Literature Review of Teen Pregnancy

Presented below will be a discussion of first, the extent of teen pregnancy in the United States and secondly, a description of some of the outcomes, effects, and impacts of teenage pregnancy and childbirth on teenagers and their offspring. The review will conclude with a description of some of the interventions that have been developed to reduce what has been characterized as a major public health problem in the United States (Sawhill, 2006).

The Guttmacher Institute (2006), a New York City based research organization, reported on the incidence of teenage pregnancy in the United States. Each year almost 750,000 females between the ages of 15 and 19 become pregnant. The teenage pregnancy rate in this country is at its lowest level in 30 years, down 36 percent since its peak in 1990. At the same time, the problem continues to be significant and to represent a major challenge to educators, health care providers, and soc

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e more prominent then when she lives with a single parent. Thus, there are mediating effects to be observed based upon the teenage girls living arrangements. A study by Dogan-Ates and Carrion-Basham (2007) examined the role of three groups of risk and protective factors (e.g., individual, family, and extrafamilial) that are associated with teenage pregnancies. Two groups of Latina adolescents aged 15 to 19 were utilized. One group consisted of girls who were neither pregnant or mothers and the second group was composed of girls who were either pregnant or mothers. Findings from the study revealed significant group differences. Non-pregnant and non-parenting teenagers had higher school grades and more ambitious career aspirations. This group was likely to enjoy more positive relationships with their parents, to participate in more extracurricular activities and religious services, and to have friends who model conventional behaviors. In essence, Dogan-Ates and Carrion-Basham (2007) concluded that the non-pregnant Latina teenagers had higher levels of self-esteem and were less depressed than the pregnant or parenting teenagers. Hillis, Anda, Dube, Felitti, Marchbanks, and Marks (2004) explored the association between
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Some common words found in the essay are:
Van Lenten, Teenage Pregnancy, Policy Priorities, Framework ISF, Caulfield Thomson, Brubaker Wright, Children AFDC, Guttmacher Institute, Kahn London, Finally Herrman, teen pregnancy, teenage pregnancy, sexual activity, teenage mothers, teenage girls, guttmacher institute 2006, pregnancy prevention, adolescent pregnancy, sexuality education, van lenten, teen pregnancies, van lenten 2007, journal marriage family, comprehensive sexuality education, accessed online 3,
Approximate Word count = 4919
Approximate Pages = 20 (250 words per page)

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