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Teenage pregnancy is a complex issue in the current sociopolitical milieu. The enactment of abortion laws adds to the complexity of the problem, involving moral and ethical issues, as well as social, economic, and health status consequences that should be considered in the development of legislation surrounding this issue. The tree of impact diagram is a mechanism for forecasting possible consequences of abortion laws. Historical, social, developmental, economic, and legal forces are considered in creating the tree of impact in relation to the health and well-being of teenage mothers and their children.A tree of impact diagram is a method of predicting the possible outcomes of proposed changes or innovations on current practices. Teenage pregnancy is an issue that has a great deal of personal, social and financial consequences for the teenagers, their families, and society. The consequences of repealing the laws that currently allow abortion can be discovered through a tree of impact model. Teenage pregnancy rose sharply after WWII. In 1945 the rate was 5.15/1000 women, and its peak was 1957 with 96.3/1000. During this period there were no contraceptives and abortion was illegal. By 1970 half the teenagers surveyed had engaged in sexual activity by age 17. In 1990 there were 831,000 teenage pregnancies with 382,000 ending in abortion. The WHO determined that 20-25% of maternal mortality was the result of illegal abortion. Medical abortion has a maternal death rate of .6/100,000. Teenage pregnancy cost the federal government $16.65 billion in 1985 and it is estimated that each of these families will cost an additional $13,902/year for the next 20 years. Risk of perinatal morbidity and mortality is highest among the youngest mothers, age 15 and younger. Hypertension caused by pregnancies occurs in 7-17% of the population compared to 34% when the youngest mothers are included. Adoption while an option is one that few teenagers choose. In 1971 18% of white teenage mothers and 2% of black teenage mothers chose adoption. In 1982 these figures dropped to 7.4% and 1%. Both sides of the abortion debate agree that teenage pregnancy is a problem. Both sides agree that something should be done to reduce the number of teenage pregnancies. There have be pilot projects and studies that have shown several successful methods of reducing teenage pregnancies. Some include self esteem/social skill building and others encourage educational attainment. |
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