In the United States, about one million teenagers become pregnant each year, and more than half of them give birth. Of that, 85% of teen pregnancies are unplanned- So what about the 15% that are planned? Public service announcements that are posted all over schools and doctor’s offices explain measures that teens can use to prevent a pregnancy, although they do nothing to restrain young women who have a desire to have children at such a young age.

In 2008 in Glouscester, Massachusetts, a group of about 17 high school girls were reported to have made a pact to get pregnant. Notably, the principal of the school stated that “the lack of available birth control at the school played no part in the rise of pregnancies.” Some classmates of the group of girls states that the soon to be mothers seemed to be excited about raising children and to be a part of that group of supporters. This story has also been featured in a Lifetime movie, “The Pregnancy Pact.”

At first, having a child can be seen as pleasurable; who doesn’t think that babies are adorable? Throwing a fun baby shower and having family coo over your child isn’t something to complain about. In contrast to this though, babies are extremely costly. Common expenses that are necessary to a child ca sometimes be unattainable for teen parents, especially since that most likely do not have a degree or any work experience. Parents are responsible for food, clothing, diapers, a crib, in addition to their own expenses such as a phone bill and maybe even rent for an apartment. In most cases, a teen is not able to acquire all of these things based on the jobs that are available. Don’t forget, children need to be supported for at least 18 years, all of which can be extremely long if it is hard to make ends meet every month. Abbey Keeler ’14 said, “I always felt that babies were fun to be around, but now that I’m getting older I can see that it is definitely not something I would want at my age. I don’t think most teens are ready to take on a child.”

It is also important for teens to know the health risks that they are more susceptible to because of their young age. First and foremost, teens may find it hard to gain weight and are more likely to be undernourished. In addition to this teenage girls often go into premature or have a prolonged labor and are at risk of getting anemia, high blood pressure, placental problems, and pregnancy induced hypertension. Basically the age of the mother has a lot to do with the health of both her and her baby, just for the simple fact that their bodies have not had the chance to fully develop. Physical health risks are not the only thing that effects teenage mothers Out of every three teenage mothers, one will drop out of high school and almost every young mother will experience emotional problems such as depression, stress, shame or even guilt.