The Etiology of Teen Sexuality

 

Teen Pregnancy Etiology

 

How does teen pregnancy begin?

 

There isn’t a decisive beginning to teen pregnancy in history, but in general, teen pregnancy is often the result of either a lack of knowledge concerning safe sex, or just poor education on the matter of contraception (Simigiu, 2012, 1).

 

Where did teen pregnancy begin?

 

Again, though there isn’t an historical beginning to teen pregnancy, it has been shown that early sexual relations and pregnancies have increased since WWII (Moir, 2007, 7).

 

Is pregnancy different for adolescents from how it is with adults?

 

• Adolescent females: Stay single longer in the age range of 14-30 than those pregnant after 20. 19% marry the father.
• Adolescent females: Of those who get married, more get divorced than those pregnant after 20.
• Adolescent females: higher probability to leave school
• Adolescent males: Earn 25% less and engage in more delinquency than men who become fathers later in life.
• Babies born to adolescents: Often premature, and a higher probability of a low birth weight, less than 2.5 kg or 5.5 lbs.
• Babies born to adolescents: More prone to dyslexia, hyperactivity, and score lower on math/reading and comprehension tests than babies born to adults. They are 2.7 times more likely to spend time in prison and have higher dropout rates.

(Simigiu, 2012, 3-4)

What is the geographic distribution of teen pregnancy?

 

In the mid-1990s, it was found that the median age of marriage in South Asia was around 16; in sub-Saharan Africa the median age was 17; in Western Asia, 18; in North Africa, 19. Many African countries have young people who are sexually active at a much earlier age. Often this is without the use of contraception. Approximately 16 million girls in the 15-19 age range give birth each year. 2 million girls under 15 give birth each year. One in five girls worldwide has given birth before their 18^th birthday, and in the very poorest nations, this becomes as extreme as one in three. About 95% of adolescent births occur in low-to-mid income countries (Moir, 2007, 7).

 

How is teen pregnancy different today than it was before?

Age	Birth rate per 1,000 females in 1991	Birth rate in 2005	Birth rate in 2006	Birth rate in 2007	Birth rate in 2008
10-14 years	1.4	0.7	0.6	0.6	0.6
15-17 years	38.6	21.4	22	22.1	22.7
18-19 years	94	69.9	73	73.9	70.7

 

 

STI Etiology

How did the spread of STIs among teens begin?

STIs spread among teens for a few reasons. First, they do not have the same access to STI prevention, and feel uncomfortable discussing STIs. Second, teens may have multiple partners in a shorter period of time and do not consistently use contraceptives. Adolescent females have an increased susceptibility to infections due to increased cervical ectopy (Centers, 2010b). Also, males who have sex with males have a greater risk of receiving an STI because unprotected anal intercourse effectively transmits STIs (Lescano, 2010, 6).

Where did the spread of STIs among teens begin?

Teens that enter detention or correctional facilities have higher rates of STIs, based on the fact that they are more likely to have lower socioeconomic status and be a part of minorities. These groups have less access to medical attention and prevention services. They are also more likely to engage in risk taking behavior (Centers, 2010b).

Is the spread of STIs among teens different from the spread of STIs among adults?

Though adolescents total only about 25% of the population that has had sexual relations, they make up nearly half of the population of individuals infected with STIs. When compared with adults, adolescents are at a higher risk of receiving STIs due to behavioral, biological, and cultural aspects. Whereas adults have easier access to health care and insurance, adolescents have a harder time receiving contraception and engage in more risk taking behavior (Centers, 2010b).

Gonorrhea

http://www.cdc.gov/std/stats10/figures/19.htm

How is the number of teens with STIs different today than it was before?

	Reported Cases of Gonorrhea in 2006	2007	2008	2009	2010
10-14 years	4,232	3,946	3,660	2,983	3,016
15-19 years	96,104	98,260	97,069	86,996	88,250

Chlamydia:

http://www.cdc.gov/std/stats10/figures/j.htm

Syphilis:

http://www.cdc.gov/std/stats10/figures/40.htm