Quinn Paul - Teen Pregnancy: Your Questions Answered

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T EEN P REGNANCY

Your Questions Answered

Paul Quinn

Q&A Health Guides

Copyright 2021 by ABC-CLIO, LLC

All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted, in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise, except for the inclusion of brief quotations in a review, without prior permission in writing from the publisher.

Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data

Names: Quinn, Paul, 1971 author.

Title: Teen pregnancy : your questions answered / Paul Quinn.

Description: Santa Barbara, California : Greenwood, [2021] | Series: Q&A health guides | Includes bibliographical references and index.

Identifiers: LCCN 2020036869 (print) | LCCN 2020036870 (ebook) | ISBN 9781440876110 (cloth) | ISBN 9781440876127 (ebook)

Subjects: LCSH: Teen pregnancy. | ChildbirthMiscellanea. | PregnancyMiscellanea.

Classification: LCC RG556.5 .Q85 2021 (print) | LCC RG556.5 (ebook) | DDC 618.200835dc23

LC record available at https://lccn.loc.gov/2020036869

LC ebook record available at https://lccn.loc.gov/2020036870

ISBN: 978-1-4408-7611-0 (print)

978-1-4408-7612-7 (ebook)

252423222112345

This book is also available as an eBook.

Greenwood

An Imprint of ABC-CLIO, LLC

ABC-CLIO, LLC

147 Castilian Drive

Santa Barbara, California 93117

www.abc-clio.com

This book is printed on acid-free paper

Manufactured in the United States of America

To Mom and Davidonce more, and always

Contents

Series Foreword

All of us have questions about our health. Is this normal? Should I be doing something differently? Whom should I talk to about my concerns? And our modern world is full of answers. Thanks to the Internet, theres a wealth of information at our fingertips, from forums where people can share their personal experiences to Wikipedia articles to the full text of medical studies. But finding the right information can be an intimidating and difficult tasksome sources are written at too high a level, others have been oversimplified, while still others are heavily biased or simply inaccurate.

Q&A Health Guides address the needs of readers who want accurate, concise answers to their health questions, authored by reputable and objective experts, and written in clear and easy-to-understand language. This series focuses on the topics that matter most to young adult readers, including various aspects of physical and emotional well-being as well as other components of a healthy lifestyle. These guides will also serve as a valuable tool for parents, school counselors, and others who may need to answer teens health questions.

All books in the series follow the same format to make finding information quick and easy. Each volume begins with an essay on health literacy and why it is so important when it comes to gathering and evaluating health information. Next, the top five myths and misconceptions that surround the topic are dispelled. The heart of each guide is a collection of questions and answers, organized thematically. A selection of five case studies provides real-world examples to illuminate key concepts. Rounding out each volume are a directory of resources, glossary, and index.

It is our hope that the books in this series will not only provide valuable information but will also help guide readers toward a lifetime of healthy decision making.

Acknowledgments

This work would not be possible without the support and encouragement from my family, friends, and colleagues. Specifically, sincere thanks and appreciation to Eileen Guidice, David Gilsenan, Maggie and Milo, Tina Neri-Badame, Gregory Locoparra, Denise & Ty Mojica, Mary Quinn, Kelly & Tom Greco, Joe & Gail Guidice, Anthony & Laura Guidice, Roxanne Guidice, Donna Petrolia, John & Mindy Gilsenan, Mike & Mary Lanni, Christine Lanni, Michael & Alyssa Lanni, John & Gina Nicoletti-Gilsenan, Kate & Marwan Amaisse, Matt Gilsenan, and the memory of Gladys Gilsenan and Maryanne Hedrick. In addition, Robert Velez, Larry Lane, Joel Kunkel, Jim McCoy, Jeffrey Cervone-Bonamo, Sean & Marie Sherrock, Ian Klein, Felipe Guzman, Marvin Kasper, Ann Marie Leichman, Charles Vannoy, Peter Jarosz and my friends, and coworkers and colleagues of The Valley Health System were a constant source of support and encouragement.

Social workers and care managers are the unsung heroes of health care. I remain extremely grateful for the expertise and guidance of Terry Grueter, Erin Smith, Nina Halstead, and Nadine Morton.

Unexpected turns happen in life. I am sincerely grateful for the expertise, skill, and compassion of Dr. Michael Passeri, Dr. Kevin Wood, and Dr. Anna Korcis for taking care of who matters most to me.

I remain extremely grateful to Maxine Taylor, Lettie Conrad, and Tracey Molineaux for their literary, publishing, and promotional expertise and direction.

Some people never get to meet their heroes or guardian angelI was raised with mine. Thank you, Vinny, for the spirit that pushes me to do more and be more than I ever imagined.

Finally, I can do this work only because of the invaluable lessons I have learned from the men and women I have had the honor to care for, my patients, during close to three decades of nursing and midwifery practice. Your lives, stories, resilience, and spirit are forever part of my soul.

Introduction

It is estimated that 3 in 10 girls will become pregnant at least once before age 20. With 750,000 teen pregnancies occurring each year, 18.8% of teen girls age 15 to 19, then, are likely to be pregnant. The issue of teen pregnancy, however, is a global phenomenon. Although rates of teen pregnancy are beginning to decline, rates of teen pregnancy remain high in specific racial groups like Hispanics (28.9%), and non-Hispanic blacks (27.5%) compared to non-Hispanic white teen girls (13.2%). Thus, the World Health Organization estimates that about 16 million girls between the ages of 15 to 19, and about 1 million girls younger than age 15, give birth each year. As the global population of adolescent girls continue to grow, so do the chances that more teen girls (and teen boys as fathers) will become pregnant by 2030.

Teens are having their first sexual encounters, including sexual intercourse, as early as junior high or grammar school in the United States. There is a belief, perhaps popularized by social media, television, or the movies that dating, relationships, and intimacy signify maturity, worthiness, acceptance, or popularity. Teens who have sex at younger ages often lack access to a proper and consistent form of birth control and are highly susceptible to pregnancy. There is no single risk factor that makes a teen more likely to become a parent. Multiple factors influence teen pregnancy. Teens are beginning, and engaging in, sexual activity regularly and at young ages. Contraceptive access and options are limited for most teens. Families, further, have a significant impact on a teens self-esteem and set the example for mature relationships between adults. An environment of poverty, few resources, violence, drug or alcohol abuse, peer pressure, and teens being surrounded by teens who are all sexually active can also increase the likelihood of teens becoming parents.