Hawaii ranks 17th in the nation when it comes to teen pregnancy.
Along with a new baby, a number of other consequences arrive.
There is probably nothing sweeter, cuter than a brand new baby, unless you're not ready for the responsibility for its care. Teen girls may not realize the long term consequences of getting pregnant. Dr. Sheila Overton, a Castle OB-GYN says, "When a teen girl becomes pregnant, her education is generally interrupted and often times halted. As a matter of fact, teen pregnancy is the leading cause of high school dropout among girls."
And it doesn't stop there. Overton says, "When teen girls become pregnant, they're much more likely to live in poverty as they get older. And as a matter of fact, their children are nine times more likely to live in poverty."
There are other risks for teen girls' babies. There is a higher incidence of pre-term birth and low weight babies.
"Those babies are going to be at higher risk for problems like mental retardation, learning and developmental disabilities and things like emotional disorders," said Overton.
The statistics regarding teen pregnancy are rather staggering. "So it's a huge problem in the United States. Today, approximately 750 thousand teen girls will become pregnant this year."
Let's break that down. One in thirteen girls between the ages of 15 and 19 will get pregnant this year. If you are the parent of one of those teens, what can you do? Dr. Sheila Overton says, "You need to know who your kids friends are, where are they. And don't be afraid to set very firm curfews and dating guidelines as well."
Dr. Overton is the author of a new book titled, "Before it's too late, what parents need to know about teen pregnancy and STDs."
