Adolescent pregnancy, which occurs in 99% of cases as a result of adolescent sexual activity, is a major issue that affects youth, families, educators, healthcare professionals, and government officials. A study on high school adolescents found that 48% of males and 45% of females are sexually active, with 25% having sexual contact by age 15. The average age of first intercourse is 16 for boys and 17 for girls. Additionally, 90% of adolescents between 15-19 report their pregnancy as unintended.
A concerning statistic is that 74% of females above 14 and 60% below 15 report involuntary sexual activity. Half of all adolescent pregnancies occur within six months of initial sexual intercourse. In the US, over 900,000 teenagers become pregnant each year, with 51% resulting in live birth, 35% in induced abortion, and 14% in stillbirths or miscarriages. Four out of ten adolescent females become pregnant at least once before age 20, with 25% of adolescent deliveries not being the mother's first child.
Many reasons can lead to adolescents becoming sexually active early on, such as early pubertal development, poverty, childhood sexual abuse, lack of parental attention, absence of career goals, family and cultural patterns of early sex, substance abuse, dropping out of school, and poor academic performance. Factors that discourage early sexual activity include stable family environments, parental supervision, good family income, regular prayers, connectedness with parents, and living with both parents in a complete family setting. Adolescents who use contraceptives consistently tend to be academically successful, anticipate a successful future, and have stable relationships.
Adolescent pregnancies are associated with numerous medical risks. Adolescents under 17 years old are at greater risk of medical complications, with the weight of the child born to adolescent mothers often being below 2.5 kilograms. The rate of neonatal birth is three times higher in adolescents than in adults, with other problems including prematurity, underweight children, poor maternal weight gain, poor nutrition, anemia, STDs, and hypertension due to pregnancy.
Despite an increase in the use of contraceptive methods during first sexual contact, only 63% of high school students report using condoms previously. Adolescents who use prescription contraceptives often delay seeing a doctor until they become sexually active for over a year. However, research has shown that youngsters who participate in sex education programs that provide knowledge about contraception methods, abstinence, sexually transmitted diseases, and engage in discussions can use contraceptives and condoms effectively without increasing their sexual activity. The Center for Disease Control & Prevention recommends that the solution for unwanted adolescent pregnancies and STDs is barrier contraceptive use and abstinence.
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