Educational consequences of teenage pregnancy

Educational consequences of teenage pregnancy

Jan 10, 2023

Educational consequences of teenage pregnancy

Teenage pregnancy is a world disaster, and it has become a major concern to both developing and developed countries all over the world.

What is it?

Teenage pregnancy is a world disaster, and it has become a major concern to both developing and developed countries all over the world. Adolescent pregnancy takes an enormous toll on a girl’s education and income-earning potential. Many girls who become pregnant are pressured or forced to drop out of school. Girls not in school are also more likely to become pregnant.

Leaving school jeopardizes a girl’s future economic prospects and excludes her from other opportunities in life. By contrast, girls who remain in school are better prepared for jobs, livelihoods and life’s other transitions. Education also raises their status in their households and communities, and gives them more say in decisions that affect their lives. An educated girl is less likely to enter into a child marriage. She is also better able to delay childbearing, and is more likely to have a healthy pregnancy, with better outcomes for her future children.

 

How does teenage pregnancy affect teen fathers?

Fathering a child as a teenager can be a frightening and life-changing event. Teen fathers don’t have to worry about the health implications of pregnancy and childbirth, but they could face similar difficulties staying in school and earning a living.

State laws vary on the legal age for people to have sexual intercourse. Arrest or legal action against teens who are sexually active can have devastating effects. A young man may be required to register as a sex offender if he has reached the legal age (age 18 in some states) and his partner has not (age 17 or under).

The only way to be sure you won’t get pregnant is to not have sexual intercourse. However, there are many methods to reduce your chances of becoming pregnant if you’re sexually active. Many communities offer counseling and support programs that help prevent teen pregnancy.

These groups can provide information on birth control and help teens understand their own sexual limits so they don’t get into situations where they might have unprotected sex and get pregnant.

Some programs offer peer counseling, since it might feel more comfortable talking to someone your own age.

    Biological and psychosocial changes during adolescence

    Biological and psychosocial changes during adolescence

    Jan 3, 2023

    Biological and psychosocial changes during adolescence

    The most important psychological and psychosocial changes in puberty and early adolescence are the emergence of abstract thinking, the growing ability of absorbing the perspectives or viewpoints of others, an increased ability of introspection, the development of personal and sexual identity etc.

    What About it?

    The most important psychological and psychosocial changes in puberty and early adolescence are the emergence of abstract thinking, the growing ability of absorbing the perspectives or viewpoints of others, an increased ability of introspection, the development of personal and sexual identity etc.

    Erikson, who died in 1994, theorized that personality is developed through eight different life stages, later called Erik Erikson’s stages of psychosocial development. Knowing what each stage is—and the lesson at the heart of it—can provide helpful insight into your own personality, as well as others.

    The key idea in Erikson’s theory is that the individual faces a conflict at each stage, which may or may not be successfully resolved within that stage. For example, he called the first stage ‘Trust vs Mistrust’. If the quality of care is good in infancy, the child learns to trust the world to meet her needs.

    The main idea behind Erikson’s theory of psychosocial development is that our personality develops in stages, and at every one of these stages a psychosocial crisis unfolds in a way that determines our personality development based on the outcome.

    On the other hand, many biological changes take place during the adolescent years. Most obvious are the physical changes, for example, increment in height, acquisition of muscle mass, the distribution of body fat and the development of secondary sexual characteristics.
    All these changes can be looked on as developmental tasks during normal development, but they can also help in understanding developmental deviations and psychopathological disorders.

      Puberty

      Jan 8, 2022

      Puberty

      Puberty is a time in a child’s life when the body starts to change and transition into an adult. These changes happen over time and include physical, emotional, mood, or get sexual feelings. Puberty doesn’t start at the same time for everyone.

      Talk With a Sexual Health Expert

      What is it?

      Puberty is a time in a child’s life when the body starts to change and transition into an adult. These changes happen over time and include physical, emotional, mood, or get sexual feelings. Puberty doesn’t start at the same time for everyone. It often happens between ages 8 and 15 for girls and ages 11 and 16 for boys. Some experience puberty early on (Precocious puberty) while others experience it late (Delayed puberty). The remaining experience is in the average age range.

      Precocious puberty
      • Precocious puberty: is the medical term for early puberty, also known as central precocious puberty (CPP). It occurs when hormones controlling puberty are released by the brain earlier than usual. This can be caused by psychological difficulties that may impact a child’s emotional development and is much more common in girls than boys. Precocious puberty’s exact cause can not be determined, however, a few cases are related to irregularities of the ovaries or testes, thyroid gland, or other hormone problems. It could also be attributed to genetic conditions and brain tumors, infections, or injury.

      For diagnosis, the doctor will review the child’s and her/his family’s medical history, perform a physical exam, run blood tests to measure hormone levels, and X-rays of the hand and wrist to find out the bone age to see if the bones are growing too quickly. Additional testing includes MRI scans to determine any abnormalities) and thyroid testing if the child has shown signs of slow thyroid function like fatigue, increased sensitivity to cold, constipation, a drop in school performance, or pale, dry skin.

       

      It is possible to receive treatment even if there’s no underlying medical condition. The treatment is called GnRH analog therapy which normally consists of a monthly injection of a medication to delay further development. The child will continue the medication until the normal age of puberty is reached. It will take about 16 months on average for puberty to restart. 

       

      There is another treatment without the discomfort and irritation of regular injections. However, it requires a minor surgical procedure of placing an implant under the skin of the inner area of the upper arm. The implant is removed after a year and replaced if it is required.

      Delayed puberty

      Delayed Puberty is when puberty occurs late in a boy or girl. Conditions for this include no testicular volume increase by age 14 for boys and no breast development by age 13 for girls. For some, delayed puberty is genetic and will develop normally after being delayed. This is referred to as constitutional delay and is more common for boys. Delays can also be caused by chronic medical conditions like diabetes or cystic fibrosis, genetic conditions, pituitary or thyroid gland problems, ovaries or testes problems, and malnutrition. Girls who routinely exercise may experience delayed puberty in the onset of menstruation of up to one year or more when compared with non-athletes because they have little body fat. Puberty begins when there is a required amount of body fat.

      For diagnosis, the doctor will take blood tests (to check hormone levels, look for chromosomal problems, and check for chronic disorders), an X-ray of the left hand and wrist (to estimate bone age), CT scan (to show bones, muscles, fat, and organs), and MRI (to check out the of tissues).

      Inherited delayed puberty doesn’t require any treatment. Hormonal therapy treatment is available for some treatments which help to start secondary sexual characteristics to develop. For others, surgery could be done to solve a physical problem.

      What happens to female bodies?

      First signs of puberty
      • Breasts begin to grow where they can sometimes be very tender and one breast might develop several months before the other one.
      • Pubic hair also starts to grow, 
      • Some girls get more hair on their legs and arms.
      Later signs of puberty
      • Breasts continue to develop becoming fuller
      • Period begins about 2 years after starting puberty
      • Pubic hair gets rougher and curlier
      • Underarm hair grows and some girls begin to grow hair on the upper lip
      • Sweating will increase causing body odor
      • Acne begins (skin condition consisting of different types such as whiteheads, blackheads and pus-filled spots called pustules)
      • White vaginal discharge
      • Growth spurt of 5 to 7.5cm yearly for 1 or 2 years
      • Weight for most girls as the body shape changes (more body fat along upper arms, thighs and upper back)
      • Hips get rounder and waist gets narrower
      After about 4 years of puberty
      • Breasts get adult-like
      • Pubic hair spreads to the inner thigh
      • Genitals are fully developed
      • No more growth spurt

      What happens to male bodies?

      First signs of puberty
      • Testicles get bigger and the scrotum thins and redden
      • Pubic hair starts to appear at the base of the penis
      Later signs of puberty
      • Penis and testicles grow and the scrotum eventually gets darker 
      • Pubic hair gets thicker and curlier
      • Underarm hair begins to grow
      • Sweating will increase causing body odor
      • Breasts might swell moderately temporarily
      • “wet dreams” (involuntary ejaculations of semen while sleeping) begin to occur
      • Voice cracks (voice gets very deep one moment and very high the next) but finally gets permanently deeper 
      • Development of  acne  (skin condition consisting of different types such as whiteheads, blackheads, and pus-filled spots called pustules)
      • Growth spurt and get taller with an average of 7 to 8cms annually and become more muscular
      After about 4 years of puberty
      • Genitals get adult-sized and pubic hair spreads to the inner thighs
      • Facial hair grows
      • Height increase gets slower and stops growing completely at around 16 years (but could continue to get more muscular)
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