What kind of teenagers get pregnant

These include poverty, school failure, a mother or sister who was a teen mother and living in a dangerous neighborhood, Parrot said.

The adolescent pregnancy rate continues to rise in every state," she added. Yet, some programs effectively counter these trends. One of the most successful programs was developed by Dr.

We want all girls and women to make their own sexual and reproductive health choices. Read the blog. Girls have written an open letter to the major social media platforms, calling for urgent action against online abuse. Stand with them today by adding your name. Girls and young women have the right to sexual and reproductive health services, despite government restrictions of movement. Girls and young women have grown tired of patriarchal control of female sexuality and are demanding a say in discussions on their sexual and reproductive health and rights.

What causes teenage pregnancy? Lack of information about sexual and reproductive health and rights Inadequate access to services tailored to young people Family, community and social pressure to marry Sexual violence Child, early and forced marriage, which can be both a cause and a consequence Lack of education or dropping out of school.

Advice app helps teens tackle pregnancy A new smartphone app is helping combat teenage pregnancy in Timor Leste by providing teenagers with sexual and reproductive health information. What are the effects of teenage pregnancy? How does teenage pregnancy affect girls? She'll be screened for sexually transmitted diseases STDs and for exposure to certain diseases, such as measles, mumps, and rubella. Knowing what to expect can help alleviate some of the fears your daughter may have about being pregnant.

Her health care provider will probably prescribe a daily prenatal vitamin to make sure she gets enough folic acid, iron, and calcium. Folic acid is especially important during the early weeks of pregnancy, when it plays a role in the healthy development of the neural tube the structure that develops into the brain and spinal cord.

Your teen's health care provider will talk about the lifestyle changes she'll have to make for the health of her baby, including:. If your daughter smokes or uses alcohol or other drugs, her health care provider can offer ways to help her quit.

Fast food, soft drinks, sweets — teen diets are notoriously unbalanced. Eating well greatly increases your teen's chances of having a healthy baby, so encourage her to maintain a well-balanced diet that includes plenty of fruits, vegetables, and whole-grain breads use the U.

Department of Agriculture's MyPlate as a guide. Pregnancy is not the time for your daughter to go on a diet. When pregnant, some teens might be tempted to counter normal pregnancy weight gain by cutting calories or exercising excessively — both of which can seriously harm their babies. If you suspect that your teen has an unhealthy preoccupation with her weight, talk to her health care provider. If your teen was physically fit before getting pregnant and is not experiencing any pregnancy complications, her health care provider will probably encourage her to continue exercising.

Most women benefit from getting some exercise during pregnancy, although they might have to modify their activity. Low-impact exercises, such as walking and swimming, are best. Have your daughter discuss her exercise plans with her health care provider early on. Most teens enter parenthood unprepared for the stress a new baby brings, and many experience frustration, resentment, and even anger toward their newborns — which may explain why teen parents are at higher risk for abusing and neglecting their babies.

You may want to talk with your teen's doctor to discuss ways you can help her manage her stress levels so that she can better cope with changes in her life.

She also may want to spend some time with other parents of newborns to get a better sense of what caring for a baby involves. Your daughter's health care provider will probably recommend that she take classes on pregnancy, giving birth, and parenting.

These classes some of which are held just for teens can help prepare her for the practical side of parenthood by teaching skills such as feeding, diapering, child safety, and other basic baby care techniques. Many practical issues must be considered. Will your teen keep the baby or consider adoption? If she keeps it, will she raise the baby herself? Low birth weight also affects brain development.

Children who were born underweight have been observed to have learning difficulties. In addition to having an increased risk of being underweight, infants born to teenage mothers are also at a higher risk of infant mortality. Fathering a child as a teenager can be a frightening and life-changing event. Arrest or legal action against teens who are sexually active can have devastating effects.

A young man may be required to register as a sex offender if he has reached the legal age age 18 in some states and his partner has not age 17 or under. Most supermarkets and drugstores sell home pregnancy tests. These tests are designed to detect pregnancy hormones in your urine. Ideally, the future father and family members of both mother and father will be involved in making the best decisions.

Birth control clinics and public health offices can provide counseling information to help you make the right choices for you and your baby. Teen moms can have healthy babies. Proper obstetrical care throughout your pregnancy is so important to the health and well-being of both the mother and the baby. Eat well , exercise , and confide in supportive friends and family members. Cigarette smoking during pregnancy has been shown to lower birth weight and cause babies to be born prematurely. Drugs and alcohol can have very damaging effects on a mother and her unborn child.

If you think you might be addicted to drugs or alcohol , ask your doctor about counseling and treatment programs to help you quit. Only take the medicines your doctor prescribes. Make sure your doctor knows about any over-the-counter OTC medicines you are taking. In the last months of your pregnancy, you may see your doctor every other week, ending with weekly visits in your final month.

These visits are to make sure you and your baby are healthy. As your baby develops, the doctor will feel its position and listen for its heartbeat. According to a study published in the journal PLoS One , an abstinence-only sex education was positively correlated with an increase in teen pregnancies.

Some programs offer peer counseling, since it might feel more comfortable talking to someone your own age. Contact your health department for information on programs in your area. An intrauterine device IUD is a device a doctor implants in your uterus.

The IUD prevents pregnancy by various mechanisms. It has a 99 percent rate of effectiveness, according to Planned Parenthood.