Teenage Pregnancy in the UK - Coursework Example

Teenage Pregnancy in the U.K 1.0 Introduction This is a major issue in the United Kingdom. The U.K has over the last two decades seen the highest rates of teenage pregnancies in the European Union. Other developed countries with almost teenage pregnancy rates are Australia and New Zealand (Maticka, 2001). The United Kingdom has the highest live birth rates amongst its teenage population in the Western European region. Estimates indicate that even the U.K’s most prosperous regions have higher rates that France and the Netherlands. 2.0Teenage Pregnancy in the U.K Several factors tend to influence the high rates of teenage pregnancy that include but are not limited to; - Social economic status particularly the variations in income distributions across the society, levels of gender equality in the society, the availability of sex education in schools, ease of access of sexual health services that are targeted at teenagers as well as levels of exposure to explicit media material. In 2000, around 38,690 teenagers under 18 years old conceived. Around 45% of these teenagers opted for Legal abortion due to the fact that these were unplanned pregnancies. Several factors tend to influence their choice on whether or not they would want to be sexually active and to utilize the various contraception available to them. A majority of these decisions are done at a personal level (beliefs and attitudes, substance abuse, knowledge), intra-familial level (parent-child communication, family structure, social economic factors), extra-familial level (sexual health education in schools, health services, peer influences) as well as the community level (norms and values that are related to teenage pregnancies) Most of these factors can vary with time and depending on the available social institutions while at the same time others may not be that easy to change. In many cases, groups of physicians play the role of lobbying the government to enact policy initiatives that are aimed at controlling sexually risky behavior amongst teenagers that include improved sex education in learning institutions. The most significant role of physicians is to provide the needed sexual health information as well as services in their premises during the provision of clinical services to teenagers. These physicians have to be familiar with the realities teenage sexuality. Studies have shown that most teenagers may be sexually active by the time they complete their high school education. This means that physicians should try to include in their general inquiry questions about their past sexual activity, contraception use, STI infections as well as pregnancies if any (Roles, 2005). Physicians should be proactive in conducting such inquiries since it is not very easy for adolescents to open up about their sexual activity history. The general lack of consensus on means of countering sexually transmitted infections and pregnancy problem amongst teenagers is the main factor that contributes to the high levels of teenage pregnancies in the United Kingdom. There are not yet correctly installed structures that advocate for effective sex education. The prevailing low educational expectations that is attributed to the common perception that there are few employment opportunities contribute to teenagers dropping out of schools, taking part in unplanned sexual activities due to the societal influence leading to teenage pregnancy. Widespread ignorance about the usage of contraceptives despite their availability is a key factor that leads to unplanned pregnancies in the population. Sex education has managed to educate a large number of teenage girls on the importance of using a condom. However many of them go ahead and take part in risky sexual behavior with the false hope that they will not ne impregnated or contract sexually transmitted diseases. The teenage segment of the population have been found to be unwilling users of contraceptives even if they are offered the same free of charge by various organizations or the government. John Barlow is of the opinion that the three main factors that can help reduce the high rates of STI’s and teenage pregnancy are effective relationship and sex education, improved access to teenage friendly health services as well as the society having a much more open attitude towards sex that will influence the youth to make much more sound decisions regarding their activities (Leishman &Moir, 2007). The U.K government has for a long period of time advocated for increased sex education in schools but the most schools offer much more attention to other conventional subjects. Sex and relationship education should be made a compulsory subject on each level of education. A research conducted at the University of York concluded that being exposed to education before sexual activity makes teenagers delay engaging in sexual activity and increases the chances of them using contraceptives when they eventually come about to the idea of having sex. The main critiques of sex education are of the view that the present form of sex education is heavily biological and thus not adequate in arming the teenagers with the most relevant tips on sex information in the real world (Barlow, 2005). A majority of teenage boys and girls are given a twisted view from television programs that relate sexual activity with celebrity status whilst portraying it as a fashionable activity. Most of the teenagers that do not take part in extracurricular activities tend to spend most of their free time in front of the TV set watching celebrity shows and romantic programs that glorify sexual activity. This exposure to a highly sexualized environment does not give them the necessary tools to take care of themselves and deal with the consequences of sexual activity (Chambers, Wakley &Chambers, 2001). Early teenage pregnancy comes with several complications. These include premature births, miscarriages as well as underweight babies. Teenage mothers have also been found to have greater risks of getting sexually transmitted diseases since they are mostly victims of substance and alcohol abuse, poor nutrition and cigarette smoking and having higher risks of suffering from postnatal depression (Arai, 2009). Lack of Gynecological maturity amongst teenage mothers is one of the key reasons why there are adverse effects that follow births (Graden, Hernon & Topping, 2008). Teenage girls carry on growing even when still pregnant. This contributed to the unborn child facing nutrients and food competition from the mother thus affecting their growth. There are also higher chances of obstructed labor during child birth due to the mother’s underdeveloped pelvic area (Horgan, 2007). These effects can lead to serious long term effects thus highlighting the need for better preventive measures to be put in place. Sexual health and family planning clinics should be more easily accessible amongst teenage mothers that are at the same time provided with a broad range of reproductive health services like proper diet advice, rehabilitation and counseling services that seek to persuade the mother to cease destructive behavior like smoking, drinking and drug abuse whilst at the same time encouraging them to continue with their studies. Continued attendance of antenatal sessions would also provide them with social support as well as medical care. It is also widely believed that appropriate postnatal services offered to teenage mothers tends to offer the most effective education and counseling on key aspects of motherhood like baby nutrition and breast feeding. Teenage mother need enhanced attention from social and health service providers since they always tend to be single mothers that adds to the feeling of being isolated or being stigmatized by the society (Coufopoulos & Stitt, 1996). Young teenage mothers are at higher risk of indulging in behavior that can contribute to an unfavorable environment to their infants like smoking due to the pressure and stress that is compounded by the fact that they are still young and not yet ready to deal with the increased demands of motherhood. They have to be made much more aware of the dangers of smoking both to them and the baby and the need to make use of contraceptives in their future sexual activities. Health workers also face another unique challenge that is associated to teenage mothers. This is because many of them delay in presenting themselves to hospitals for the purposes of diagnosis only to do so in the later weeks of the pregnancy. This leads to them failing to get proper attention in time to detect any possible complications earlier on (Asencio, 2002). Almost two thirds of teenage mothers do not have their own housing arrangements. This is because they are either housed by parents, sponsors or relatives (Daquerre &Nativel, 2006). This will most likely contribute to domestic conflicts in addition to inability to provide the required environment for both the child and the mother that may be negatively affect the child’s development. Teenage fathers also tend to face almost the same difficulties but not as severe as the teenage mothers. Children of teen mothers are also more likely to experience loneliness in the wider family setting. They also face increased risks of poor housing, nutrition as well as poverty that contribute to them experiencing less than ideal standards of upbringing. Further studies have also indicated that daughters of teenage mothers have a higher chance of being teenage mothers as well in future (Baker, 2007). 3.0 Conclusion It is therefore noted that bearing children at a younger age negatively affects a teenager’s well being and health. Her education prospects are negatively affected which translates to diminished career prospects as well. Their also have a diminished prospect of living with a partner later on in life. 4.0 Reference List ASENCIO, M. (2002). Sex and sexuality among New York's Puerto Rican youth. Boulder (Colo.), L. Rienner. BAKER, P. (2007). Teenage pregnancy and reproductive health. London, RCOG Press. LEISHMAN, J. L., & MOIR, J. (2007). Pre-teen and teenage pregnancy a twenty-first century reality. Keswick, M & K Pub. http://books.google.com/books?id=2WeRAAAAIAAJ. CHAMBERS, R., WAKLEY, G., & CHAMBERS, S. (2001). Tackling teenage pregnancy: sex, culture and needs. Abingdon, Rafcliffe Medical Press. ARAI, L. (2009). Teenage pregnancy: the making and unmaking of a problem. Bristol, UK, Policy Press. DAGUERRE, A., & NATIVEL, C. (2006). When children become parents: welfare state responses to teenage pregnancy. Bristol, Policy. BAKER, P. (2007). Teenage pregnancy and reproductive health. London, RCOG Press. CATER, S., & COLEMAN, L. (2006). "Planned" teenage pregnancy: perspectives of young parents from disadvantaged backgrounds. London, published for the Joseph Rowntree Foundation by Policy Press. http://www.jrf.org.uk/bookshop/eBooks/9781861348753.pdf. MALES, M. A. (2010). Teenage sex and pregnancy: modern myths, unsexy realities. Santa Barbara, Calif, Praeger. MALES, M. A. (2010). Teenage sex and pregnancy: modern myths, unsexy realities. Santa Barbara, Calif, Praeger. ROLES, P. (2005). Facing teenage pregnancy: a handbook for the pregnant teen. Washington, DC, CWLA Press. GARDEN, A., HERNON, M., & TOPPING, J. (2008). Paediatric and adolescent gynaecology for the MRCOG and beyond. London, RCOG Press. COUFOPOULOS, A.-M., & STITT, S. (1996). Teenage pregnancy: Charles Murray & the "underclass" : research monograph. Liverpool, Liverpool John Moores University Centre for Consumer Education and Research. Read More