Teenage pregnancy Literature review Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 9000 words

Teenage pregnancy - Literature review Example Legal as well as social and psychological issues and funding are considered. Introduction For those people who have planned and look forward to having a child, the news of a confirmed pregnancy is a very positive event. In the case of some young people however, similar news can come as a shock. There seems to a be a degree of disconnect in some minds between sexually risky behaviour and its possible aftermath. Reactions may well include ‘Why me?’’ together with fear of the reactions from her parents. A girl in such a situation may well feel lonely, scared, ashamed, sad and desperate. She may feel angry with the young man concerned. He may be just as scared of the possible wrath of his parents, but also perhaps of any future responsibilities for which he feels unprepared. He may also find himself on the side-lines or even totally discarded, being allowed little or no part in any decisions to be made. For both of these young parents life choices are suddenly very di fferent from what they were only a few weeks earlier. There are also long term concerns such as future education prospects, housing and all the rest. According to Innocenti, 2001 ‘In the world’s rich nations more than three quarters of a million teenagers will become mothers in the next twelve months.’ As soon as a girl begins to ovulate she is physically open to the possibility of pregnancy, whatever age she is and however prepared or not she is for the impact of a teenage pregnancy. A teenager who is sexually activity is highly likely to become pregnant with a year. This fact has huge implications, physically, psychologically, educationally, social and affects such things as the chances of employment and future marriage opportunities despite then normalisation of sex outside marriage in recent times. The rates of teenage pregnancy vary between the countries of the world, as well as among areas and groups with those countries because of a number of factors. Thes e include such things as: The differences in the levels of sexual activity among young people, which is turn is affected by the social norms of their particular society, which may be in turn be affected by such things as religious ideas and educational levels. The general amount and quality of sex education provided. The availability of, and access to, affordable and acceptable methods of contraception. In the United Kingdom 5% of underage conceptions happen to girls aged under 15 ( Department of Education, 2012). According to Medline (2012) birth in very young mothers carries with it increased risks of low birth weight babies, and prematurity, both linked to the high numbers of teenage mothers who continue to smoke during pregnancy. It can be demonstrated that these low birth weights may also be directly linked to the lack of physical maturity of the mother. This latter fact cannot be altered however good the antenatal care given, but at least medical staff will be prepared for the possibility, and prepared to support a baby with a low birth weight, often born prematurely (Law, 2012). There is also an increased risk of sudden infant death syndrome (March of Dimes, 2009). According to the Department of