Causes of teenage pregnancy

   Recently, I saw a special subject on TV which was focus on the teenage pregnancy in those developing countries. However, it only talked about the situation in those countries, and I wonder what led to teenage pregnancy. In order to know more causes, I Google it. I type the keyword "causes adolescent/teenage pregnancy developing countries" on Google and I browsed several websites. 

  I found that adolescent pregnancy is a culturally complex issue. In some developing countries, they put more emphasis on male instead of female because female are not expected to be success. Any investment on girls seems a waste. As a result, it’s a significant gap between girls and boys at the starting point. Somehow, when girls are pregnant, they have problem getting rid of the reproductive fate. The reason is that they would lose a lot of resource and chances once they get pregnant. Therefore, there’s no other meaning for their existence but for reproduction. Besides, pressure from all levels also leads to pregnancies. National laws prevent girls from avoiding pregnancy. Community norms and attitudes block the way if female try to ask for help or knowledge, so they have no choice but to get pregnant again and again. Some teens do not fully understand the biological and emotional aspects associated with having sex. Family members force girls to get married when they are still children. Schools wouldn’t provide the course about sexual education so students get information from other unreliable access. Her sex partner may refuse to use condom.Furthermore, cultural expectation is also one of the reasons leading to teenage pregnancy. In India, aged-old customs support child marriage. In some sub-Saharan African countries, early pregnancy is often seen as a blessing because it is proof of the young woman's fertility.

Poverty also plays a role in whether young girls are likely to get pregnant and they then enter a vicious cycle because early motherhood often compromises their educational attainment and economic potential. Because of poverty, they can’t go to school.

      Because of the discrimination on girls and gender inequality, girls’ rights seem to be overlooked. Some limits for girls are invisible, because they are hidden behind some social norms and culture rules. Everyone should obey and any opposes are not allowed to be heard. It has a great connection to injustice. It’s rooted in tradition and it’s hard to change. Females lack ways to something for themselves, besides, what they say are not be regarded as important at all. 

      Teens can become pregnant as a result of sexual abuse or raped. It also relates with girls’ rights. Because they have little power, they have hard time saying “no.” Their voice can’t be heard, so tragedies happen over again and again.

     It's amazed to found the causes of teenage pregnancy are different between Taiwan and those developing countries. I think we should realize the social problem because some people around us may be facing the corner.