Just What Are The Causes Of Teenage Pregnancy

Just What Are The Causes Of Teenage Pregnancy?

What are the causes of teenage pregnancy? This question can be answered simply by stating that the cause of teenage pregnancy is the result of having sexual intercourse, whether it is voluntary or involuntary. A girl can become pregnant if she is in a long term relationship with a boyfriend and she chooses to have sexual intercourse. A teenage girl can also become pregnant on a single date if she has had sexual intercourse. Teens may become pregnant if they are raped.

However, answering the question ‘what are the causes of teenage pregnancy’ is not that simple. The only way to ensure that a teenager never becomes pregnant is if the teen abstains from sexual activity. The good news is that teen pregnancy is on the decline. The bad news is that at least one million teens will become pregnant this year.

There are things that adults can do to help teenagers that can discourage sexual activity. The first step is to keep the communication lines open between you and your teenager. Teens should feel comfortable talking to a responsible adult about peer pressure, sex and their feelings.

Next, teenagers should feel and know that they are loved and accepted in their family. Many teenagers turn to sex as a means of feeling an empty void in their lives.

Lastly, you should talk to your teen and educate him or her about contraceptives. You should make your wishes known if you prefer your child to abstain from sexual intercourse. However, your teen should know that if he or she chooses to have sex that there are contraceptives available to protect him or her from being involved in a teenage pregnancy. Contraceptives include the birth control pill or patch, diaphragms, spermicides, cervical caps, intrauterine devices (IUD) and condoms. You should tell your teen that each of these methods can fail if they are not used properly.

To answer the question “what are the causes of teenage pregnancy� you would have to ask each pregnant teenager and her partner individually what prompted them to become sexually active. Some people blame it on the media and the onslaught of sexual messages that are being broadcast in magazines, movies, music videos, television shows and more. Others blame teenage pregnancy on the parents of the teenagers. Still others will blame it on poverty, low self-esteem, educational failures, a bleak future and other factors.

Trying to figure out just what are the causes of teenage pregnancy is a complicated question that has no one can truly answer. Most everyone agrees that teenagers need to be encouraged to put off sexual activity until they are adults. However, discouraging sexual activity is not enough to prevent teenage pregnancies.

One thing that can help teenagers is to show them that they can be leaders instead of followers. Teenagers have a voice and they need to be equipped to use their voices. Teenagers should be taught the communication skills they need to stand up to peer pressure.

Teenagers should be kept busy. Teenagers that are involved in activities are more inclined to see a promising future for themselves. Teenagers who have too much time on their hands are more likely to become sexually active than teens who are busy with sports, jobs, hobbies and participating in the community. Above all, teenagers should be taught sexual responsibility. This does not just fall on teenage girls, either. Teenage boys should be educated about sexual responsibility and behaviors.