I think it's still considered teen pregnancy, because you are so young, and there are still so many things to do in life before you should commit yourself to birthing and raising a child, when you've just stepped into the door of adulthood yourself.
At that age, you should be going to college or preping yourself for life in the future.

And eighteen and nineteen is technically a teen, but by law adults (young adults) but you're not even old enough to drink, so it's like being on the cusp. Like a preteen. You're not a child anymore, so you've got more responsibilities, but you're not yet a teen, so you don't have all the perks that come with it.

But as far as it being considered teen pregnancy, I think they should give separate stats. Because they are technically adults, no matter how young, and from that point on, their life, and how they live it, really depends on them.

Originally Posted by Kibz

Any age under 18 revolts me to be honest.

they've barely finished school, they're certainly not earning enough, they're not working most of the time at all.

they're just gonna be another teenage mum living off benifits. and thats no life for any child.

but, if your 18 or older, you or the father has a good job set up then i don't see why not.

but my own personal opinion (and im 18 now) is that if i got pregnant now by accident (like that actually happens, accidental pregnancy is a myth in my mind!), then i'd get rid of it.
Its no life to bring up a child into when your that young, your practically still a child yourself. Mature, get a job, and a house before you even THINK about it i say.

think of the life your gonna give the kid, not yourself.

You say "get rid of it" like the baby is some bug, or a candy wrapper, or an old magazine.
It bothers me down to my core that you refer to another life like that.

Wow, lots of threads based on sexual debates. Alright, round 3: my views on teen pregnancy.

Do you mean socially OK to bear a child, or physically / biologically OK to bear a child?

Socially, it depends on your area. In some country areas, girls can get pregnant at the age of 16, and it's considered to be normal and / or accepted. That's why state age of consent laws are all over the place - if you look them up, NY has age 17, AR has age 13 (or 14, can't remember exactly), and other states are everywhere in between. Because of my location, I think it's a little too early to have a child at the age of 20, but older than that is fairly well acceptable.

Physically, a girl can get pregnant as soon as she begins her menstrual cycles, right? That age varies among many between 12 and 13, younger and older do happen but are fairly rarer (I'll have to double-check that information, though). However, due to the amount of growth left for the body to undergo, carrying through pregnancy at that age is extremely hazardous to not only the mother's health, but the baby's as well. At least, logically it should work that way - an energetic 13-year-old mom is more likely to go through health problems than a 20-year-old mom.

On an emotional level, I guess being a mom at 13 could be tormenting, especially considering that most states don't allow consented sex until age 17 or 18. It would take a lot away from life, giving up a social life to be a good mother.

...Holy crap, I write too much.

I really dont think theres anything wrong with teen pregnancy. Although i do have to say there going to regret it. Theres alot of pain and stress that everyone or almost everyone doesn't want to go through. I think that they should enjoy not having a child before they consider having one. My mom had me when she had just turned 18 which means she was 17 when she was pregnant with me. Now shes stressed and i think she has learned the hardest way possible. I definately know that im not going to het pregnant till i know that i am prepare for whats eventually going to happen. Even just baby sitting my 5 year old sister can be a handful.

I personally think that no one should get pregnant until their married. I have a friend who had a kid at like 13 or 14, and I don't like what she did, but I try not to hate her for it, becasue losing friends can be hard on someone. I try to stay unjudgmental about what other people do, but I know that I'm not going to have sex until Im married.

Isn't there also a law thatpeople under 18 can't have sex? (or at least, people over 18 can't have sex with those under 18.) So, as long as their 18+, I think it's okay. Besides, an 18 year old's body is more mature and able to handle a baby than a 13 year old.

well, I don't think it's "teen pregnancy" but I do think that it's to early to have a child. sure the body is fully capable, but is your mind at the point to devote your life to a child? A person is never ready, but I do think that 23-28 is a good age range to have a baby. Usually you are out of college by then and into a steady career.
I do keep in mind though that sometimes having a child at a young age is out of your control. condoms aren't 100%.

Hmm.... I am highly against teenage pregnancy. And why? Because. Why throw your life away when you're still young? That's how i look at it. I mean seriously. Some teenagers think they can just drop the kid off at a babysitters then go out and party. It makes me so mad. They dont realize how hard it'll be. I'm glad i'm not one of those teenage girls dumb enough to go out and get pregnant when theyre young because they dont know how to use protection. Ima have fun while i'm young.

Well, I consider 18-19 year olds adults, so I wouldn't call it a teenage pregnancy because they're not really teenagers.

But I think it's still very irresponsible. An 18 year old definitely doesn't have the same maturity level as an adult, and they're just starting off on their own; chances are, they can't handle a kid financially. It's a better idea just to wait, really.

Originally Posted by Kalliste

Hmm, I don't think 18 and 19 are really considered teen pregnancy, you're generally out of school and considered an adult. Is it too young to have a child? I would say yes. I could never imagine being that young with a baby.

I fully agree with this.

Also like others have said, it's very irresponsible to have a kid at that age. Most adults aren't even ready to have a kid. The financial burden is enormous, and the emotional issues with the parents are too many to list.

i dont' think it's teen pregnency because ya even though they are considered an adult that doesn't mean that they are enough of an adult to raise a kid. some 18 year olds are old enough and responsible enough to raise a kid but there still are some that can barley take care of themselves

Eh. I think teen pregnancy in general is strictly forbidden. My friend gets pregnant easily, she's already been pregnant FOUR TIMES. Though every time she's had a miscarriage. (She's fourteen btw.)

I'd hate to see her as a mother, she isn't mentally stable, I hate to see a child live underneath those circumstances, or at least right now. It would be nice if she waited another 3 years to have a child instead of sleeping around all over the place and being careless about the fact she could ever had a kid at any time at all. Though, she could of lied to me about being pregnant, but I highly doubt it. ._. She said that she was pregnant, 5 months ago. >_> And she said she was five months pregnant. She's not showing either. So who knows, she could of lied to me or had a miscarriage and never told me. ._.

I think 18 years of age is an OKAY age to give birth to a child. I'd like it more around 20-22 years old. It's a little safer that way and less likely to have a premie, but the female body is perfectly capable of holding a baby at the age of 18. So I think it's an okay age, but it's not a great age to have a child.

18/19 years old should be considered as an adult pregnancy because by law once you are 18 you are considered an adult, so it'd seem pretty ignorant if they labeled someone who is a pregnant 18 year old a "teen pregnancy".

I think teen pregnancy can in some situations be ok
some people are very mature by 18 and some even younger
anything below 16 honestly digusts me
but certain people are mature enough and ready by 16 for that step
then there are some who think their ready but are far from it
i think it depends on the situation your in
the people involved
and all around simply your life plans

at age 18 they just get out of high school and have to get a decent job (go to college) which makes them still a teen. they won't be able to support the baby for their immature decisions.

Two of my cousins got themselves pregnant at around the same time (about a few months apart). One of them was 18, and one of them was 23.

However, the 18-year-old seemed much more capable of taking care of her child, and the father took responsibility for his actions. She just happened to have found the right person for her at an early age. Both of them have a job and live in their own apartment with their child.

The 23-year-old on the other hand, depends a lot on her mother and does not work. In addition, the father took no responsibility.

I think a person should wait to have a child until they are financially stable and know that they can stay with their partner. A father-less child is always a sad thought to me, so this is probably a personal thing, but I think stability is key. If a person is 18 and financially capable of having a child (and willing to have a child), then I think it's fine.

No, you should wait until you're twenty for your body to be ready. Eighteen is still too young. I learned this in health class...A while back, but I'm sure it's still true.
On the financial part, I suppose a person from a rich family may have the resources for a child, so why not if they are ready.

Wow, I was never told anything like that in health class.

And my cousin was in labor for less than an hour, with the baby and her still perfectly healthy more than a year later.

Does it depend on the person then?

It's more to do with when the mother's body is finished growing so ther body can be ready for the growing baby's needs. I'm sure even a teenager can have a healthy baby too...Just more desirable when the mother's body is mature enough. An underaged mother will just need more nutrition assuming I'm correct on this.

ummm i think maybe the ages 20 and above is considered adult pergnancy? @__@
it really depends on what the person sees it as since everyone has different views on this XD

Ah, I see. Well, my cousin certainly seems healthy enough, so good for her. Actually, I think she takes much better care of herself because of the child, and she's a very loving mother. She really rose to the occasion. I remember her being different before this.

I feel strange saying this about someone who is older than me, but I'm kind of proud of her XD

Most people here call it a teen pregnancy if the mother is still in high school, so up to age 18 or so. Some think it's up to age 20, when you're not a "teenager" anymore.

Eighteen and nineteen are still called teen pregnancy because of the "teen" in the age. Technically they are adults, but people still say teen.

I've heard that the perfect physical age for a woman to have a baby is 27. I'm not sure if that has changed or not, or even how true it is-every woman is different.
As for a good age over all...it depends on the person. The more mentally mature a person is, the better they will be able to cope with being a parent. A person has to understand that when they have a child, that child comes first. It is no longer about "me", it is about the baby. Your life essentially goes to caring for that child.
It also helps when someone is old enough to understand the challenges of being a child(they can't express themselves like adults, and therefore get frustrated and act out)and can find the patience for it.

I'm almost 25. I've worked with children for a good part of my adult life-babysitting and such-and I've gained a lot of insight into what it takes to care for children and what it takes to be a parent. I'm thankful for my experience. Not only will I have a better idea what to expect when I have my own children but-most importantly-I understand that right now I am not ready to have them. I could and would if I got pregnant, don't get me wrong. But purposely getting pregnant is not a choice I would make right now.

I think I went a little off topic...sorry.

Sorry for reviving this. I was gonna set up a thread myself.

18, while it is young, is not a bad age to have a baby. At 18 you can qualify for benefits, although that's not what people would want to do, it's a help.

Now, the reason I was going to write up a thread about this myself was that it has been on the news all day of a 13 year old father.
This is a child having a child.
He was 12 when he got his 14 year old girlfriend pregnant. She's 15 now.

When he was interviewed for the news, the young boy, called Alfie was asked "What are you going to do financially"
To which he replied "what's financially?"

I am not against teen pregnancy. My grandmother fell pregnant at 17. Being a teen necessarily does not make you incapable of loving and bringing a child up well.


But I think any younger than 16 is too young. Before then, these teens are still really children.

Here's the article about the 13 year old boy.

I read that article. That's kinda sad.
I personally believe any age under 20 is too young, but that's because it usually takes to at least that age to truly have what you need to raise a child. Not exactly that you're ready, cause I believe no one is ever ready. But I would never really criticize a pregnant girl under probably 16. Which I think if you do have a kid that young, you're capable of raising it with some help if you're a responsible person and want to own up to your misjudgments. :] But younger than that.. I usually believe they should give the kid to a family that can't have children and really wants kids.

Those are my personal beliefs. I wouldn't personally plan to have a kid til I'm in my 20s. But you know, if it happens it happens. It was my choice to have sex, I should do my best to live with the repercussions and do my best to raise a child. :] But like I said. Usually under 20 is a little young, but it's not necessarily bad if you are a good responsible person and you're willing to work to give the kid a good life. :]

18 or 19 still seems ridiculously young to me for having and raising a kid, I know I wouldn't have been ready. I know that others may feel different but I think we should live a little, travel , go to college or what have you before bringing another life into the world. That aside I just always figured if teen is in the age, then it's teen pregnancy.

I think that teen pregnancy shouldn't be "teen" pregnancy when you are 18, that's when you can vote, and your consider a legal adult and are responsible for your own actions, and that can include having a baby.