Cassidy Reid . Kendra Gallos. English Iii Honors . 27 March

Cassidy Reid Kendra Gallos English III Honors 27 March 2017 How to Reduce Teenage Pregnancy in America A nightmare can strike, even when the eyes of it’s victims are wide open. It can be unexpected, terrifying, a nightmare to see the dreaded two lines on the test- especially as a teenager. Even if teenagers are old enough to decide whether or not they want to engage in sexual intercourse, the rate of teenage pregnancy should be reduced as much as possible. Teenage pregnancy is not only expensive, but also puts the lives of the mother and child in danger. Teenage pregnancy is not a new concept, having been around since the dawn of humanity. Most humans, at a certain point, will hit a stage in life called puberty. During this time,†¦show more content†¦Not only that, but teens who are in a less favorable economic situation, or are on welfare, are more likely to become pregnant than girls who are not. (About Teen Pregnancy). Those statistics are not very promising, especially when babies are being born to girls on welfare or gove rnmental assistance. (Teen Birth Rates) When a baby is born, it is a priority that said baby is healthy and happy. It is also important that the mother takes care of herself and the baby before it arrives, including taking vitamins, going to checkups, and eating healthy. It’s not easy, but teenage pregnancy is much more risky than adult pregnancy. Pregnant teens and their babies are at a higher risk than adult mothers and their babies, risks including high blood pressure, preeclampsia, premature birth, postpartum depression, and low birth weights (Teenage Pregnancy: Medical). However, this is not always the case. â€Å"...not every baby born to a teen mother will have health problems -- but the risks are definitely higher.† (Beirne, Dr.) Medical risks such as the ones listed can be very dangerous, to both the mother and the child. Children born to teenage mothers are not only at risk for medical reasons, but for educational reasons. These children are, more often than not, usually less read y for school than children born to older mothers, lacking childhood development skills such as social,