Baby Making

The term teenage pregnancy is precisely defined as the pregnant woman who has not approached her adulthood age. This age varies a lot in different parts of the world. Like for example in UK a girl will be referred to as teenaged pregnant if she at the time of her pregnancy has not celebrated her 18^th birthday.

Medically a woman can get pregnant after menarche. Menarche is the first menstrual period. The average age of menarche is 12 and a half years old. But practically a 12 year old girl should not get pregnant to give birth to her offspring. The average age of menarche also depends upon body weight and the occurrence of the preliminary ovulation. This average age is on the decline day by day.

The ratio of teenage pregnancy also varies from region to region. It is highest in sub Saharan Africa where it averages about 1.4 %. It is the lowest in South Korea.

Reports show that approximately 1,300,000 babies are born of women who are under the age of 20. The major portion of this are in under developed countries, the reasons for this are different. Poverty is among the foremost reason. In sub - Saharan Africa the major reason is that there women opt for early marriages. Another reason is the lack of knowledge about contraception.

This ratio is not very high in some Asian countries. One of the major reasons of teenage pregnancy in developed countries is the use of alcohol. The use of alcohol often put young girls into unintended sexual relationships.

Due to the increased awareness the ratio of teenage pregnancy is declining in Canada and USA but is still seen as a problem in the UK. In these developed countries, as mentioned earlier, it was not that the young women opted for early marriages, but rather more than 80% of teen pregnancies were unintentional. However, with better education the ratio is declining because of the increased use of contraception to avoid the risk of HIV and other STDs. The media has also played a vital role in this increase of awareness.

Teenage pregnancy has many economic consequences too. Because of taking care and giving birth to a child the mums have to discontinue their education. This termination of education reduces the chances of getting a reasonable job when required. Most of the teenage pregnant girls, between the ranges of 15 to 17, have to be a single parent. As a result they don't have a partner to contribute to the household income.