In 2009, it was recorded that over 400,000 adolescents gave birth in the United States (Hudgins, Erickson, & Walker, 2014). Teenage pregnancy has become a familiar topic to be discussed considering the astounding number and record highs created within the past twenty years. Georgia alone had close to 13,000 births by teenagers between the ages of 15 and 19 making a rate of 37.9 per 1,000 teenagers in 2011 (Hudgins & et al, 2014). This study offers the point of view of twenty mothers and fathers that have experienced teenage pregnancy. This paper works to provide the point of view of each parent as well as to portray each person’s current condition and living quality.
Most reviewed articles can agree that pregnancy is a stressful period in time. According to Benson (2004), research demonstrates that pregnant teens endure a higher level of family dysfunction relative to …show more content…
Pregnancy among adolescents can also lead to a life in poverty. According to Benson, poverty at a community level can also provide the teen with a disadvantages contributing to higher risks linked to teenage pregnancy. This study contributes to the idea that individuals in poverty are likely to become teenage parents perhaps continuing the cycle of teenage pregnancy. According to Schuyler Center (2008), comparing women of similar socio-economic backgrounds proved that teen mothers are more likely to need public assistance than those who postpone childbearing. Again, studies presented that teen mothers often earn low salaries often averaging just under $6,500 annually over the first fifteen years of parenthood (Martins & Jensen, 2014). Several studies predict that those who experience teenage pregnancy will also experience poverty at some point in their