Teen pregnancy is a serious issues that costs tax payers in the United States about $11 billion each year. As a teen, it is important to know what you are getting into when having sex. As a parent of a teen, it is important to discuss safe sex and the risks of getting pregnant with your teen. These methods can help reduce the number of teen pregnancies throughout the country each year. That is why it is important to watch out for the warning signs of teen pregnancy. Being able to watch for the risky behaviors that often lead the teen to getting pregnant may help put an end to those behaviors before it it too late. However, some may already be pregnant. Here are the symptoms to watch out for that may indicate a pregnancy.

• Missed period
• Difference in menstruation when it is shorter or much lighter than usual
• Swollen/tender breasts
• Fatigue/tiredness
• Nausea or morning sickness
• Backaches
• Headaches
• Frequent urination
• Darkening of areolas
• Food cravings or aversions to some foods

All of the above symptoms can also be easily attributed to other factors. However, if you are experience multiple symptoms of the list mentioned above, it would be a good idea to consult a doctor for a pregnancy test or to take a pregnancy test over the counter to find out if you are pregnant. There are also many warning signs to watch out for to prevent getting pregnant in the first place. If you are a parent of a teen that may be having sex, it is a good idea to watch out for these signs and put a stop to them or educate your teen before they find themselves pregnant. If you are a teen, here is a good opportunity for educational information that may help you understand the risk for an unplanned pregnancy you are putting yourself at by engaging in these types of behaviors.

Warning Signs Predicting Teen Pregnancy:

• For young teen girls who are likely to have sex before the age of 15, are more likely to watch plenty of television, have low self-esteem, have poor relationship with parents, little to no academic achievements. 
• There are other signs as well that might make a teen more at risk to have sex before age 15. Those include: living with a single parent or step parent as well as those that show signs of ADHD.
• Teens who engage in watching explicit television shows with teens wearing revealing clothing or other inappropriate behavior by some of their teen idols are more likely to want to engage in those same behaviors that might lead them to have sex at an early age.
• Certain Internet sites are also a bad idea for young teens because they are not fully comprehending the repercussions having sex so young, they are only seeing the glorified version of what sex is.
• There is also a lot of social peer pressure to engage in sex. There are becoming social sex parties among teens that is a trend growing in popularity throughout the United States. Hot Bed parties or Sex parties are occurring everywhere and more and more teens are feeling pressure to engage in these parties or risk not being considered cool. It is important for parents to watch what their children are doing and who they are doing it with. Talk to your teen about these kinds of social activities and how to practice saying no. 

Teenage pregnancy is a huge deal and is currently on the rise. Sexually transmitted diseases are also on the rise with more than half of those infected being teens. Because most schools do not teach teens about safe sex, instead going the abstinence education route, it is important for parents to talk to their kids about having sex and the risks they are taking by having unprotected sexual contact and intercourse. Watching out for these warning signs of teen pregnancy is one of the best ways to take this measure as a concerned parent.

Sources: suite101.com, cdc.gov, americanpregnancy.org

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