According to Planned Parenthood, 1 in 4 teens is pregnant by the age of 18. Socioeconomic disadvantages arise from this, because most mothers this age are not capable of supporting themselves, much less a child. Quite a few teenage mothers end up living off food stamps, Medicaid, etc. Public funds cover the cost of about ½ of teenage births in the United States.

Effects on the child could be:

• Depression and mental health problems later in life, especially if most of their peers have fathers
• Boys miss the opportunity of having a male figure as a role model. Many gain negative traits, affecting them more with age.
• Girls might grow up unconsciously hating men due to their resentment of their absent fathers.
• Some girls turn to premarital sex as a substitute for the love they feel they missed from a father figure while growing up. They can end up being teenage mothers themselves. They may never understand what relationships should be about, and always depend on men.

Becoming a single teenage mother is not impossible, and with determination and/or help from family and friends, it can be accomplished. However, when the supports are not present, it does not end up being just a personal problem, it ends up being a problem society has to deal with.

High paying jobs are not common options for teen mothers, because most do not qualify for these jobs. Most teenage pregnancies are supported by taxes, especially in cases where the mother gets no assistance from family or other loved ones. Even with this in mind, it is not possible for the government to provide for the estimated one million teens who become pregnant annually.

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