The first cause of this social problem that occurs is lack of knowledge.

Teenagers who are uneducated

about sex are more likely to have an unintended pregnancy. Today teens may get incorrect information
from friends, videos, sitcoms and/or movies. Many times, teens do not have the knowledge needed to
make informed and responsible decisions about whether or not to engage in sexual activity that can
alter their life.

Teen girls are more likely to get pregnant if they have limited or no guidance from their parents. Most
people evade their children from talking about sex. Parents may think they can't have an effect on their
teens' behavior, but parental guidance is one of the most important tools in preventing teen pregnancy.
Parents must be willing to provide guidance to their teens about sexual activity, although it is often a
difficult discussion for them to engage in. When a teen does not feel that she can talk to her parents
about sex either because they forbid sex talk or because they are not around, she will more than likely
turn to friends for direction on whether or not to have sex, resulting in misinformation and possible teen
pregnancy. All the parents should impart sex education upon their teenage daughters so that they
should well be equipped with sex knowledge and save themselves from being victimized of teenage
pregnancy.

Another important cause for teenage pregnancy that goes as a consequence of the before cause is that
teens let their friends influence their decision to have sex. During the adolescence many times teens let
their friends influence their decision even when they do not fully understand the consequences
associated with the act. Peer pressure occurs when a friend confronts another friend and tries to
convince him or her to take part in illegal activities, substances, or sex. A teen will always feel peer
pressure in one form or another. In a recent survey released by the Kaiser Family Foundation, was
discovered that one in three boys ages 15-17 say they feel pressure to have sex, often from male
friends. The pressure felt by a teenager to start a sexual relationship is very large, and even more if their
friends are sexually active because it is here when the adolescent begins to feel more pressure from
their friends. As a result, this pressure becomes in unwanted pregnancies, or in teenage pregnancy. The
last cause and the most common to occur teenage pregnancy, and is the main reason is for not using
condom or some other method of contraception. This is yet another very fundamental reason for
teenage pregnancies today. Even though the use of contraceptives has increased among teenagers, its
use remains spotty. Teens may use birth control to help prevent teen pregnancy, but most do not use
contraceptives consistently. A sexually active teen that does not use any birth control has a 90 percent
chance of becoming pregnant within a year. Some of the reasons that birth control is not used include
the following: uneducated about birth control, uncomfortable using birth control methods and unable
to access reliable birth control. Though there are many types and brands of contraceptives and
emergency birth control pills easily available in the market, these are never a guarantee for complete
safety. Only Mother Nature knows when she might want to get into action, so no form of birth control is
going to be completely foolproof. Sometimes, not knowing how to use a contraceptive properly can lead
to unwanted teenage pregnancy. The teen sex stats that what we live today should serve as a reminder
that teenagers need to be guided. They need education and knowledge of what's available in order to
help combat teen pregnancy. If there are many causes to teenage pregnancy, there are also preventions
for it. One main factor is education, enough knowledge to what pregnancy is all about is a great help.
Openness between parents and their teens can also help prevent early pregnancies; teens being able to
freely share their feelings to their parents are more likely to be far from early pregnancy. Teenagers
should understand that there are physical, psychological and emotional effects that come with sex. They
should also be taught that the choices they make now can affect them later in life. Educating your
teenager about the consequences of promiscuous behavior and giving him/her a loving, balanced home
atmosphere, can actually go a long way in curbing unwanted teenage pregnancy in the future