Sociology Teenage Pregnancy

I was an unmarried pregnant teenager, and for me the changes in my world were difficult.As an unmarried pregnant teenager many decisions need to be made: do you keep it, give the baby up, have an abortion (n.a, 2014). Can you continue with your education, where will you live, who will help you? Do you tell the father, marry him, how about your parents and their reaction. How will you support this child? You are only a child yourself, do you have what it takes to raise a baby into an adult. Unfortunately, unless your parents support you, you will end up on welfare, and find that everyday is a struggle ( n.a, 2014). Your home will be something will not be that really nice, well kept house, rather you will probably find yourself in a run-down house, or apartment. Where there is very little insulation, the windows are drafty, the floors worn, and the walls painted in landlord chalk. The beautiful furniture is no longer, instead you have everyone cast offs, the items that everyone you know would give to the Salvation Army or Purple Heart. And unless your parents have kept you on their medical insurance, you have to go on Medicaid (n.a, 2014), which means that your choice of doctor becomes limited to those that are willing to except Medicaid. That does not mean that they are good and compassionate, but so many of the doctors refuse this insurance. Now, next problem is the dad, did you tell him because eventually you will have to, or better yet. Wait till the baby is born, then let Friend of the Court contact him; see someone will have to help pay your bills. He will now be a thorn in your side for at least the next eighteen years, unless you meet someone that wants to adopt your child and raise them as their own. And there is a can of worms that you open up there as well. Maybe the father has been in the picture the whole time, but he is just a kid as well. Suddenly both of you have to grow up really fast because that baby did not as to be brought into this world. You are responsible for 24/7 care, love, comfort and financial support till the child can go off on their own. One of the worst parts about this whole situation, your education or lack of it. If you are fortunate to have parents that know that you still need them, you may be able to continue with your schooling and remain in your social class. But, more often, you have to start working for minimum wage and you never advance financially (n.a, 2014). Your education is set on the back burner, in some cases for life. You may test out and receive your GED, maybe try a class here and there at the local college, dropping it, because of one excuse or another. Could not get a babysitter, cannot complete the assignments or study because the baby needed tending to. Or your partner/husband did not support your need to complete your education. Then there is the possibility that you do not have a healthy pregnancy (n.a, 2009). There are so many things that you need to do during your pregnancy to ensure that the baby is healthy as well as yourself. Were you doing drugs or drinking around conception, and during the beginning of your pregnancy. How soon did you go to a doctor and start prenatal care, vitamins, a healthy diet, getting enough sleep, and the list goes on and on. The sad part is, even if you did everything right, there are so many things that can go wrong during your pregnancy, like placenta previa, toxemia, to name a few. A pregnant teen is a set up for failure. Even with all the puzzle pieces in place for someone’s life, it is not easy, but getting pregnant during your teens years is not a good thing. Children raising children, knowing how to care for them, even having the patience to raise that child is difficult for an adult let alone a child. The mother and the baby will have a hard life and very few resources to achieve.

References

About Teen Pregnancy ( n.a, 2014) Retrieved from http://www.cdc.gov/teenpregnancy /aboutteenpreg.htm

Teen Pregnancy (n.a, 2014) Retrieved from The National Campaign To Prevent Teen and Unplanned Pregnancy http://www.stayteen.org/teen-pregnancy

The National Campaign to Prevent Teen Pregnancy, Teen Pregnancy: So What (n.a, 2009) Retrieved from http://www.teenpregnancystatistics.org/content/teen-pregnancy-facts.html

References: About Teen Pregnancy ( n.a, 2014) Retrieved from http://www.cdc.gov/teenpregnancy /aboutteenpreg.htm Teen Pregnancy (n.a, 2014) Retrieved from The National Campaign To Prevent Teen and Unplanned Pregnancy http://www.stayteen.org/teen-pregnancy The National Campaign to Prevent Teen Pregnancy, Teen Pregnancy: So What (n.a, 2009) Retrieved from http://www.teenpregnancystatistics.org/content/teen-pregnancy-facts.html