In the United States, 34 percent of teenage girls get pregnant at least once before they reach the age of 20, and 46 percent of high school students admit they have had sex at least one time.
According to TeenPregnancy.org, teen mothers are less likely to finish school and more likely to be single parents. In fact, recent studies show that one-third of teens who begin their families before age 18 never earn a high school diploma.
Furthermore, teen mothers also face serious health risks such as, poor weight gain, pregnancy-induced hypertension, anemia and sexually transmitted diseases (STDs). Later in life, adolescent mothers tend to be at greater risk for obesity and hypertension than women who were not teenagers when they had their first child.
With so many news headlines centered on teen sexuality in today’s society, many parents simply do not know how to approach their children about the consequences of sex. Similarly, many teens are afraid to ask for guidance about relationships and how to deal with peer pressure.
Parents should be the predominant teachers about values and expectations for their children. They should be the first to discuss topics like love, sex and relationships with teen children. In fact, teens consistently say they would like to learn about these issues from their parents.
To find out more about preventing teen pregnancy, visit TeenPregnancy.org or call the Cook County Department of Public Health at 708-492-2253.
