Did you know more than 500,000 teens get pregnant every year? This causes a tremendous number of difficulties for their families and their schooling. There is a significant link to teen pregnancy and dropping out of school and homelessness. Fifty percent of teen mothers do not graduate and must devote their time working complex labor or low-income jobs, and some of them have it harder when the father is absent. Graduating would allow them to work a better-sustaining job that would even give them some other benefits.
Helping teen mothers graduate is what some school districts are becoming more passionate about due to the high number of teen pregnancies that have been occurring. Some of the supportive actions schools are taking include daycares for teen mothers to be able to continue their education. Other issues of teen pregnancy include the isolation some teen mothers can experience due to their situation. Pregnant teens could become outcasts in their homes, school, and in every other public setting. Another issue is that less than 2% of pregnant teens go to college and follow their dreams of pursuing a career. Many schools allow the continuation of school while the pregnant teen goes to school. However, some do not allow the continuation which may lead to making the pregnant teen feel unwelcome, affecting their mental health.
Another article about teen pregnancy called “Adolescent pregnancy by World Health Organization” posted on June 2nd, 2023, states “Adolescent mothers (aged 10–19 years) face higher risks of eclampsia, puerperal endometritis and systemic infections than women aged 20–24 years, and babies of adolescent mothers face higher risks of low birth weight, preterm birth, and severe neonatal condition.”
Pregnant teens experience health issues that impact their lives and endanger them too. Teen mothers are at risk of getting eclampsia (which is when they get seizures), puerperal endometritis (which is an infection that can affect all layers of the uterus), and systemic infections that affect the bloodstream and can result in sepsis. Another way that pregnancy can impact the health of teens is mentally. Depression is common during pregnancy, but there have been some cases fatal to the baby and mother. Most pregnancies occur when adults are in their mid-20s. Teens are less developed than adults in their mid-20s meaning that fatal depression is common and endangers both the mother and baby. Mental health is a crucial factor in pregnancy and could be the key lead to the best or worst outcomes.
Studies show that teens who are pregnant are more vulnerable to substance abuse and other types of abuse. Pregnant teens go through a vast number of issues that make anything that helps them forget their current situation (including drugs) seem very desirable. Not only do these substances affect the pregnant teen, but they also affect the baby, born or unborn. The increased danger could even affect the people around who feel like they can’t help. That is why graduating while being a teen mother is so important, the more money you can earn the fewer issues you might have to deal with. Most jobs that have a requirement of a high school degree give health care which is important for teen mothers and their babies. The tremendous responsibility that comes with being a mother is a lot for a teen and teens who are pregnant may also face health problems, school problems, and family problems. This list shows the value of help to these teen moms, especially in the area of graduating high school.
