Table of ContentsIntroductionCauses of Teenage PregnancyComplications of Teenage PregnancyMeasures to Prevent Teenage PregnancyConclusionReferencesIntroductionIn recent decades, the number of teenage pregnancies has significantly decreased in the United States of America due to the measure put in place by the American Academy of Paediatrics (APP) to prevent teenage pregnancies. However, it is still a serious problem in other countries like Kenya which still needs to be discussed as it has many social, economic, emotional, financial and mental problems. Say no to plagiarism. Get a Custom Essay on “Why Violent Video Games Should Not Be Banned”?Get the original essay The Center for Disease Control (CDC) has identified teenage pregnancy as an important public health problem, primarily in developing countries. Teenage pregnancy affects many sectors such as education, family, health, youth and government. According to the Demographic and Health Survey, almost three hundred thousand adolescent girls in Kenya aged 10 to 19 become pregnant every year, bringing the prevalence rate to 18%. Teenage pregnancies are preventing Kenya from achieving its Sustainable Development Goals as most adolescent girls drop out of school after becoming pregnant, making it difficult for them to escape poverty. Causes of Teenage Pregnancy Most cases of teenage pregnancy occur due to sexual activity, whether voluntary or involuntary. In Kenya, most children are sexually active by the age of fifteen. In addition, most of them neglect the use of protection and contraceptives. Since adolescent girls enjoy the social life of separation and consumption of drugs and alcohol, intoxication leads to poor judgment leading to sexual activities. Early marriage is also a common factor contributing to teenage pregnancies in Kenya, as most marriages are informal and unregistered. . Sexual abuse and assault also lead to early teenage pregnancies. Peer pressure and media influence have also contributed to teenage pregnancies. Most teenagers engage in sexual activities because of pressure from their friends. They feel excluded because their friends have already had sex. The media also influences them when they watch adult content that makes them want and experience the pleasure of having sex leading to pregnancy. Complications of Teenage Pregnancy The baby is likely to be born prematurely if the mother was not strong enough to get through the birth trimesters. It can also lead to giving birth to an underweight baby. These problems can lead to abnormalities in the baby such as cerebral palsy, baldness, chronic breathing problems, deafness, hyperactivity, dyslexia and mental retardation. The child is also likely to be affected by a genetic disease because gene splicing is very high in the young, which facilitates the transfer of genes from mother to child. Examples of genetic disorders include sickle cell anemia, leukemia, hemophilia, thalassemia, Down syndrome, and Duchenne muscular dystrophy. The environment in which the mother lives during pregnancy also has a significant effect during childbirth. Ifenvironment is toxic, there is a high chance that the mother will give birth to a child with genetic complications due to genetic alteration, for example autism. May also lead to miscarriage or premature birth. The child may also be affected by cephalopelvic disproportion: the baby's head is larger than the pelvic opening. These complications increase the risk of infant death. Pregnancy induces hypertension, poor weight gain in the mother, anemia, urinary tract infections and sexually transmitted diseases in the mother. This gives the mother sleepless nights, causing her to experience mental changes. It can also lead to death during childbirth or baby blues after childbirth. They can be affected by postpartum depression - After childbirth, about ten to fifteen percent of women suffer from postpartum depression due to the consequences of childbirth and pregnancy. This leads to a reduction in the mother-child bond. This is due to a rapid decrease in certain hormones during childbirth, complications during childbirth, a family history of mood disorders, high levels of stress during pregnancy, and depressive episodes previous ones. Other pregnant teen mothers tend to face suicidal thoughts due to peer pressure and suffer from post-traumatic stress disorder. Teenage pregnancy causes the mother to put her studies on hold and take care of the baby. This led to academic delays or dropping out of school. During the pregnancy period, if the mother is still enrolled in school, it can lead to poor academic performance as she is torn between her state and school. Teenage pregnant mothers tend to be unhappy if their families don't support them. Finding a job is not an easy task for pregnant teenagers, as most workers assume that they will ask for paid leave very soon, causing the company to run at a loss. The majority of teenage mothers end up doing odd jobs to make ends meet. Some are afraid to tell their parents about the pregnancy because of its severity which pushes them to run away from home to provide for their own needs. This results in a loss of revenue for the state due to the social protection schemes put in place to care for teenage mothers and their children. Additionally, a teenage mother is exempt from taxes. “Nationally, adolescent childbearing costs taxpayers at least $7 billion each year in direct costs associated with health care, foster care, criminal justice, public assistance, and loss of tax revenue”. Teenage mothers are always uncertain about the future, which makes them worry too much about how they will take care of the baby. They thought the baby had ruined their lives by helping them achieve the dreams they had planned. They have limited professional opportunities, which allows them to settle down financially. Most are neglected by the child's father, causing them to put emotional stress on their child, causing them to abandon their child or neglect to give them the required attention. They are always exhausted from not being able to have a social life. Their social life ends up being ruined, leading to emotional trauma. Due to emotional trauma, most mothers choose to resort to substance abuse to suppress their pain. Measures to Prevent Teen Pregnancy Abstinence is the best way to prevent teen pregnancy, although some people do not../.