I chose this. It was my responsibility to be out on the street and take care of myself. I’m old enough to where I can support myself, take care of myself if I want to, and I’m choosing not to. So, it’s not my parent’s or anybody else’s fault. It’s mine if I get in trouble or I end up getting hurt somehow.
—Ashley, 18 year-old pregnant homeless woman Runaway or homeless teenager girls are five times more likely to become pregnant and two times more likely to have more than one pregnancy than those who are not homeless. Some young women say that that the reason they are homeless is because of some type of abuse or neglect at home and others say it was because they became pregnant and were kicked out of their homes. Teenagers that are living on the streets might lack an education and may be participating in criminal activities to survive, thus making it easier to become pregnant. One of the main reasons that teens who do not have a stable home become pregnant is where they live, if they share a rented room, live with strangers, or in shelters they have a higher chance of becoming pregnant. Statistics show that there are twenty six pregnancies among thirteen women, ages 18-26. 48% of teens that have lived on the streets were said to have had at least one pregnancy. Very little is known how these young pregnant girls deal with this difficult situation while being homeless.
0 Comments
According to the American Academy of Child & Adolescent Psychiatry babies born to teen mothers here in the United States are at risk for school failure, poverty, and physical or mental illness that may last a lifetime. The reason these babies are at risk is because there parents may not know their roles as a mother, being a mother requires patience, medical care, being aware of infections, substance abuse, and the many complications that pregnancy causes. While pregnant teenage girls need to become aware of the damage that can be done to the fetus if drugs or alcohol are being used during the pregnancy.
Premature Babies Teenage mothers are more likely to give birth prematurely than mothers that are over the age of twenty. Mothers under the age of twenty are also more likely to have pregnancy complications, anemia, & high blood pressure, this risk is even greater for teens under the age of fifteen. Babies that are born to teen parents are more likely to be low-birthweight or be born prematurely. The babies that are born prematurely are more likely to pass away in the first year of their life. In 2005 16.4 out of 1,000 babies who had parents under the age of fifteen died. The Mother's Health Smoking, doing drugs, drinking alcohol, and eating unhealthy are the main causes in increased health problems among babies. Pregnant teenagers are more likely to smoke than women ages 25-34. 17% of pregnant teens smoked in 2004 compared to the 10% of women ages 25-34. Keep Healthy There are simple ways that you & your baby can stay healthy during a pregnancy!
Infections Out of the 19 million sexually transmitted infections reported each year 9 million affect the girls ages 15-24. Finishing school is extremely difficult when you are having/have a child, especially when you are young.
Reasons why teen moms do not finish school: • feeling embarrassed or awkward at school - the teen may not feel as welco med by teachers/students • health concerns for the mother and the child/children • lack of support - teen mothers need someone to support them and keep them in school • the need to work - some mothers are on their own and need to support their child • being behind in school - teen moms miss a lot of school causing them to become begins •finding a daycare - it is difficult to find someone that you trust to watch your child during the day while you're at school * Despite the fact that finishing high school as a teen mom may be difficult and overwhelming it is important for the mom and child/children. Finishing school gives the mother more opportunities in life and also gives her self respect and helps build confidence. Other options: • special schools for pregnant teens and teen moms • schools with day care centers • homeschool • night school • community college Mothers: 30% of all teenage girls that dropped out of high schools have said that pregnancy was the main factor. 34% of teenage girls who had been teen mothers did not earn a diploma or GED. Only1.5% of teen moms earn earn a college degree by the time they are 30. |