"Pregnancy in adolescence carries a relatively high risk of death or long-term complications.
Pregnant teens are more likely to suffer from malnutrition, pregnancy-induced hypertension, and eclampsia than women over age 20. In addition, an immature birth canal may prolong labor, increase the risk of vesicovaginal fistula, cause permanent damage to bladder and bowels and to the infant's brain, or lead to death of mother and child.
Young mothers, ages 15-19, are twice as likely to die of pregnancy-related causes than women ages 20-24. The risk of death may be five times higher for girls ages 10-14 than for women 20-24."
Human Development Department
"The children of teenage parents face severe health, economic, and social consequences. Because one-third of pregnant teens do not receive adequate prenatal care, their babies are 21 percent more likely to be low birth weight; they are more likely to have childhood health problems, and to be hospitalized than those born to older mothers (AGI, 1999; National Campaign To Prevent Teen Pregnancy, 2004b).
The infant mortality rate for children born to teen mothers is about 50 percent higher than that for those born to women older than 20 (Annie E. Casey Foundation, 1998).
The offspring of teenage mothers are more likely to be poor, abused, or neglected than those of women who delay childbearing, and they are less likely to receive proper nutrition, health care, and cognitive and social stimulation (Annie E. Casey Foundation, 1998; Maynard, 1997). On average, a child born to a teenage mother visits a medical provider 3.8 times per year, versus 4.3 times for a child born to a mother over the age of 20 years (National Campaign To Prevent Teen Pregnancy, 2004b).
Children born to teen mothers are also at greater risk of lower intellectual and academic achievement and social behavioral problems — one study found that children of teenage mothers are almost three times as likely to be incarcerated during their adolescence or early 20s as are the children of older mothers (Maynard, 1997)."
Planned Parenthood
There are MANY more reasons for teenagers to get pregnant. The risk or pregnancy is there no matter what kind of contraception a young person uses unless they do not intend to have any children at all. Personally I believe a young person should not engage in sexual acts until they are capable of taking responsibility for a child AND until their body is capable of handling a pregnancy.
"Among teenage pregnancies in 2000, 56 percent resulted in birth, 28 percent in abortion, and 15 percent in miscarriage (Ventura et al., 2004)."
This means that the likelyhood of a teenager going THROUGH with the pregnancy is fairly high unless they have a miscarriage. Can the child's body handle pregnancy and childbirth?? No?? - then they have no business having sex. Sure you got your period. Some women do not have REGULAR periods until they near 16 and 17 at the earliest. The periods of a 13 yr old are much shorter and lighter as well because the body does not build as thick a layer of placenta in preparation for pregnancy. This means that there is a smaller source of nutrition for any fetus that she may conceive. The infant may be less healthy and possibly less developed and even retarded because of this inability of the body to prepare for conception.
Forget emotional maturity. Every teenager I know seems to THINK they're ready to handle a baby. How many do you really know that are truely ready when faced with the reality??