Introduction
Teenage pregnancies are a significant health concern globally as it affects both developed and developing countries. A Teenager is a person above the age of twelve but below twenty years of age, and a mother's age is recorded after the birth of the child. Pregnancy among teenagers is not a new phenomenon because in the old day's women were not educated and were often married at a young age. Most girls were married after showing signs of adolescence, their fertility rate was high, and most children were born to adolescent parents.
In the 18th and 19th century, teenage pregnancies were not considered an issue as marriage among girls between the ages of twelve and twenty was high and also socially encouraged. Premarital sex was also forbidden and incase of conception marriage was initiated between the involved parties despite their age differences. Over the years, the social control over children by parents and extended family members has declined due to the development of economies. Over generations, education has been embraced, and equality among both boys and girls has ensured all children are allowed to pursue education.
The number of teenage birth has declined from 65 to 47 for every 1000 women between adolescent girls for the years 1990 and 2015, respectively. Even though the significant changes in the numbers of teenage pregnancies are still high according to the information published by the world health organization. The data showed that approximately 23million girls aged between the ages of twelve to nineteen become pregnant annually and out of that population, around 18million successfully carry the pregnancy to term (Scally, 2002). Developing countries record the highest percentage of teenage pregnancies globally. Due to the increased population globally, there are projections that the number of adolescent pregnancies will increase with Africa as the most affected region by the year 2030. Teenage pregnancies are a social problem because of the challenges and complications young mothers encounter.
Young mothers face a higher risk of pregnancy-related complications such as endometriosis as compared to their counterparts aged between 20 to 24 years. The children born to teen mothers also experience a high risk of premature delivery, underweight births and even extreme neonatal complications (Brindis, 2017). Teenage pregnancies also affect the education journey of the girls as most are forced to get married and drop out of school. Most teenage pregnancy cases are reported from regions that are marginalized and have a high population of its occupants living below the poverty line. Teenage pregnancies work against any efforts employed to help reduce the poverty ration and improve the livelihood of the people living within the most affected regions.
Most governments around the globe passed laws that made child marriages illegal. This helped ensure that there was increased age at marriage and teenagers were given time to study. Raising the age at which girls were allowed to get married help curb the challenge of child marriages and also reduced the occurrence of pregnancy among teenagers. Governments have also ensured that every child has the right to receive an education despite their gender, and this has greatly influence reduced social deprivation.
Education helps children learn new skills and ways they can utilize them to change their situation. Education also creates exposure and children from different communities can interact and exchange ideas on how they can improve their communities. Education also informs people about their rights and they are therefore in a position to decline any influences that might not be good for them. Increased awareness also helped people identify and report sexual abuse cases which were recorded to be among the causes of teenage pregnancies.
Sex education has also been integrated into the curriculum where students are taught about the changes to expect in their bodies during adolescence and even the consequences of them engaging in sexual interactions (Brindis, 2017). Sex education covers various topics ranging from sexually transmitted affections to forms of contraceptive and family planning methods. Equipping teenagers with this information enables them to make smart decisions regarding their lives and future interactions with the opposite sex. Sex education helps eliminate naivety among teenagers and ensure they are proactive and can be able to analyze any dangers and risk factors they might be exposed to in a situation. Sex education also helps inform the students on where they can get assistance if faced by specific challenges; it helps improve their confidence and self-acceptance.
Conclusion
The government and the community should work together to ensure that every child is protected against any harmful practices. Despite the government legislative that all children should be allowed to attend school, there are still communities where girls are discriminated against and kept away for school awaiting their grooming and marriage. Cities need to be vigilant to ensure that no child is deprived of their right to education. There should be a friendly environment where everyone is treated equally and respected as human beings.
The world stands a better chance of reducing poverty levels when the young generation receives education without gender or social class discrimination. Education helps create equality and gives every child a fair chance and opportunity to improve their lives and that of their family and community.
