What has been the pattern for rates of teenage pregnancy in the United States? What are the consequences of teenage pregnancy for all involved?

Question

What will be an ideal response?

Answer 1

Teenage pregnancies are a popular topic in the media and political discourse in the

United States, in part because the United States has the highest rate of teen pregnancy

in the Western industrialized world. Teenage pregnancies have also been of concern to

analysts, who suggest that teenage mothers may be less skilled at parenting, are less

likely to complete high school than their counterparts without children, and possess few

economic and social supports other than their relatives. In addition, the increase in

births among unmarried teenagers may have negative long-term consequences for

mothers and their children because these circumstances severely limit educational and

employment opportunities and increase the likelihood that both the mothers and their

children will live in poverty. Fathering children has a negative impact on educational

and economic achievement for adolescent males, as well. Although there is still cause

for concern, the rate of teenage pregnancy has essentially been declining since 1991.