To What Extent Does Teenage Pregnancy Affect Girls Around The World

About 16 million girls aged 15 to 19, and some 1 million girls under the age of 15, give birth every year according to the World Health Organization. Teenage pregnancy has been a major issue in many parts of the world for years. This issue not only affects young girls in the United States but those in countries such as Niger, Slovenia, and Singapore. However, the United States has one of the highest pregnancy rates in the western industrialized world. The global issue at hand is that many adolescents are having to deal with carrying a child at a young age as well as taking the risks that come with it, whether they want to or not. Teenage pregnancies greatly affect adolescent girls around the world because of the risks having to do with their health, education and the community they live in. There are many health risks that come with giving birth at a young age, such as anemia.

According to an OB/GYN team at Revere Health, anemia occurs in adolescents because of the insufficient amount of healthy caloric intake needed during pregnancy and the expansion of red cell mass during adolescence. They are also more likely to get anemia than pregnant women between the ages of 20 and 40. Teenage pregnancy can also affect a girl’s education, because they are pressured to dropout or may experience stress from being pregnant. This is detrimental to a young girl’s future considering the fact that they are missing out on the education they need to have a future career, which could affect the economy of the community that they live in. Key terms to note are maternal mortality, and adolescent pregnancy. Maternal mortality is the death of a woman while pregnant or within 42 days of termination of pregnancy from any cause related to the pregnancy but not from accidental or incidental causes. Adolescent pregnancy is a teenage girl becoming pregnant within the ages of 13 and 19.

Teenage pregnancy is an issue that comes with many effects to a young girl’s life. An advocate for this is Julia Bodeeb, author of “Effects of Teenage Pregnancy”, stated in her article that adolescent pregnancy is a very serious issue that can greatly impact the life and future of a young female. The thesis of her argument is that there are many complications with being pregnant at a young age that is a great amount of stress and responsibility put on a child who would not be able to handle it. To support this thesis she goes on to explain the different aspects that tie into an adolescent pregnancy such as the effect on a young girl’s health and the possible risks of carrying a child. She also talks about the effect it may have on a young girl’s mental health, such as depression due to the stresses of pregnancy, and physical health as well. Bodeeb’s argument is significant because it covers the many issue that girls experience across the globe, for example, young women from certain countries may not have the finances in order to carry out a successful pregnancy. A strength of Bodeeb’s argument would be the amount of information she uses to backup the idea of her thesis making her argument seem more reliable. However a weakness would be that she does not cite any sources throughout the article which could also make her argument unreliable in a sense because there is not a way to know if the information is true or biased.

There are not many factors that increase the credibility of the source. A factor that decreases the credibility is the fact that the author refers to organizations and statistics but does not cite where they came from. This impacts her argument because of not knowing whether or not the information provided is valid, making the article weaker in terms of its credibility.Another advocate for the issue of adolescent pregnancy is the World Health Organization which are known for putting forth solutions in efforts to help fix certain issues such as adolescent pregnancy. In the article they posted, entitled “Adolescent Pregnancy”, they provide information and statistics about the effect of teenage pregnancies globally. The thesis of their argument within the article is that adolescent pregnancy is a worldwide issue that can be addressed in many ways and should be. They state that the reason for some young girl’s pregnancy is due to unwanted or unprotected sex, leading them to face major health risks. The World Health Organization uses statistics and sources in the article to support the statements made within the article. Their argument is significant because it calls for a change for the young women who are affected negatively by pregnancy whether it be due to their missing out on education or financial situations. This is also influencing to put forth possible solutions to decrease the number of young girls affected greatly by this issue. A strength of this article would be the amount of information provided in order to understand the issue just by reading it.

A weakness, however, would be that it does not show another side to a possible opposing argument, making it an article with only one side. Yet, this is understandable due to the issue being taken normally as something that should be solved immediately and not something to be left alone according to the information in the article. Aspects of this article that increases its credibility is the reputation of the author because it is written by an organization that is known for advocating for solutions for many global issues that take place. On the other hand, this article lacks any aspects that may decrease its credibility. The impact of the credibility of this source is a great amount because then the information in the article will be taken seriously as well as the issue that they are addressing. The credibility factor makes the source’s argument stronger due to the fact that it shows how trusted the source is and the information included is not covered in complete bias.

Terra Culp-Ressler, author of “Teen Pregnancy Negatively Impacts The National Economy”, focuses more and is an advocate for, however, the effect of adolescent pregnancy on the economy. The author argues in the article that teenage pregnancy has a great effect on the national economy of the United States. However, this could also apply to any other country with high teen pregnancy rates. The thesis of the author’s argument is that adolescent pregnancy not only affects the girl in her home but the nation and economy as a whole. They go on to point out that because of the dropouts due to the many pregnancies among school aged girls the amount of jobs that are being created are decreasing since those uneducated do not qualify. Of course it would affect the girl due to the expenses that are taken away in order to care for a newborn child, but the as the the point the author makes, lack of education and jobs because of the issue of teen pregnancy causes less money to be made in the business world. There is significance in the author’s argument because they address a situation that could affect more people than just the issue itself since they make the point that adolescent pregnancy has an affect on the economy.

The strengths of this argument would be that it refers to sources within the text showing that the information has the possibility of being reliable. However, the author does not cite any sources or any websites for the information presented in the article which could mean that it is an argument supported by invalid references. This impacts the argument in a negative way due to the possible lack of reliability. This source does not have many aspects that increase its credibility. Though, there are some aspects such as the website, as well as the author itself, that decrease its credibility. The reputation of the author and website is one aspect because it is not a well recognized source such as a news source which most are aware of. A strength of the amount of credibility for the argument would be the points made that are supported by the sources that are mentioned in the article while a weakness would be that the information may not be entirely based off those sources at all and may just be biased because of the author’s cting. The credibility of this source greatly affects the source and makes it weaker because due to the lack of sources to prove the point of the argument and the length of the argument as well, however shorter arguments may still be able to get their points across.

All in all, the issue of adolescent pregnancy is a topic that has many effects on girls around the world. I believe that the effect is a great deal and is something that should be brought to the table more often when it comes to creating a possible solution. I believe this because the girls that are becoming pregnant at a young age should not be robbed of that young age due to pregnancy, something that should be an adult’s matter to worry about. Julia Bodeeb’s argument swayed me the most because she really outlines all the issues that tie into the main issue of teenage pregnancies. The World Health Organization article also had an impact on my opinion because it included statistics that showed how much girls in places such as Sub-Saharan Africa and South-East Asia. More investigation definitely needs to be done so that more solutions can be made for the girls who end up impregnated by force or lack of education.

Resources are needed as well so that more can be properly informed about the issue and what effect it has on the world. Changes need to be made in the way it is studied and discussed because in places like the United States teen pregnancy is a “taboo” subject and discussed as a highly shameful issue but it needs to be looked at with a different point of view in order to get to a solution. There is a great potential impact on of future study or research because it could be an enormous help to prevent the health risks, loss of education, and negative impacts on the community of those young girls who are pregnant. Future study would mean more opportunity and give the girls who got their childhood taken away, a chance to keep it while it lasts.