Teenage Pregnancy

Image from:- http://newsimg.bbc.co.uk/media/images/47364000/gif/_47364706_conception466x321.gif





The moment where a parent hears their teenage daughter is pregnant is something that every person dreads. There is a huge stigma attached to teenage pregnancy, but although almost always unplanned, does society have the right to judge those teenagers?

According to figures by the BBC, as of February 2008, teenage pregnancy has dropped by a massive 4%. 42,988 women under the age of eighteen fell pregnant in 2007, with 2008 figures showing a drop to 41,325. This shows that government's intervention by showing proper use of contraception is working. While this is promising, the rate of teenage abortion is also dropping. 49% of those who became pregnant under the age of 18 had abortions in 2008, whilst 50% of those in 2007 turned to this. This could be argued either way. Is it best to 'save' the child and the baby involved by turning to abortion, or is abortion itself a bad thing? Something that I find with teenage pregnancy is that those judging are very contradictory. They look down on teenage mothers, but also judge them if they have an abortion. What are they supposed to do? Obviously other than abstain from sex. Who is to say that a teenager can't look after a baby as well as an older woman? Obviously they aren't as mature, but there is no reason why they can't adequately raise a child in the right way.

I think it is good that the government is doing all it can to cut the rate of teenage pregnancy. Their tactics are showing a great promise, as apart from a slight rise in 2007, their figures have been steadily dropping since 2002. Though I can see why other people may judge teenage mothers, I do not think it is right. I believe that they should be given the right to prove themselves before the public judge them in such a way. I believe it is hard enough for a teenager to come to terms with being pregnant, and others judging only makes it more difficult for them. People should support them, no matter their situation, instead of taking a derogatory view. I have included a link from the BBC with interesting information on the topic below, and a graph of the statistics above. What do you all think?


Link:- http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/education/8531227.stm