ADAMSON UNIVERSITY COLLEGE OF ENGINEERING DEPARTMENT OF MINING , GEOLOGY AND CERAMICS

Ang pagdadalaga ni Nene A study on teenage pregnancy

Submitted by: Santos, Gian Paulo A. Villanueva, Melchor Angelo V

Submitted to: Prof. Nolasco, Eman . Oct. 8 2012

I.

Overview

We chose this topic because this case has been alarming not only in the Philippines but also in the whole world that most of the teenagers get pregnant early. In our country statistics says that teenage pregnancy ha rise 70% over 10 years. This involves teenagers aged from 16-18 sometimes 14-18. Why does this scenario happen? In our generation music, movies, and television programs have this great influence on us. Like in our clothing, the way we socialize with other people. For example females today are dressed as if they want to attract many boys as possible, that they wear sexy outfit like short shorts, shirt with plunging neckline, spaghetti straps, fitted jeans etc. Boys are influenced by this culture as well. They taught that it is okay o have sex with this girls, and most of the boys make this as competition that the more girls that they get the more popular they are. What can be the consequences of a teenager that is pregnant? Based on facts teenagers who become pregnant drop out of school at a much higher rate than girls who do not become pregnant. They are also forced to enter into the working world much faster since they must provide for their child. But, many pregnant teens cannot find a good solid job because they have not graduated high school. The sad part is that most of the parents of these teenagers disown their teens that became pregnant, or they kick them out of the house. Ultimately, the baby suffers because it is now forced to grow up in an unstable and often poor environment. Most babies born to teens do not have a father figure in their life, so they must grow up in a single parent household. The consequences of teenage pregnancy are often devastating to both the mother and the child. It is essential that influential adults such as guidance counselors, parents, and even peers be available to teach teenagers about the consequences of premarital sex and the many different results that can occur, particularly pregnancy.

II.

Introduction

As students, it would be interesting to find out the way the case of teenage pregnancy has risen to an alarming over the past year not only in the Philippines but through out the world. In the Philippines statistics shows that teenage pregnancy has risen to an alarming 70% over a ten year period, which often involves teenagers aged from 14-18. Thus this study intends to find out the possible causes of the continuous rise of such cases. Presently, music, movies, and television programs have a great influence on the youth, with regard to the way they dress and socialize with other people. For example females today particularly the young ones dresses in a manner that really attract many boys such as short shorts, shirts with plunging necklines, spaghetti straps, fitted jeans etc. Boys are easily attracted to this types of outfits which usually results to sexual attraction. Under this condition, boys fail to consider the possible consequences of their actions. Based on the facts, teenagers that get pregnant normally drops out of school loose support from their parents, and sometimes even results to being disowned. In this case, girls are forced to go with their boyfriends that are normally the same as their age and are still dependent to their parents as well. There are cases where in the boys parents accept the responsibility but there are also cases when the parents refuse and their drives them out of the house or separates them. At any rate, it is always the girls that are at the loosing end and eventually their babies. This is also one of the major reasons why there are a lot of children that are the product of broken families. Since their parents were not able to finish school, they fail to give the proper support to their children. Being teenagers and immature they fail to give the necessary emotional support to their children. This is the same in terms of financial support, since most of these teenage parents were not able to finish school and thus finds it hard to find regular job.
3

To list down all the possible consequence of teenage pregnancy, would almost be impossible for it will bring about an endless list of negative possibilities not only for the teenage parents but also to their children who will definitely be at the loosing end and would most certainly suffer the consequences. From crimes involving children, abuses, poverty, prostitution etc. teenage pregnancy plays a major part in this. While there are cases where in things worked well for these teenage parents, it is not worth taking the risk. Teenage should understand the consequences of their actions, it is not something temporary, it is not like a bad dream that when you wake up you find that everything is still fine, it is not in short bringing a new life in this world is no small task, would be parents should prepare for it in all aspects because if not then they become the primary instrument that would destroy the very life they brought here. Early pregnancy is not associated only I our country also in other countries, teenage pregnancy range from 143 per 1000 in sub-Saharan African countries to 2.9 per 1000 in South Korea. One studying in 2001 found out that teenager gave birth had finished their Secondary schooling 10-12% as often and pursued post-Secondary education 14-29% as often woman until the age of 30.

III.

Discussion

According to the Alan Guttmacher Institute (AGI), a non-profit agency that focuses on sexual and reproductive health research, policy analysis, and public education, teenage pregnancy has adverse consequences for the parents, the child, and society. They said that pregnant teens are less likely to finish high school and attend college than teenagers that avoid pregnancy. As a result of this many teenage parents live below poverty level and rely on welfare. The children of teenage parents receive inadequate medical care, have many problems in schools, and spent more time in prison than the children of adult parents. This happen because we know that teenage parents still develop their mind in terms of decision, and many aspects in life. Some of these parents forget to give care and attention to their children, or sometimes because of their frustration some parents blame their children as the cause of their poverty. The National Campaign to Prevent Teen Pregnancy (NCPTP) claims that teenage childbearing costs society about $6.9 billion annually; this estimate include welfare and food stamp benefits, medical care expenses, lost tax revenue, incarceration expenses, and foster care. In an effort to reduce teenage pregnancy and the problems associated with it, policy makers have recently focused on what causes the widespread poverty and welfare dependence that teen moms experience and have attempted to devise solution to these problems. Some critics argue that because pregnancy limits the teenagers opportunities for education and have well-paid jobs for their need, many are forced to accept the welfare that supports their children as well as themselves. Only 64% if the teen moms graduate from high school or even have a general education diploma within two years that they have been graduated compared to 94% of teenage girls who dont give birth. This lack of education increases the risk of poverty and welfare dependence by severely restricting a young parents opportunity to have a lucrative job and financial independence. According to Kids Count, a project by the Annie E. Casey Foundation, The failure to go further in school can limit mothers employment options and increase the likelihood that she and her family will be poor. And the roughly one-fifth of the
5

adolescent moms who have more than one child are even more economically vulnerable. They might further delay finishing high school, putting them at greater risk of being slotted into low-wage jobs or facing prolonged unemployment, poverty, and welfare. According to the Child Trends, a non-profit research organization, nearly 80 percent of the teen moms eventually go on welfare and 55 percent of all the mothers on welfare were teenagers at the same time their first child was born. The absence of many teenage fathers further increases a young mothers risk of poverty and welfare dependence. The teenage marriage rate has declined in recent decades, leaving many young mothers without a husbands financial support. Although the teenage pregnancy rate in the 1950s and 1960s was higher than today, the teenage marriage rate was also higher; in 1960 the percentage of unmarried teenage births was 15 percent, compared with 75 percent today. Many social commentators argue that the decline in teenage marriage has contributed to the rise in poverty and welfare dependence of single mothers. According to scholar Patrick F. Fagan, The major change in teen pregnancy is not the numbers or rates of teen pregnancy, but the massive abandonment of marriage. . . . Having a baby out of wedlock is the major way to derail progress towards a future stable family life with its attendant more comfortable domestic economy. Fagan and others maintain that without the bonds of marriage to hold couples together, many young fathers abandon young mothers and their children to poverty and welfare dependence. Other social critics argue that poverty and adverse life circumstances foster teenage pregnancy, rather than result from it. Data from the American Academy of Pediatrics reveal that about 83 percent of adolescents who give birth and 61 percent who have abortions come from poor or low in come families. According to professor Michael A. Carrera, Unfortunately, many teen males and females do not have the good fortune of living in [stable family] situations and do not see much of a future for themselves. Most young people see little employment opportunity around them and will probably face a life of low economic status, ever-present racism, and inadequate opportunities for quality education. . . . Under such conditions, it is no wonder that some young people, instead of becoming industrious and hopeful, become sexually intimate for a short-term sense of comfort, and ultimately become profoundly fatalistic. These teenagers perceive few opportunities to achieve better circumstances than they were raised in; therefore, they are less inspired to avoid pregnancy and childbearing than teens from more affluent backgrounds.
6

As a possible solution to the social and economic costs of welfare-dependent teenage mothers, in 1996 Congress passed the Personal Responsibility and Work Opportunity Reconciliation Act, otherwise known as the welfare reform bill. One intention of the bill was to reduce the number of teenage and out-of-wedlock pregnancies by making benefits more difficult for teenage parents to obtain. The law forbids states from using federal funds to provide assistance to unmarried parents under the age of eighteen who have a child that is at least twelve weeks old unless the parents have completed high school or are enrolled in school or training programs. In addition, in order to receive benefits, teenage parents under the age of eighteen must live with a parent or in another adult-supervised setting, which states may assist teenage parents in locating. States are also given the power to deny welfare benefits to unmarried teenage parents under the age of eighteen. Supporters of welfare reform hope that these provisions, along with pregnancy prevention education programs, can decrease the number of teenage pregnancies and reduce the resulting burden on taxpayers. Critics of the welfare bill argue that many of its provisions will result in increased poverty among young mothers and children who rely on welfare as their primary source of income. According to the AGI, most of the provisions rely on disincentivesthe threat of punitive measures down the lineto discourage teenage childbearing. This strategy assumes that young women intentionally get pregnant in order to receive welfare checks. However, statistics from the AGI suggest that 85 percent of teenage pregnancies are unintentional. The AGI concludes that these components of welfare reform are targeted largely at the very small proportion of young women who are likely to go on public assistance immediately upon the birth of their baby. Yet, very often there is a lagsometimes of several yearsbetween the time most teenagers who eventually become welfare-dependent give birth and when they actually begin to receive [welfare] benefits. These women, presumably, are not expecting to go on welfare when they have a child and therefore are unlikely to change their behavior as a result of restrictions on welfare eligibility related to childbearing. The AGI and others maintain that addressing the causes of teenage pregnancy, such as poverty and unfavorable life circumstances, will more effectively reduce the rate of teenage parenting and its accompanying problems. Supporters of the 1996 welfare reform bill hope that it can defray some of the social costs of teenage pregnancy. Others maintain that society will benefit most from solving the social and economic factors that contribute to teenage pregnancy. Teenage Pregnancy: Opposing Viewpoints presents these and other issues in the following
7

chapters: Is Teenage Pregnancy a Serious Problem? What Factors Contribute to Teenage Pregnancy? What Options Are Available to Pregnant Teenagers? How Can Teenage Pregnancy Be Reduced? Examination of these arguments should give readers a thorough understanding of the problems surrounding teenage pregnancy.

IV.

Conclusion

Pre-Marital Sex, Inconsistent use of birth control, and unwanted sexual course can be a cause of teenage pregnancy. Unplanned pregnancy can cause fathers to leave their child with their mother without supporting the childs needs. Facing the reality they cant accept that they are already a father or a parent. Parents that give birth on their teenage years have less opportunity to have a quality education, they dont have the luxury to finish their studies because they already have a responsibility and thats their baby. They fail to go further in school that limit the mothers employment options. Further delay in finishing high school can put them to greater risk of having slotted to low wage job or can face prolonged unemployment, poverty and can depend on the welfare of other people. The parent and their child are more likely to experience poverty because they dont have the degree that they need to have the job that can give their needs. The child of these teenage parents can have many problems because he/she dont receive the love and care that the child need when growing up. For example this child can be a bully or a victim of a bully in school. Without having the right love and care from his parents the child could experience and suffer emotional and physical problems. Most of this child that has a single parent are more prone to rebellion or can be easily influenced by their friends who have bad habits; these things can be inherited by the child. Looking also on the other countries that decreased their teenage pregnancy rate like developed countries such as Sweden, the Netherlands, Denmark, Finland, and France, have globally low rates of teenage pregnancy, because they have an open dialogue about sex with the parents of the teenagers and the media.

V.

Recommendation As a teenager I think that we need to be more disciplined and be responsible

enough on what we do, on how we act and how to deal with the things that unexpectedly comes to us. Most teenagers today thought that when you are a teenager you already need to enter or to have a relationship with your opposite sex. They say that having a relationship with your opposite sex have an unexplainable and wonderful feeling. Where do this teenage came from? When two people with opposite sexes make love with each other? For teens like me, why dont we focus on our studies instead of focusing more on having relationship with our opposite sex? Instead of thinking what could be your suit when you meet with your boyfriend or girlfriend. Why dont you and your book stay in your house and have a date with each other? Isnt that good to read a book instead of flirting with your boyfriend or girlfriend? Another thing I want to consider in this situation is the presence and guidance of a parent. As a parent you need to guide your child with this thing, you are the one that is responsible how to teach your child on this certain topic. Let them realize how hard it is to have a child at an early age without any plan on having that baby. Schools can also be a help in preventing this teenage pregnancy like offering formal education and support to all children about goal-setting, self-esteem, relationships, anatomy, sexually-transmitted disease, and sexual

intercourse. This could be a very big help in lessening or preventing this alarming topic. Teenagers can be more informed about sexually transmitted disease, and access to condoms will safeguard the health of teenagers; on what could be the circumstances that they can face if they try to disobey or not follow the teachings about preventing teenage pregnancy. But of course as a parent you have the rights to tell if his/her child could come to this program or not.

10

VI.

References

Taylor Rios, January 23, 2011, Teenage Pregnancy Rates around World, September 25, 2012 http://teens-teenagers.knoji.com/teen-pregnancy-rates-around-theworld/

No writer attributed, Teenage Pregnancy Statistics, September 25, 2012

http://www.ayushveda.com/pregnancy/teen-pregnancy-statistics.htm

No writer attributed, November 23, 2010, Teenage Pregnancy Statistics, September 25, 2012 http://www.pregnantteenhelp.org/statistics/teen-pregnancy-statistics/

Brandi Laren, eHow Contributor; Statistics on Teenage Pregnancy, September 25, 2012 http://www.ehow.com/about_4613893_statistics-teen-pregnancy.html

Robin Elise Weiss, LCCE, About.com Guide, March of Dimes; November 2009, Teen Pregnancy, September 25, 2012
http://pregnancy.about.com/od/teenpregnancy/a/Teen-Pregnancy.htm

No writer attributed, Teenage Pregnancy- The Reality, September, 25, 2012

http://www.allaboutlifechallenges.org/teen-pregnancy.htm

Philippines Today, November 14, 2008, Teenage Pregnancy, September, 25, 2012
http://www.philippinestoday.net/index.php?module=article&view=1294

Tim Dilworth, Evaluation Designs Ltd., Fredericton, N.B., February 2006, Poverty, Homelessness and Teenage Pregnancy, September 25, 2012
http://tamarackcommunity.ca/downloads/vc/SJ_Literature_Review.pdf

11

No writer attributed, Teenage Pregnancy: Medical Risks and Realities, September, 25 2012 http://www.webmd.com/baby/guide/teen-pregnancy-medical-risks-and-realities

No writer attributed, Teenage Pregnancy: Medical Risks and Realities, September, 25 2012 http://www.webmd.com/baby/guide/teen-pregnancy-medical-risks-and-realities

No writer attributed, April 27, 2012, Teenage pregnancies in PH increased by 70% in last 10 years, says United Nation Population Fund Agency
http://www.spot.ph/newsfeatures/50963/teen-pregnancies-in-ph-increased-by-70-in-last-10-yearssays-united-nation-population-fund-agency

12