Teenage Pregnancy - Children Families & the Community

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Teenage Pregnancy

Children Families & The Community

By Georgia Shaw

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Definition

Teenage pregnancy is pregnancy in a human female between the ages of 13 and 19. It usually occurs in a girl who hasn’t completed her education and is financially dependent on a parent. A teenage pregnancy can take place after the start of puberty, before a menstrual period but usually after and onset of periods. Fewer teenage women are giving birth now in comparison to the 1970’s. This is most likely because of improvements in the availability of contraception, access to abortion and better sexual education. Teenage pregnancy is an issue in the community because it still has a bad social stigma that leads to inequality in society.

When a teenager becomes pregnant they have 4 options, which are parenting, adoption, abortion and fostering. Parenting and abortions are the most common in Australia unlike third world countries where adoption and fostering is more common.

Parenting- Continue the pregnancy and then raise the child

Adoption- Continue with the pregnancy and then give the baby to another family who then become legal parents of the child and raise the child on their own.

Abortion- Terminate the pregnancy by taking medication or having a surgical procedure where the pregnancy is removed from the uterus.

Foster Care- Continue with the pregnancy and then have the child live with and be cared for by another family member or stranger until the birth parents are able to care for and have the child live with them again.

History Of The Issue

In Australia the number of teenage women giving birth has dropped over the last 20 years. These days teenagers who give birth are more likely to keep the baby rather than choose adoption due to changing social attitudes and government support helping make teenage parenting a more acceptable option.

A social stigma for being a young parent is less common today than in the past due to different support services. Social issues with teenage pregnancies include, not being able to finish their education which can lead to long term unemployment, being dependent on welfare, a lack of acceptance and understanding from family and friends and being more at risk.

In the 1970s people looked down on teenage pregnancies and families would often be embarrassed. As shown in the Australian TV show “Love Child” teenagers were often sent away to houses where they would give birth and put the child up for adoption. They would then return home like nothing had happened and other family members were told that they were on camps. The social stigma in that time period was that if you were unmarried you shouldn’t be having a baby. The girls did not really get a choice and it was all upto the parents. Many young women in the 70s did not legally consent to giving their babies up for adoption therefore they had to be bribed or their children were stolen from them. There was a rise in the number of teenage girls having babies which made the social stigma lessen a little. It no longer ruined a families reputation although it was still looked down upon. For the boys it was less shameful and they were expected to marry their girlfriends if they were pregnant.

This was even worse in the 50s. Even though teenage pregnancies were more common due to teenage marriage being more popular. Unmarried women would often deliver and be told that their babies had died when in fact they had been given up for adoption. Nurses would go as far as smothering the babies to stop them from crying.

Statistics

• Teenage pregnancy is more common in teens who experience family violence, sexual abuse, unstable housing arrangements, poor school performance, family history of pregnancies, low self esteem, lack of sexual education and mental health issues.
• Unplanned teenage pregnancies can also be caused by embarrassment of buying condoms, having sex whilst using drugs or alcohol, lack of communication, sexual violence and lack of access to contraception.
• Research shows that about one quarter of year 10 students and just over half of all year 12 students have had sexual intercourse
• More than 50% of teenage mothers never graduate high school.
• In Australia, the teenage birth rate is 15.6 births per 1000 woman, compared to 55.5 births per 1000 women in 1971.
• Teenagers are more likely to experience complications during pregnancy and childbirth compared to older women.
• 50% of teenage pregnancies are terminated
• 16 million girls ages 15-19 give birth each year worldwide
• 3 million teenage girls have unsafe abortions each year worldwide
• Rural areas have a higher than average teenage pregnancy rate

Government Policy

Australia

The government plays a role in supporting teenage pregnancies by providing services and support to young mothers and their families. The government website states “The challenge for practitioners and policy makers is to create a range of supports that respond to the needs of both young parents and their children. If this is achieved, then teenage parenthood need not be a negative experience; rather, it can become a catalyst for growth and positive life outcomes.” The government believes that young parents are going through many life changes and therefore need support. Some of the services that the government provides are,