Adolescent pregnancy is viewed as a high-risk situation because it poses serious health risks for the mother and the baby. Describe various risk factors or precursors to adolescent pregnancy.

Topic 3 DQ 1

    Adolescent pregnancy can lead to high health problems for teenaged mothers. Having a baby as a teenager puts the mother at risk for a baby with low birth weight and an increased death rate. Also, teenaged mothers may run into health complications such as placenta previa, a disorder in which the placenta grows and surrounds the entire cervix. As the uterus of a teenaged girl is not well-developed, this placenta covers the whole cervix leading to untimely uterine bleeding and death of the mother. (Nationwide Children’s, 2016) Other complications that may arise out of adolescent pregnancy are pregnancy-induced hypertension, premature delivery, anemia, toxemia, etc.
    Teenage pregnancy could be a result of the following factors: single parenthood, lack of parental supervision, peer pressure from sexually active friends, breakdown in communications between parents and teens, lack of proper sex education, low self-esteem, lack of spiritual guidance, limited education, lack of future-oriented goal and life purpose, early onset of puberty to name a few(Southeastern Idaho Public Health, 2021).
   Some research communities and state resources that are working on the prevention of adolescent pregnancy are -Teen Pregnancy Prevention(TPP), created by the department of health and human services(HHS) and Georgia Department of Public Health(DPH) The advocacy group launched in 2010 on teenage pregnancy prevention by the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS). The program helps identify at-risk teens and sexually risky behaviors such as not using contraceptives, engaging in multiple partners; the program’s name is called Teen Pregnancy Prevention(TPP). TPP program releases grants to the states, non-profit organizations, school districts, and universities for outreaches that would help mitigate teenage pregnancy(Department of Health and Human Services, 2021).
In Georgia, where I practice, the advocacy group that focuses on Adolescent health and teenage pregnancy prevention is the Georgia Department of Public Health (DPH). DPH works with communities, schools, non-profit organizations, peer groups, and families to achieve the desired outcome on teenage pregnancy prevention initiatives. Through the adolescent pregnancy prevention programs, many single parents received needed help, and teenage pregnancy has reduced over the years(Georgia Department of Public Health [DPH], 2020).​
Respond using 250-300 words APA format with references in supporting the discussion
 Adolescent pregnancy is viewed as a high-risk situation because it poses serious health risks for the mother and the baby. Describe various risk factors or precursors to adolescent pregnancy. Research community and state resources devoted in adolescent pregnancy and describe at least two of these resources. Research the teen pregnancy rates for the last 10 years for your state and community. Has this rate increased or decreased? Discuss possible reasons for an increase or decrease.