The underlying assumptions in the causes of teenage pregnancy can be categorized into individual and environmental factors as the causes of unprotected sex among the teenage population, resulting in unintended pregnancy (Fisher et al., 2020). The individual factors include thoughts of being a parent by the teenagers, drugs and substance abuse, and misconceptions about using protection. Drugs and substance abuse is considered an individual factor because it is a decision by a teenager to abuse drugs that influences have a view about unprotected sex the teenage pregnancy. In some instances, having unprotected sex under the influence of drugs and substances distorts the reason reasoning of the teenagers, making them vulnerable to unprotected sex hence teenage pregnancy (Fisher et al., 2020). Drugs and substance abuse can also be an environmental factor, especially when it is due to peer pressure influence. The thoughts of becoming a parent to teenagers arise from the misconceptions about being a parent and the obsession of the teenagers. The result of this is teenage pregnancy due to a lack of awareness about teenage pregnancy and its impacts on an individual. The misconceptions that protected sex has negative health effects on an individual also is another individual factor that contributes to unprotected sex among teenagers.
Lack of sex education as an environmental factor contributing to teenage pregnancy refers to the naivety of the teenagers and lack of knowledge about sexual practices and their impacts on individuals (Garney et al., 2019). For instance, a significant number of adolescents become pregnant because of a lack of awareness about teenage pregnancy and its health impacts on an individual. Poor parenting as an environmental factor refers to a lack of parental guidance in issues and experiences that affect teenage lives. For instance, teenagers growing up in an environment where the parents are always absent leads to a lack of guidance resulting in making wrong decisions such as having unprotected sex or getting pregnant as a teenager (Kaphagawani & Kalipen, 2017). Peer influence, especially where there is a lack of parental guidance and sex education, is another factor contributing to the rise in the cases of teenage pregnancy. In this context, peer influence refers to behaviors and practices that fellow teenager engage in, which influences the reasoning of teenagers to engage in behaviors that result in teenage pregnancy. Some of these behaviors are drugs and substance abuse, making teenagers exposed and vulnerable to unintended pregnancy. Most teenage pregnancies being unintended is also another underlying assumption.
Why a health concern is essential for health promotion within a specific population
Health concern on teenage pregnancy is imperative to the current and even next generation because of its impacts on the health and well-being of this population. Therefore, creating awareness about teenage pregnancy and its health impacts on teenagers will reduce the cases of teenage pregnancy and its impacts such as suicide, pregnancy complications, and abortion-related risks (Kaphagawani & Kalipen, 2017). Creating teenage pregnancy awareness will not only prevent abortion-related risks, teenage pregnancy complications, and suicide but also prevent sexually transmitted diseases. A significant number of teenage deaths reported result from pregnancy complications and suicide. Suicide committed by pregnant teenagers is due to society’s stigmatization of teenage pregnancy. Therefore, creating a teenage pregnancy awareness will provide teenagers with sex education and the negative impacts of teenage pregnancy, leading to a reduction in the cases of teenage pregnancy.
Order this paper