Teenage Pregnancy Essay Example for Free

Teenage Pregnancy Essay Teenage pregnancy is pregnancy in a female under the age of 20 (when the pregnancy ends). A pregnancy can take place as early as two weeks before menarche (the first menstrual period), which signals the possibility of fertility, but usually occurs after menarche. In healthy, well-nourished girls, menarche normally takes place around the ages 12 or 13. Whether the onset of biological fertility will result in a teenage pregnancy depends on a number of personal and societal factors. Teenage pregnancy rates vary between countries because of differences in levels of sexual activity, general sex education provided and access to affordable contraceptive options. Worldwide, teenage pregnancy rates range from 143 per 1000 in some sub Saharan African countries to 2.9 per 1000 in South Korea. Pregnant teenagers face many of the same obstetrics issues as women in their 20s and 30s. There are however, additional medical concerns for mothers younger than 15. For mothers between 15 and 19, risks are associated more with socioeconomic factors than with the biological effects of age. However, research has shown that the risk of low birth weight is connected to the biological age itself, as it was observed in teen births even after controlling for other risk factors (such as utilisation of antenatal care etc.). In developed countries, teenage pregnancies are associated with many social issues, including lower educational levels, higher rates of poverty, and other poorer life outcomes in children of teenage mothers. Teenage pregnancy in developed countries is usually outside of marriage, and carries a social stigma in many communities and cultures. Many studies and campaigns have attempted to uncover the causes and limit the numbers of teenage pregnancies. Among OECD developed countries, the United States, United Kingdom and New Zealand have the highest level of teenage pregnancy, while Japan and South Korea have the lowest in 2001. The latest data from the United States shows that the states with the highest teenage birthrate are Mississippi, New Mexico and Arkansas while the states with the lowest teenage birthrate are New Hampshire, Massachusetts and Vermont.

Teenage Abortion Essay -- essays research papers

Teenage Women, Abortion and Law Abortion has always been a very controversial issue. This can be due to the fact that people have different beliefs that are emphasized by their own religion and set of moral values. Many people believe that abortion is wrong, but they believe that is it only wrong under certain circumstances. This could be true, but is it more right to kill for a specific reason than to just do it because you made an irresponsible decision? Because of the wide spectrum of religion and various moral beliefs, there will never be a right or wrong answer to abortion. Fact: Each year, one million American teenagers become pregnant, and 85% of these pregnancies are unintended. Four in every five Americans begin having intercourse before age 20. Many of the youngest women in this group (60% of those age 15 or under) report having had sex forced on them. By the time they turn 20, about 40% of American women have been pregnant at least once. Many of these young women have little understanding of their bodies and have begun having sexual intercourse before knowing about ways to prevent pregnancy. Because teens in other developed countries receive more education about sexuality and have more access to contraception and family planning services, they have much lower rates of pregnancy and abortion. For example, in the Netherlands, where teenage sexual activity is about the same as in the U.S., pregnancy rates are only one-ninth those of the United States. Fact: Of teenage women who become pregnant, about 35% choose to have an abortion rather than bear a child. Next slide Teenagers with unplanned pregnancies face difficult choices. If a teen gives birth and keeps the baby, she will be much more likely than other young women to: „X drop out of school; „X receive inadequate prenatal care; „X rely on public assistance to raise her child; „X develop health problems; „X have her marriage end in divorce. Children born to teenage mothers are more likely than children of older mothers to suffer significant disadvantages: medical, psychological, economic, and educational. New slide Many states have enacted, or are considering, laws that restrict teenagers' access to abortion by requiring parental involvement in the abortion decision. Such laws include: „X Parental notification laws that require medical personnel to notify a minor's parent(s) of her i... ...el forced to have a baby against her wishes; her parents may turn their backs on her or force her out of their home; or she might run away from home to face her pregnancy alone. Some teens may resort to a secret, unsafe, illegal or self-induced abortion if her way to a confidential, legal abortion is blocked. Any additional state laws restricting abortion (such as mandatory waiting periods between abortion counseling and abortion procedures) are doubly burdensome for teenage women who have fewer resources, less privacy, and less ability to meet all the requirements. All such restrictions to a woman's access to safe and legal abortion rob her of her ability to take control of her life. Fact: Laws restricting teen access to abortion. Laws in 46 states and the District of Columbia allow mothers who are under 18 to place their children for adoption without involving their parents, but many of those same states require parental notification or consent before these young women can obtain abortions. This sets up a standard that clearly favors one resolution over another, restricts the reproductive choices of young women, and forces some to bear children that they do not want to bear. Teenage Abortion Essay -- essays research papers Teenage Women, Abortion and Law Abortion has always been a very controversial issue. This can be due to the fact that people have different beliefs that are emphasized by their own religion and set of moral values. Many people believe that abortion is wrong, but they believe that is it only wrong under certain circumstances. This could be true, but is it more right to kill for a specific reason than to just do it because you made an irresponsible decision? Because of the wide spectrum of religion and various moral beliefs, there will never be a right or wrong answer to abortion. Fact: Each year, one million American teenagers become pregnant, and 85% of these pregnancies are unintended. Four in every five Americans begin having intercourse before age 20. Many of the youngest women in this group (60% of those age 15 or under) report having had sex forced on them. By the time they turn 20, about 40% of American women have been pregnant at least once. Many of these young women have little understanding of their bodies and have begun having sexual intercourse before knowing about ways to prevent pregnancy. Because teens in other developed countries receive more education about sexuality and have more access to contraception and family planning services, they have much lower rates of pregnancy and abortion. For example, in the Netherlands, where teenage sexual activity is about the same as in the U.S., pregnancy rates are only one-ninth those of the United States. Fact: Of teenage women who become pregnant, about 35% choose to have an abortion rather than bear a child. Next slide Teenagers with unplanned pregnancies face difficult choices. If a teen gives birth and keeps the baby, she will be much more likely than other young women to: „X drop out of school; „X receive inadequate prenatal care; „X rely on public assistance to raise her child; „X develop health problems; „X have her marriage end in divorce. Children born to teenage mothers are more likely than children of older mothers to suffer significant disadvantages: medical, psychological, economic, and educational. New slide Many states have enacted, or are considering, laws that restrict teenagers' access to abortion by requiring parental involvement in the abortion decision. Such laws include: „X Parental notification laws that require medical personnel to notify a minor's parent(s) of her i... ...el forced to have a baby against her wishes; her parents may turn their backs on her or force her out of their home; or she might run away from home to face her pregnancy alone. Some teens may resort to a secret, unsafe, illegal or self-induced abortion if her way to a confidential, legal abortion is blocked. Any additional state laws restricting abortion (such as mandatory waiting periods between abortion counseling and abortion procedures) are doubly burdensome for teenage women who have fewer resources, less privacy, and less ability to meet all the requirements. All such restrictions to a woman's access to safe and legal abortion rob her of her ability to take control of her life. Fact: Laws restricting teen access to abortion. Laws in 46 states and the District of Columbia allow mothers who are under 18 to place their children for adoption without involving their parents, but many of those same states require parental notification or consent before these young women can obtain abortions. This sets up a standard that clearly favors one resolution over another, restricts the reproductive choices of young women, and forces some to bear children that they do not want to bear.

Most Significant Immediate Consequences of the Civil War

Most Significant Immediate Consequences of the Civil War First of all, the freedom of slaves led to dilemmas concerning housing, clothing, food, employment; the financial difficulties which led to having no money, closure of banks, inadequacy of supply of basic commodities, destruction of railroads and bridges, devastation of plantation and crops; as well as, the defeat of the confederacy which consequently resulted in the South not having any government at all (Effects., 2006). The aforementioned direct consequences were very important because it established the country’s â€Å"Reconstruction† (Effects.., 2006). In turn, the â€Å"Reconstruction† made the following possible: 1) setting up of schools, 2) repairing of bridges and roads, 3) rebuilding of bridges, 4) repealing of the Black Codes, 5) setting up of new state constitutions that gave the right for men to vote, and 6) creation of new state constitutions that protected a person from being brought to prison for debt, etc (Encarta, 2007). Second, the Civil War gave rise to innovative technologies like: the harvester that Cyrus Mc Cormick invented, the oil refinery of John d. Rockefeller, etc (Effects.., 2006). It also augmented production because of the slaves that were freed, the devastation of the South, as well as, the confederacy being conquered (Effects.., 2006). Last but not least, women were given the chance to play the roles that they do not typically assume, for instance, farmers, factory workers, etc (Encarta, 2007).   This clearly defined gender roles and upheld gender equality (Encarta, 2007). The Most Important Consequence For me, the most important consequence of the Civil War is the third one. The fact that these women needed to assume the roles of men made people see that women can also do what men can (Encarta, 2007). This ended gender discrimination and led to gender equality (Encarta, 2007). It also contributed largely to the end of slavery (Encarta, 2007). Thus, it is the most important. Reference Effects of the Civil War. (2006). Retrieved September 15, 2007 from http://www.socialstudieshelp.com/USRA_Civ_War_Effects.htm Encarta. (2007). Civil War. Retrieved September 15, 2007 from http://encarta.msn.com/encyclopedia_761567354_18/Civil_War.html   

Catenation Definition and Examples

Catenation Definition: Catenation is the binding of an element to itself through covalent bonds to form chain or ring molecules. Examples: Carbon is the most common element that exhibits catenation. It can form long hydrocarbon chains and rings like benzene.