TO TEEN PREGNANCY

FACTORS THAT LEAD TO TEEN PREGNANCY

Although the overall rate of teen pregnancy has been declining, the rates have remained
high for teens that are most vulnerable. The great majority of Americans believe that
teen pregnancies are a serious national problem, indeed a problem that is the major
component of what is thought to be national moral decline. However, what causes these
teens to become pregnant at such a young age? 
A large body of research has identified a number of factores that underlie teen sexual
and contraceptive behavior, pregnancy, and childbearing. There exists a three part
framework of the factors underlying teen pregnancy. There are biological antecedents,
including gender, age, testosterone level, and timing of puberty. These factors are
causally related to adolescent sexual and contraceptive behavior and pregnancy. A second
group of antecedents can be viewed as "manifestations of social disorganization or
advantage" (Kirby, 1997). These include factors in the community and the family such as
violent crime, poverty, unemployment, family marital disruption, parents' lack of
education, poor child rearing practice, lack of parental support, and inappropriate
sexual pressure or abuse. The second group also includes factors in the individual teen
such as lack of religious affiliation, drug and alcohol use, engaging in risk behaviors
and deviance, delinquency, poor educational performance, and low expectations for the
future. A third group of antecedents are attitudes and beliefs about sexual behavior and
pregnancy. These include beliefs, personal values, and perceived norms. Among the many
factors which may lead to teen pregnancy, the four that are most predictive of early
pregnancy are poverty, early behavioral problems, family problems, and a low self esteem.

There are several theories about the reasons why so many young women in poverty become
pregnant and carry to full term. Faced with an unintended pregnancy, many teens living in
poverty are likely to view early childbearing as a positive, desirable choice. These
teens feel that becoming pregnant may in fact improve their lives. Economics may also be
responsible for the lower percentage of poor teens who terminate their pregnancies, since
Medicaid policies in most states do not pay for abortions, but do pay for services
related to childbirth. In addition, some researchers postulate that teenagers consider
having a baby as a conscious desire to become welfare dependent. These teens deliberately
become pregnant and have babies in order to collect welfare and set up their own
households. However, teen mothers are more likely to live in poverty than women who delay
childbearing, and nearly half of unmarried teens receive welfare at some time within two
years of giving birth.
Many pregnant teens believe that their babies will lead lives very different from their
own. Poor, inner city, undereducated women live with drug addiction, violence, and a
sense of hopelessness. Therefore they feel that by having a child will improve their
lives, when in fact they are only exposing their child to the same life they lead. In
addition, poor teenagers are more sexually experienced than those of higher incomes, yet
they use contracetption less frequently and less successfully, and thus they have higher
rates of pregnancy (Trickett, 20).
Chances of higher education and well paying jobs diminish substantially for teen mothers.
One study documented that teens that prioritize education and future occupations were
less likely to become teen parents and they delay their first sexual intercourse.
Similarly, poor grades are related to the early initiation of sexual behavior. The direct
results of teenage pregnancy frequently include high dropout rates, for one in three
pregnant teens do not complete high school. On average, pregnant teens complete fewer
years of school. 
For teens in abusive relationships, sexual and physical violence are often connected.
Pregnant teen women often have a history of physical, sexual, and/or family violence.
Teens who have experienced childhood or adolescent sexual abuse also have greater sexual
vulnerability, which increases the risks of unintended pregnancy and further abuse. 
Girls who were sexually abused as children are far more prone to risky sexual behavior
and early pregnancy as adolescents. In a sample of 500 teen mothers, two-thirds had
histories of sexual and physical abuse. According to Trickett of Women's Health Weekly,
this shows that while the sexually abused girls are having more sex and thinking about it
more, they're also having more negative thoughts about the experience and feeling more
pressure (Trickett, 19). Many teens that have experienced childhood sexual abuse don't
believe that they can control what happens to them or their bodies. They may have
difficulty making choices that prevent them from exposure to further abuse or unintended
sexual consequences, such as pregnancy.
Another reason for the increase in teen sexual activity is that the age of puberty slowly
has been dropping. Since puberty is reached now by even preteens, the sexual drive amongs
teens has increased. The age for sexual activities is becoming younger and younger. Since
these teens are so young, they have not been properly educated about the risk of teen
pregnancy. They are also less likely to use contraceptive, and if used they are generally
used improperly. The dramatic increase in sexually permissive attitudes among the young
has recently been proven. In a recent Wall Street Journal poll, for example, 47% of
respondents ages 18-29 said that premarital sex is not wrong at all, compared to only 12%
of people in the 65 and over age category. In addition, contraceptive use has increased,
but the use is often inconsistent and in any event is not enough to offset the increase
in sexual activity (Wall Street Journal, A26). 
Some teens have a low sense of self-esteem that makes them vulnerable to peer pressure
whereas others have an overly inflated view of themselves and their ability to avoid
negative consequences, which increases risk-taking behaviors. Early sexual behavior has
been realted to various types of risk taking behaviors, such as alcohol, drugs, and
delinquency. For example, alcohol and drug use appear to lower teens' inhibitions and
decrease the likelihood of contraceptive use. Kirby's research on teen pregnancy
concludes that sexual activity seems not to be related to self-esteem (Kirby, 1997). Boys
and girls with high and low self-esteem are equally sexually active. However, self-esteem
is linked with effective contraceptive use. Those teens with high self-esteem are more
likely than other teens to use contraceptives responsibly and effectively. 
However, some researchers feel that a low self-esteem is a large contributor to teen
sexual activity and pregnancy. For example, a teenage girl with a low self-esteem may
intentionally attempt to become pregnant. This is an attempt to exert control over
others, such as boyfriends or parents. Similarly, a teenage girl may want a baby in a
wish to have someone to love, who will in turn love them. 
There is growing agreement within the research community that one of the most important
factors in retarding teen sexuality and pregnancies is the disapprobation of society,
especially of one's family and peers. A recent large-scale study found that parents'
attitudes and relationships with their teen children could be highly influential. The
study concluded: parents who give dear messages about delaying sex have children who are
less likely to have early intercourse. Early childhood experiences can make all the
difference. Higher levels of parent to teen communication have been related to less
permissive sexual attitudes, whereas poor communication with parents and lack of parental
support has been linked to earlier initiation of sexual activity. Both high levels of
parental supervision and close relationships between adolescents and their parents were
related to later timing of teen sexual activity. In addition, parental marital disruption
and living with a single parent is associated with the early onset of sexual behavior.
This finding probably reflects such factors as lower family incomes, less partental
supervision, and parental modeling. 
The large, complicated, and interrelated accumulation of factors suggest that the course
that leads to adolescent sexual activity and pregnancy is complex. Kirby states that "not
merely one or two, but a multitude of antecedents are related to one or more sexual
behaviors and pregnancy, including characteristics of the teens themselves, their peers
and sexual partners, their families and their communities and states" (Kirby, 1997).