Pregnancy is the best expression of womanhood. However, this can become a real cause of concern when it occurs at a younger age i.e. in teen years of a girl. In some parts of the world the early marriage of girl leads to early pregnancy. There, pregnancy is considered as a good omen as it reflects the fertility of the woman. But in developed and most of the developing countries, early pregnancy becomes an issue of social embarrassment only. There are various medical and social issues related with the pregnancy in minors. A minor is here described as the female who is younger than 20 years at the time of completion of pregnancy.
The rates of teenage pregnancy are highest is USA and UK. On the other hand, it is lowest in nations like Japan and Korea. There are several factors that result in pregnancy in minors. The main among those are:
Lack of sex education is the primary contributing factor to the problem. Adolescents learn about sex and pregnancy from their peers or through internet and print and electronic media. Sometimes, the knowledge acquired is appropriate in context but most of the times; they end up gathering the wrong or misleading information only. The lack of formal sex education leads to experimentation and thus has disastrous results. The ignorance about contraceptive methods etc. is also an additional factor.
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Sexual abuse or molestation at an early age is yet another significant factor that results in teenage pregnancy. It has been noticed that girls who suffer from molestation at an early age are prone to conceive in younger years of life. Those who are in abusive relationships also end up being pregnant at an early age.
The influence of media and peer pressure has also been found as major trigger factors. Most of the adolescents indulge in sexual activity without really willing to do so.
The aftermaths of pregnancy in minor are more complicated in socioeconomic fronts. Pregnancy in younger years of life may have far reaching effects on the health of mother and the unborn child. Generally, those who encounter such situation are quite young at age and miss the significant prenatal care. The course of pregnancy may also be affected due to stress and emotional disturbance which may eventually lead to high blood pressure and other medical problems like eclampsia etc. Sometimes, the medical defects may pass on to the unborn baby and he is prone to take birth with some congenital anomaly.
The effects of pregnancy in teen years can be detrimental for the mother, child and the peers. The father in such pregnancies is most of the times young and unable to support a family or take considerable responsibility of the same. The academic career of the young mothers also comes to an abrupt end in most of the cases. Nutritional and developmental defects are also higher in such pregnancies. It is important to educate the children about sex in an appropriate manner. Otherwise he will acquire the knowledge from peers or unauthorised modes. So, it is always advisable to behave like a friend and give the accurate information about the sex and related issues with it. A casual conversation with the young mind might be of great help and instil a lifelong confidence in the children.