◦ Pregnancy by a female, aged 13 to 19 ◦ Is usually understood to occur in a female who has not completed her core education–secondary school ◦ Has few or no marketable skills ◦ Is financially dependent upon her parents and/or continues to live at home ◦ Is often mentally immature and unprepared Medical Dictionary

 Teenage pregnancies have been a problem for many years.  Several issues associated with teenage pregnancy: ◦ Social ◦ Economic ◦ Cultural ◦ Educational ◦ political issues.  Becoming a norm in western societies

 When a teenager becomes a parent there are many implications that are generally not thought of for example: ◦ Education ◦ Less employment opportunities ◦ Lower income ◦ Welfare support ◦ Dependence upon other family members or their community ◦ And infrequent long-lasting relationships.

 Likely/potential biological problems in the mother: - increased risks of miscarriage - premature labour - blood pressure problems - prenatal mortality  Negative impacts on the child

 Prevention of unplanned pregnancy in adolescents has become an international medical priority  Teenage Pregnancy Strategy was introduced in 1999, where they pledged to halve pregnancies for under-18s by mid-2010  The rate of teenage pregnancy is now 13.3% lower than it was in 1998.

 The Teenage Pregnancy Strategy has 2 strands  Most teenage pregnancies are unplanned and around half end in abortion.  The under 18 conception rate is now 13.3 per cent lower than in  Many areas have managed to lower their rates of teen pregnancy.

 The Teenage Pregnancy Strategy:  National reduction in the under-18 conception rate of 11% and a 23% decrease in the under-18 birth rate.  The positive impacts that the strategy has had in relation to young mothers in education.

 “A nation of bad parents: Britain’s youngsters amongst world’s worst for drinking, smoking and teenage pregnancy, warns the OECD” – Mail Online  “Teenage Pregnancy falls to Lowest in a Decade” – The Sunday Times  “Shock rise in teenage pregnancies hits government strategy” – The Sunday Times

 Sociological: - Robert Merton’s (1949) development on Durkeim’s strain theory - Howard S. Becker’s concept of “Labelling Theory”.  Psychological: - Piaget’s Constructivist perspective

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