The Issue Of Teenage Pregnancy

The Issue Of Teenage Pregnancy When you are a little child you always imagine what life will be like when youre older. As a child you think you will grow up a singer, firefighter, policeman or something special; you dont ever think that you will become a teen mother or parent. Teen pregnancy is becoming a complex issue in the United States (Klein, 2005). It not only affects the families of the teen parents, it also affects the government, health care, educators, and the teen (Klein, 2005). When a little girl grows up she always says that she wants to be a mommy one day like her own mother, but never states that she wants to be a teenage mother. Young pre-teens and teens from ages 12-18 are increasingly having babies these days. Even though they dont know it their young age and stage in development will have a great impact on the growing infant. Being a teen mom will not only affect their lives, it will affect their babies. Girls around the ages of nine until about sixteen years old go to puberty and menarche which is sometimes difficult for girls to understand and be comfortable with. Going through the developmental stage of puberty girls develop into young ladies and their bodies develop more; these developments are the ones that attract the boys. When girls are ready to explore them never really think about all of the outcomes of their actions. About one fourth of American adolescents have had intercourse by the age of fifteen years old (Klein, 2005). Most of the time, an adolescents first time is without using contraception;63% of teens reported did not use a condom their last intercourse(Klein,2005) .This can be a huge factor with teenage pregnancy and the increased rates of STDs. When teens have intercourse and experiment, they dont think twice about getting pregnant or what could happen in the future. Teen mothers are not full developed in their stage of development. Their brains and bodies are still immature and some arent even developed enough to hold a child. A child at the age of twelve is in their awkward stage in development when their body starts to look weird to them. Carrying a child at that age has serious risks due to the fact that the child does not have the body to carry an infant. With 20% of 740,000 U.S. teen girls getting pregnant a year, prevention strategies should be taken (Berk, 2012). Also, teen mothers often do not know they are pregnant until it is too late, which then they do not have a good start on the prenatal care of the baby. Most teen mothers still smoke, drink, and have inadequate diets that can cause complications to the infant (Berk, 2012).Teen moms also do not have the funds to get good prenatal care and care for themselves while they are pregnant. Poor prenatal care of the infant can suppress the development if the immune system and cause problem s with the respiratory system (Berk, 2012). Teen mothers have a higher rate of having babies that are underweight, and there is a higher risk for Down syndrome in the fetus. The United States holds the record for the highest teen pregnancies in the world (Gallup-Black Weitzman, 2004). The shocking part about teen pregnancy today is that it is lower than it was in 1991(Berk, 2012). Teen pregnancy also has other leading factors to it that psychologist havent investigated yet. The new shows on TV called Teen Mom and Sixteen and Pregnant are factors to teen pregnancy are many ways. Teenage girls are watching these shows and saying Oh this is all I have to do to get a show on TV or Wow I hope I can be a teen mom and go on that show! Teen girls watching these shows look at the lives of other teens becoming parents but bypass the fact that they are struggling and look at the fact that they are making money for being teen mothers. Not only do the teens on these dreadful shows become TV stars, their faces start to become posted on all these different magazines such as People magazine or Seventeen magazine. This makes teen girls want to buy the magazine and influences them to get pregnant even more. MTV and other television stations should create shows on what teen pregnancy does to your life and to prevent teen pregnancy rather than have teen mothers flaunt their pregn ancy around. The only positive thing about the show Sixteen and Pregnant is that it is more of a documentary and it does show that the teens are struggling and having a hard time being a teenager and a parent. Adolescent teen mothers usually come from a low income or poor family. About 83% of teen moms who give birth are from a low income household (Klein, 2005). The economic circumstances of teen mothers are a huge issue. Due to the fact that most teen parents are not graduated high school and most of them end up dropping out of school, those being able to find a good job to support their new family are extremely difficult. Usually teen mothers and fathers find low-paying, unskilled jobs which can only provide the new baby with the basic necessities (Berk, 2012). Teenage mothers cannot work until about 6 weeks after the child is born, so they are more dependent on the teen father and their parents to support the teen and the baby they just delivered. Teen mothers not only have to deal with the stress of having a new baby, they also have to deal with stress of income and school. Discussion Teen pregnancy is a huge issue in the United States and all around the world. Teens from the ages of 12-19 are having sex and most of them arent realizing the full consequences of intercourse without contraception and birth control. Condoms and birth control are free in many states and all a teen has to do is go to the nearest clinic and ask for them. With approximately 900,000 teenage girls getting pregnant every year in the United states (Klein, 2005), prevention measures should be taken. Teen moms do not realize that their bodies arent fully developed to carry children and that they are not fully mature enough to become a parent. Most teen moms become single mothers due to the fact that the teen father runs off because he cannot handle to pressures of parenting. Teenage girls are having children and not thinking about the drastic change that the child is going to have on them and their families. Even though 35% of adolescent pregnancies end in abortion (Gallup-Black Weitzman, 2004 ); teens that have their babies are unaware of what being a parent is. Also, teen mothers are most likely to drop out of high school and then will not ever get the chance to see how the rest of their high school years, graduation, and college experiences would be. Their incomes will be lower because most fathers or mothers will not have a successful job. About 50% of teen parents have also had a criminal record or have been committed of some illegal offense (Berk, 2012). Through these facts and main ideas stated in this research paper, teen pregnancy is clearly an issue and should be pronounced as an issue. There should be more methods of prevention taken so that teens get a clear view of what their life would be like as a teen parent. High schools and middle schools should address this issue to their students to help them realize what a great impact becoming pregnant as a teen has on them and their whole world. Teens should use condoms and learn more about what the actions and consequences of sex are before and while they do it. Also there should be more support group or other centers for teen moms to meet up and discuss how their lives have changed and support one another. Becoming a teen mother is not the end of the world, and the mothers should know that. Teen mothers need support and do teens without children to learn the changes and to prevent the other teens from having children at such a young age. Throughout this research and the articles su pporting this research, teens should follow through and learn about prevention and contraception so they can become successful and live their lives before becoming a parent.

Latinos and their History in the United States

Although loosely united by a common heritage as native Spanish speakers from the Americas or their descendants, the numerous Latino groups in the United States are ethnically, racially, and socio-economically heterogeneous; each Latino subgroup representing a distinct culture and geographical area of the Americas. Using the terms â€Å"Latino† and the more official â€Å"Hispanic,† which the U.S. Census Bureau adopted in 1970, to describe the cultures of peoples from Mexico and the countries of Central and South America and the Caribbean is problematic in several respects.The term â€Å"Hispanic† is rejected by many authors as too reductive in its association with Spain and Spanish culture, thereby ignoring the indigenous and African heritage of many Latin American and Caribbean people. The term â€Å"Latino,† based more neutrally on an identity shared through the use of language, is perceived as more useful, if still an unsatisfactory label. â€Å"Chican o† and â€Å"Nuyorican,† more recent terms, are occasionally interchangeable with â€Å"Mexican American† and â€Å"Mainland Puerto Rican,† although the former in particular reflects a political expression of ethnic pride and the latter is now geographically limiting.The distinctions between these terms, even after being outline, remain in many situations vague.   Indeed, even the US Census fails to make accurate and definitive definitions:People who identify with the terms â€Å"Hispanic† or â€Å"Latino† are those who classify themselves in one of the specific Hispanic or Latino categories listed on the questionnaire—†Mexican,† â€Å"Puerto Rican,† or â€Å"Cuban†Ã¢â‚¬â€as well as those who indicate that they are â€Å"other Spanish, Hispanic, or Latino.† Origin can be viewed as the heritage, nationality group, lineage, or country of birth of the person or the person's parents or ancestors before t heir arrival in the United States. People who identify their origin as Spanish, Hispanic, or Latino may be of any race.   (US Census, Subject Definitions, 2000)Current statusToday the Latino presence has emerged, as a fact of American life – this diverse group has come to the United States and themselves become â€Å"Americans.† In fact, Latinos comprise the largest minority in the US today according to US Census studies. Furthermore, their data shows that â€Å"the estimated Hispanic population of the United States as of July 1, 2005 [was 42.7 million] making people of Hispanic origin the nation’s largest ethnic or race minority. Hispanics constituted 14% of the nation’s total population†Even today, this group continues to endure obstacles of racism in public policy and wide spread discrimination in the US.   Being grouped together has made the situation for many of what can loosely be considered Latino sub-groups both challenging and difficul t.   From the anti-Cuban sentiment in Florida to the anti-Mexican wall that has been proposed by President Bush, despite being the largest minority group in the US, these types of incidents and policies ensure that they remain just that – in the minority.FutureAs the next U.S.-born generations of Latinos come of age, the barriers and pain of systemic racism could be attacked more openly.   Many young people will start to openly reject the assumptions and generalizations that perpetuate stereotypes and keep Latino people in the grip of racism.Historically, in the organized pursuit of civil rights and equality in the United States black Americans have usually led the way. Since at least the early 1900s they have forced the passage of all major civil rights laws and the majority of the pivotal executive orders and court decisions protecting or extending antidiscrimination efforts. Latinos as well as Native and Asian Americans have been able to make some use of these civil ri ghts mechanisms to fight discrimination against their own groups, and this will likely continue in the future.Census data shows that in 2004, 21.9% of Latino people in the US were living in poverty and a further 32.7% lacked adequate health insurance.   Yet conversely, the same studies show that there were1.6 million businesses owned by Latino people in 2002 and that from 1997 to 2002, the rate of growth for businesses owned by Latino people was 31% compared to the national average of 10%. According to 2004 data, 2.7 million Latinos over the age of 18 had at lest a bachelor’s degree.   This means that things could well be shifting in the right direction.   Education and business savvy could well be conquering the effects of poverty and poor medical care. While these people continue to experience racism and ethnic stereotyping, there is an underlying spirit of perseverance that keeps them going and will no doubt pave the way for a brighter future.ReferencesAgosà ­n Marj orie. â€Å"Literature.† Latinas of the Americas. Ed. K. Lynn Stoner. Westport: Greenwood Press, 2000.Everett C. Ladd, â€Å"Moving to an America beyond Race,† The Public Perspective 7 (February/March 2003)Harry J. Brill, Why Organizers Fail ( Berkeley: University of California Press, 2001).John H. Bunzel, â€Å"Words that Smear, Like ‘Racism,’ Provoke Polarization,† San Francisco Chronicle, July 26, 2000U.S. Census Bureau. Hispanic Americans By the Numbers. Retrieved November 15, 2006 from http://www.infoplease.com/spot/hhmcensus1.htmlUS Census Bureau. Hispanic Population of the United States. Retrieved November 15, 2006 from http://www.census.gov/population/www/socdemo/hispanic.html

Cuss Time Summary Essay

In Jill McCorkles’s article â€Å"Cuss Time† she explains, â€Å"By limiting or denying freedom of speech and expression, we take away a lot of potential.† With saying this McCorkle backs up her argument with many different personal stories and experiences. The title â€Å"Cuss Time† comes from an experience between McCorkle and her son. When McCorkle saw her son â€Å". . . silently mouthing a lot of new vocabulary while riding in the car or drawing,† she decided to let him have â€Å"Cuss Time† McCorkle explains for 5 minutes a day he was allowed to say any word he wanted, but when Cuss Time ended he wasn’t allowed to cuss till the next twenty four hour period when Cuss Time started again. Part of McCorkles’s reasoning was without cussing (Or other words society has viewed as wrong or bad) it limits our potential in how we express ourselves. Her last point that she addressed was if these words are taken away then more will be taken until it’s a dead language. â€Å"Word by word, our history will be rewritten if we don’t guard and protect it. . .). In this quote she basically says our language will be changed if we don’t stand up and take action on our Freedom of Speech. Throughout her essay McCorkle gives a strong argument to support her thesis and get her opinion across.

Sex Exploitation With Poverty Stricken Young Girls

Introduction Brazil has a long tradition of tolerating slavery that dates back to the 1800s which resulted that Brazil was the last country in the nation to abolish slavery. Brazil has long history with slavery from then until now, which they still battle with today with human trafficking which resulted in sex exploitation and forced labor. But, mainly this paper will focused topic of sex exploitation with poverty stricken young girls being subjected to selling themselves for dollars just to help put food on the table for their families. Even though prostitution is legal within the whole country if they are 18 years and older, but most of these prostitutes are not even the legal age. Sex Trafficking in Brazil has included not only fully grown women but also children as young as 10 years old. Also, Brazil has the worst sex tourism problem worldwide that has been existed for more than 25 years. There have been recent responses towards the United States and Brazilian governments to add ress this issue with full force after recent events. This problem persists only on the obligation that this country believes that other people not living by the norms of society, and visitors entering the country illegally and also being impoverished. Tier 2 Brazil TVPA Brazil Through the United States Department of State diplomatic tool of Trafficking in Persons report which is also known as the TIP report, explains how different countries are making efforts for anti-human traffickingShow MoreRelatedThe Issue Of Sex Trafficking874 Words   |  4 PagesIn Cambodia, sex trafficking has grown to a troublesome issue. Sex trafficking, also known as sex slavery, has become one of the fastest growing crimes occurring in the United States and internationally. It is the third largest crime-business in the world, after drugs and arms trafficking. 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