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Essay / Teenage pregnancy: a global social and medical problem
Teenage pregnancy affects the lives of many young women in Honduras. This problem has causes and consequences, but the important thing is that it can be avoided. According to UN analysis, the age at which children become pregnant is between twelve and fifteen years old. In addition, Honduras has the second highest number of pregnant minors in all of Latin America. (Daily Time, 2017). During teenage pregnancy, certain causes have been identified: family problems, education and poverty. This problem also has consequences such as: psychological problems, health problems and social problems. It is necessary to take immediate measures to control this problem in Honduras, some preventive measures can be sex education, better communication between family members. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on “Why Violent Video Games Should Not Be Banned”? Get an original essay The problem of teenage pregnancy affects many families in Honduras and one of those families is mine. When my youngest sister was sixteen she had her boyfriend and shortly after getting pregnant she barely finished school but unfortunately she wasn't able to pursue her dream of getting a college degree, she had to get married and cannot find work. Adolescence is one of the most fascinating and perhaps complex phases of life, a time when young people take on new responsibilities and experience a new sense of independence. Young people search for their identity, learn to put into practice the values learned in their early childhood and develop skills that will allow them to become attentive and responsible adults. (UNICEF, 2002). Often, this ideal and brilliant adolescence is overshadowed by the bad decisions that adolescents make or by the difficulties they may encounter in their lives. It is necessary to know what are some of the causes that make pregnancy a problem among young people in Honduras. “Family communication is a determining factor in the relationships that are established within the family nucleus and in the relationships that will be established with others. This point can be considered as one of the causes of teenage pregnancies. This is because girls lack family affection or family problems, search for their own identity, are interested in the forbidden and rebel against the established, wishing to feel adults. (Marquez, 2011). Another of the main causes is the poverty experienced in Honduras. According to Luis Felipe López-Calva, WB senior economist for the region, he highlighted that “poverty and lack of opportunities are directly associated with adolescent pregnancies and early motherhood.” These factors, he warned, "can become obstacles for women who wish to maximize their development opportunities", mainly in the region's poorer countries, where the rate of teenage pregnancies is higher. (EFE, 2013). Honduras is a middle- and low-income country that faces significant challenges, with about 60.9 percent of the population living in poverty in 2016, according to official data. In rural areas, about one in five Hondurans live in extreme poverty or on less than US$1.90 per day. (World Bank, 2018). Education is a fundamental element of being human, unfortunately the education deficit in all rural sectors of Honduras leads to a high birth rate of children under twelve years old. Girls who become pregnant before the age of 18 can rarely.