Teen Pregnancy is a Growing Problem in the United States

Among many of the preventable diseases and health problems there is one in particular that is rooted deep within my hometown. I am a part of the graduating class of 2013 from Seaside high school, located in a tourist town on the northern Oregon coast, where according to the United States Census Bureau the median income as of 2012 was $24,201 (table 1).I remember in high school there was always a girl I knew who was pregnant, but it was not until recently when I noticed so many of my classmates and friends announcing due dates. According to Medline Plus, adolescent or teen pregnancy can be defined as â€Å"pregnancy in girls age 19 or younger† (para. 1). According to the CDC’s â€Å"Births: Final Data for 2012† report, for girls between the ages of 15-19 there were 305,388 live births, or 29.4 live births per 1,000 population (para. 1,2). Between the years of 2010 and 2012 there were 39 pregnancies recorded for girls between the ages of 10 and 19 in Seaside, Orego n and for the same time period and age group there were 110 pregnancies in Clatsop County (the county that Seaside resides within) according to the â€Å"Oregon Teen Pregnancy Count† (table 1). Teen pregnancy is preventable and yet it is still a major problem, especially in rural counties. Teen pregnancy is a growing problem in the United States and while it is constantly being addressed by school’s sex education classes and by public speakers, there really is not enough information about how expensive and painful having a childShow MoreRelatedTeen Pregnancy Research Paper820 Words   |  4 PagesTeenage Pregnancy in America Teen pregnancy is a growing epidemic in the United States. Teen girls are becoming pregnant at an alarming rate, with a lot of the pregnancies planned. 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