Teen Pregnancy Poverty and Welfare

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Teen Pregnancy Poverty and Welfare
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An Epidemic of Social Construction
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When and Why It Became An Epidemic?

• 1970s through 1980s
• Scholars and media presented the issue as a main
  area of focus
• Group of biggest concern
• Inequality of education and social standing
• Reinforcement of traditional beliefs about having
  a child out of wedlock.

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In reality.

• Birth rates amongst teens declined throughout
  70s and 80s.
• Pregnancy rates among African Americans were
  stable, yet amongst Caucasians increased.
• Abortion rates among teens made up only 30 of
  all abortions in the 70s.

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Furthermore

• Although the birth rates among teens were not
  increasing, the prevalence of pre-marital sex
  was.

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Worries Associated With Sex Amongst Teens

• Emotional/Physical readiness
• Moral concerns
• Difficulty in obtaining contraceptives
• Carelessness surrounding use of contraceptives

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The Underlying Correlation

• Negative stigma of teenage pregnancy-directly
  proportional to shrinking middle class.
• Economic changes
• Larger of teens in population
• Declining wages

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Underlying Correlation (cont.)

• Social structural changes
• fewer traditional households
• Marriage is more common among Caucasians than
  among African Americans

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Chicken vs. Egg

• Pregnancy vs. Poverty
• Poverty as cause of pregnancy
• Lack of resources
• Contraception
• Social support
• Finances
• Lack of education leads to low-paying jobs
• Teen mothers already living in poverty, pass on
  poverty to child.
• Society used teen pregnancy to explain various
  social problems where there was no correlation.

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Teen Pregnancy Choice Consequence

• Is it the chicken or the egg that comes first?
• Does the teen get pregnant because of bad choices
  ?
• Or does a lack of resources, education,
  background, etc. lead to teen pregnancy?

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Poverty pertaining to Race Living Situation

• Many poor and minority teens are at greater risk
  of early childbearing because they live in poor
  neighborhoods.

• Those who come from poor and minority backgrounds
  have intercourse at earlier ages and delay using
  effective contraception.

• About 40 of pregnant teens seek an abortion.
  However, those who do seek abortions tend to be
  affluent white, have more ambitious educational
  career goals.

•         In 1980, a large national survey done of
  young women aged 15 16 suggested that these
  patterns, of teenage pregnancy pertaining to
  classes, hold true across racial lines

• 5 of whites, 13 of blacks, and 9 of
  Hispanics said they definitely would consider
  having a child out of wedlock.

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Medical, Problems, Care Teen Mothers

• Research shows that teenage mothers are in poorer
  health, have more medical problems during
  pregnancy, and give birth to still born,
  short-lived, lowbirth, and medically compromised
  babies

• The criteria for eligibility of Medicaid is so
  complex that in some states poor women are well
  along in pregnancy before they can receive
  medical care.

• In 1992, 40 of all pregnant teenagers lacked
  medical care during the first trimester.

• When there is access to routine health care,
  teenagers who give birth face lower risks.

• The obstacles separating young mothers from
  healthier pregnancies births are social rather
  than physical.

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Influences of Education pertaining to Poverty
Teen Pregnancy

• The available research suggests that when a young
  not only comes from a poor family but receives
  low grades in school and loses faith in her own
  abilities, she is much more likely to get
  pregnant

• In the late 1970's, schools began to adopt
  programs to keep pregnant teens in the
  educational system. (Focus on parenting skills)

• Programs have allowed teens to stay in school
  and continue on to graduation.

• Increase in the numbers of teen mothers
  graduating from high school.

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• Early childbearing may make a bad situation
  worse, but the real causes of poverty lie
  elsewhere.