Teenage Pregnancy: Are Mothers Ready to Deal With It?

Teenage years are supposed to be the years when teenagers start learning to be mature. During these years, teenagers learn how to be responsible when dealing with various aspects of life. This is the period where teenage girls start to bloom and teenage boys learn to become a man.

Teenage years are also the time when teenagers make their own decisions. Poor decision making can lead to serious problems among teenagers such as teenage pregnancy. Statistics revealed that around 16 million teenage girls who are 15 to 19 years old give birth each year. Most of these girls are living in developed countries such as the United States and Great Britain. Child births involving teenage mothers account to 11{fb65e7e27c282a02fa0a36039dc4c9383b3a38d5a4237f8adb1f7680a9920255} of the global child births.

Teenage pregnancy may be attributed to several factors including teenage drinking, peer pressure, poor guidance from parents, and lack of sex education. Drinking of alcohol can lower the ability of teenagers to control their feelings and impulses.

Around 91{fb65e7e27c282a02fa0a36039dc4c9383b3a38d5a4237f8adb1f7680a9920255} of teenage girls who became pregnant admit that they were drunk when they the baby was conceived. Some teenage mothers also admit that their decision to have sex is greatly influenced by their peers. They engage into a sexual act without full understanding of the possible consequences. Teenage girls who do not receive proper parental guidance that they need to make wiser decisions have a greater chance of getting pregnant. Another factor that influences teenage pregnancy is the lack of sexual education. Without proper education about sex and its implications, teenagers often turn to their friends for information.

Since parents play a significant role in preventing teenage pregnancy, it is important that they learn how to how to deal with it. Teenage pregnancy can be prevented by parents if they involve themselves to the lives of their teenagers. Parents’ involvement in their teenager’s lives will enable them to have open communication regarding various issue involving teenagers.

Another way for parents to prevent their teenage girl from being pregnant is to increase awareness about sex, relationships, and love. Teenagers are less likely to get pregnant if they understand the possible consequences of engaging into sexual acts, especially unprotected ones. Since most teenage girls become sexually active during their teenage years, mothers should also be willing to educate their teenage daughters about various types of contraception that they can use to be protected.

But what about those parents whose teenage is already pregnant? Although it is natural for mothers of pregnant teenagers to become emotional, they should remain strong for the sake of their daughters and their family as well. It would be better if mothers encourage their pregnant teens to undergo therapy together so that they can freely discuss their emotions as well as their future plans.

Parents with pregnant teens should make sure that their daughters immediately get medical treatment to protect the health of their daughter and the baby as well. Since most families are not financially prepared for this kind of situation, family members should carefully discuss the possible options that would be best for the family and their daughter. Some families decided to put the baby for adoption while others planned to raise the baby by themselves.

Teenage pregnancy is one of the trials in life that the whole family should undergo together. There are several ways that can be used to prevent teenage girls from getting pregnant. All these processes require parental guidance and love. A good parent should be able to provide the need of their family both financially and emotionally. Good parents must also be able give the support needed by teenagers to be successful in life including the life as a teenage mother.