Early pregnancy is a multilateral problem that does not lose its relevance. To its origin leads not one, but several reasons, and often the main ones are not at all connected with the debauchery of a teenage girl. What consequences are fraught with teenage pregnancy, and how to warn against this, we will consider further.
Causes of teenage pregnancy
Teenage pregnancy happens often in 15-17 years, sometimes in 14 and earlier. This is the age when, in the modern understanding of European culture, a girl is neither an adult nor legally, nor according to medical criteria. In this case, the causes of teenage pregnancy are associated with social aspects and, if we study each of the factors, it turns out that the primary basis of this problem lies in family upbringing.
You can identify the main causes of pregnancy in adolescence:
- Lack of sexual literacy. Not every family of teenagers is timely educated in terms of intimate issues. The knowledge that children receive about sex from the Internet, from their peers, is sometimes distorted and far from the foundations that would allow them to protect themselves from health problems and psychological difficulties.
- Ignorance of the rules of contraception. Even having begun a sexual life, not all teenagers use contraceptive means or are able to use them correctly. Because of shyness, few of the young girls address this question to the gynecologist, get contraceptives in the pharmacy "with witnesses."
- The influence of a bad company. Acquaintance with peers who behave uninhibited, use alcohol or narcotic substances, dull self-control, often becomes one of the provoking factors. Perhaps the connection with the dysfunctional teenagers led problems in school, family quarrels.
- Violence. A large number of cases are associated with a violent sexual intercourse, which, because of a lack of confidential relations with parents, disappears, and pregnancy becomes known already at a later date.
- Socio-economic situation. Low social status, poverty force some adolescent girls to have an early sexual life when they set out to grow up, leave the family, marry for a better life.
Physiological and psychological features of adolescent pregnancy
Practically always signs of teenage pregnancy become a surprise, because this is an unplanned event, to which the girls are not yet ready neither physiologically nor psychologically. During this period, the body develops, undergoing complex hormonal changes. In addition, the pubertal period is the transition from childhood to adulthood, the phase of social and emotional development of the personality, when young people begin to realize themselves as part of society. And early motherhood can become a significant obstacle in this development.
What is dangerous for an early pregnancy?
From a physiological point of view, adolescent pregnancies are more complex than adults. An unprepared organism is sometimes unable to bear the bearing of the fetus, childbirth. Young, expectant mothers are at increased risk of toxicosis, anemia, threat of miscarriage, rupture of the uterus and other pathologies. There is a high probability that the baby will be born prematurely, will have different vices. If a pregnant schoolgirl decides to have an abortion, it can turn into gynecological and endocrine pathologies, infertility.
The problem of teenage pregnancy
Unwanted pregnancy of teenagers causes them a shock, fear and guilt. A young pregnant woman can not independently assess the situation, and this entails serious psychological trauma. An important role in this case can be played by an adult who is trusted by a minor, on whose opinion the further behavior and outcome of pregnancy often depends.
A pregnant schoolgirl often encounters a condemnation of others, a lack of understanding of her parents. Another problem against this background is the need to stop education, which further turns out to be an inability to get a good job, financial difficulties. All this and not only creates a desperate situation for the girl, provoking rejection of the child, different crimes. Motherhood, which should bring joy, becomes a real tragedy for young parents.
Statistics of teenage pregnancy
An early pregnancy among adolescents is recorded annually in 16 million girls, most of them in low-income countries. It is estimated that 30% of teenage pregnancies are terminated by abortions (often in later periods), 14% of underage pregnant women have miscarriages, and in 56% of cases, pregnancy results in childbirth.
Early pregnancy - what to do?
Early adolescent pregnancy creates a dilemma: to continue to bear or to have an abortion ? Solving this issue, it is necessary to take into account many factors: the health of the pregnant woman, the financial situation, family relations, etc. Parents are obliged to find out who the father of the future child is, whether the girl was subjected to violence. The pregnant woman should visit the women's consultation, undergo the necessary examinations. It is also advisable to consult a psychologist. If a decision is made to interrupt pregnancy, then it should be done at the initial time.
Preventing teenage pregnancy
To prevent pregnancy in adolescence, it is important in time and correctly to present to young children information about the characteristics of the female and male body, the ways of transmission of sexual infections, methods of contraception. Many problems can be avoided if the parents were able to build a trusting relationship with the children so that they are not afraid and do not hesitate to share their experiences.