Lack of knowledge and appropriate parental support and influence

I think because when kids are little the play house and girls play with baby dolls and dolls and they think it will be easyer than it really is and fun and it will be a positive thing and they can beloved by the baby and show love but there minds are in lala land not the real world and how hard it is to be young and not focus on your goals in life educational and experiance and just being a kid in general and they want to be an adult so fast and not just take it easy it is hard life when you have children and you are a child yourself and cant get a good job or your not old anought. You will not get ahead in life if you rush things.

Hormones are pretty strong drugs...that they simply don't know how to control.

Because their parents havent done their designated duty in actually taking the time to raise their child and let society raise them in their place. Fathers are working, not talking to their kids. The main role in the household is gone, what happens, they watch tv, and gain these "friends" who claim to have these issues, and force that lifestyle of chaos on them.

Well when two people love each other (or think they do) they engage in an act which people refer to as Sex. Now during this act of sex.....(5 minutes later) and then the girl becomes pregnant. I have webcam, would you like a demonstration? =P But on a serious note, i dont think they really mean too.

Cuz they never think it's gonna happen 2 them. Teenagers think they're invincible. I remember thinking I was.

we dont think we just act...... when we think we are inlove we do what a normal married couple would do and BOOM 1 slip up changes our lives!

number 1 reason for teenage pregnancy is sex.

Maybe because you can't get birth control from a doctor until your 18 or have parents permission. If they changed that maybe more teens would act responsible.

The usual way - by having sex.

Poor sex education (i.e. 'abstinence').

Because by default people who are teenager are AT a young age. ;)

Well, they think they're in love and human instinct and the pleasure of having sex takes over common sense. A lot of times, teens aren't looking into the future for the big picture but only at the "right now" and sex can mess up good decision making, even for adults. It's a matter of direction in life, priorities and a understanding of consequences. Many teens can't figure this out or do not have familial support to help them make the right decisions that won't jeopardize their future. Keep in mind that teen pregnancy wasn't a big deal in the 1800's. Now it is. The positive side of teen pregnancy is that some babies born out of these types of premature unions go on to become great people.

Because of absitinence based education. they aren't taught how to protect themselves.

Women are actually getting pregnant at much later ages in general.

If they weren't pregnant as teenagers, they would be in their twenties or older, which would not qualify as a young age. Oh, any you can call them young women or females, since they're the only teenage people who can get pregnant at any age.

Because of their youth. Young people are easily carried away by their emotions.

stupid ...stupid ...stupid !!! absolutely no excuse what so ever ...this is suppose to be the most informed highly educated generation ever !!and you can bloody get 'rubbers' just about anywhere now days ...so no its just plain and simple 'stupidness'

They go to parties, get drunk, and have unprotected sex.

because teenage people are at a young age?! duh! :) Because they think they're in love... when you're a teen you're an extremist. You Love somebody with all your heart or hate them w/a passion, and you're very melodramatic! :) Also, they don't know how or where to get BC and sometimes can't afford it, even if it's 'discounted' and maybe they can't get it w/o their parent's permission... which is tough when you're a teen.

becuse they have no guidence or supervision from their parents. rebellion, A need to feel wanted. Their kids they dont always think their actions through to the end. But lets face it, how many adults do?

Because young people can't afford birth control, or think they don't need it because people only teach them that its bad and don't do it. They don't tell them how they can protect themselves.

Absitinence based education.

Because they have not been educated about sex, some think it makes them grown up, some just don't care about themselves...some think if they have a baby they will have someone that loves them....many reasons..

By definition, teenage people are of a young age. So, teenage people cannot get pregnant at an old age. Also, teenage people can be of male or female gender. So only half of the teenage people who are of a young age are eligible to become pregnant. Once a person turns 20, even though they are still at a young age, they are no longer a member of the group "teenage people".

We as teenagers don't believe that of all the people it could happen to, it's YOU. Also, adults often see us as kids, but teenagers think we're all grown up and don't realize that we've come a long way but still have so far to go. I am a teenager who strongly believes in abstinence being the key.

lack of the understanding of birth control

first of all, teenagers find it wonderful to not use secure methods because that gives them more pleasure. cant just say that they r not aware of birth control or even about HIV or even about safe methods of inter course because, the literacy rate is pretty high in all countries. even if its not educational wise in schools but still there r many non-profit organizations who r doing a great job in educating ppl who r not in a position to get educated in a normal way. So, teenagers follow the new trend of "enjoy life till we have time and NO REGRETS AT ALL!". What to do then? Nothing at all! Cheers Mates!

because teenagers are not adults and they do stupid things - just like we all do or have done. Indeed, the human brain does not finishing decveloping until a person is around 22 years old. The last part of the brain to develop is the part that deals with risk taking and being able to imagine the possible outcome of a situation. Development does not begin until about 18 or so and it is the very last thing that is done and completes the journey from child to adult. This is reason why teenagers take silly risks and have no fear of the consequences at all - it is because the part of the brain that deals with such things, is simply not there - it has not been developed yet. That is why we do stupid things as teenagers, our brains are not fully grown until around 22 years (even if our bodies are).

Because they are spoilt brats that have never had to take responsibility for their actions in their entire life. Is that the answer you were looking for? Besides all them other answers people are giving: Because they're desperate for sex. Because they're stupid (I'm certain the human body will quite happily force someone to be stupid in order to make them breed). Because the only reason it isn't a good idea at that age is because the way our modern society is structured. Years ago boys left school at 13, or didn't even go to school. They had five years in which to understand the world of work and still be a dad at eighteen. A granny I met said she was married and with three kids by the time she hit 21 because in her day that was the done thing. Somewhere in teenhood we become attracted to the opposite sex and desperate for sex. If we go along with expectations, we ignore this desire. We finish school. We go to uni. We're 23 years old and finally entering the world of work. We get some low paying job, work hard, save hard. Maybe we meet someone and marry them. So by society's standard, we have to wait till mid twenties before we get a root. I don't know if you've compared wages and the price of housing lately but if you have then you'd probably notice that a young couple would have to work hard and save hard for about seven years before they could afford to get a deposit on a house, start paying, and get to the point where the woman would actually have time to bring up a baby. So someone interested in 'doing the "right" thing' could easily have to wait till they were 30 till they decided they could 'responsibly' bring up a family. I don't expect anyone to wait that long. I think the main thing that makes teen pregnancy bad is the lack of life experience, which is directly related to our long school system. Physiologically, it's probably a good time (so I've been told). Is it normal to spend the first quarter to a third of your life dependent and unable to breed? If a dog lives to be 15, does it wait till it's four before it breeds? I swear alot of the problems between parents - teens has something to do with physical expectations being unable to adapt to social expectations (though teen problems have been around forever). But sorry, I don't have any answers. If what I've said here isn't quite right, please let me know.

because there all horny fuckers

because its their way of rebelling

Because they are teenagers!

Because the body develops before the brain and they go with their "urges/needs" rather than common sense..this is true of non-teenagers as well..some people's brains never get to the "common sense" stage..that is why there are multiple births to unmarried women of all ages. :(

I find that a lot of teenagers that got pregnant at a young age thought that it would never happen to them, so they could do whatever they want. A lot of people have this mentality. "It will never happen to me"...and then it does. There are also quite a few teenagers who do not believe in abortion. There would probably be way more teen pregnancies if less people got those. Anyway, people just need to learn that sex comes with responsibility and is not just a game! It could lead to you becoming pregnant, even if you believe that will never happen to you. Birth control is encouraged by authority, but in the end it is a personal choice.

THEY FEEL AS THOUGH WHOEVER THAT PERSON IS LOVE AND THAT THEY WILL BE THEIR DURING THE PREGNANCY AND AFTER.AND ALSO FEEL ITS EASY AND THAT THEY ARE READY FOR THE RESPONSIBILITY THATS ALL.

Some teens think that getting pregnant is kinda cool. It's an easy road to popularity for some who are struggling to fit in. If they are impregnated by someone popular, they can move up the chain.

lack of education about sex

lack of education, lack of access to birth control, being in the moment, pressure for unprotected sex, and they are fertile.

Because they don't understand about consequences yet and aren't willing to use any self-control, thinking they can handle everything that comes their way and that they are entitled to doing whatever they want. They also think it won't happen to them. They also fail to grasp that they don't know everything

why? its because they are not using their minds...they are not thinking their future.. -because they think that they are in love, they do whatever they feel that is good and pleasurable...

because we think we're invincible and nothing bad can possibly happen to us ..

Most of us dont purposefully get pregnant we jus feel the heat of the moment or are to into doing what we are doing we dont bother to stop and get one or ask for one. then there are also guys we fall so in love with even though they are players or ass holes that when he tells us it feels better without it we say ok cause of the chance he will just dump you and move on to another girl

BECAUSE THEY'RE IDIOTS AND DON'T USE PROTECTION

because they have no idea about contraception, and parents assume their kids wouldn't be having sex, so no one talks about it! Paretns, talk to your kids!!

Peer pressure everybody feels like they need to do it to be "cool". but then they usually make one of the biggest mistakes of theire lives.

i dont knowbut it usaully screws up the babys life usually that is ometimes it might have a chance depnding onthe mother or the father or their parents

Because by default if they are teenagers than they are at a young age?

because they are ob viously too young to be having sex and arent taking the proper precautions.. (ie using condoms, going on the pill)

BECAUSE THEY GET PREGNANT AND GIVE BIRTH.

Because they have sex :| do u need the birds & bees talk again??

Because some of them have more hormones than brains.

For a more serious answer to your question, I think it's because they like the thought of having a child. It's a natural thing that goes hand in hand with the hormones. But considering the amount of restraint teenagers have these days then no wonder they are having kids more often.

Because they have sex without understanding, or perhaps caring about, the consequences. Talk to any teenager - they think they are invincible, they will never get injured, or pregnany, or killed.

I know first hand what its like to get pregnant as a teen. I got pregnant when I was 18, it was unplanned and happened because me and my boyfriend, who I am now happily married to, were irresponsible and overwhelmed with lust. I would say the feelings of lust were ultimately hormonal. Although it was unplanned I wouldn't take it back for anything of course. I couldn't imagine what it would be like being much younger than that. I dont know what is up with this new pregnancy pact craze, I think its horrible.

Unfortunatly a few of them because they want a new toy. Until that toy starts screams at 3:00 in the morning and they can't find the off button.

"Im assuming the question is meant to relate to unmarried teens having kids while they are still schooling." Too much exposure to free sex without taking enough precaution and when parenting and counseling failed.Most religions forbids having sex before marriage and it seems to be more successful in preventing this from happening amongs their followers.Abiding to moral and religious believe can be the answer to solve this problem.Many will agreed and some will never.

Are you ready for an honest opinion, even if it's not politically correct? BECAUSE TEENS ARE MORONS! (Not applicable to rape victims, so don't even go there.) <EDIT> (And lest some of you take unwarranted offense here, keep in mind that I'm speaking with the voice of experience. The school of hard knocks has been cranking out graduates for a LONG time, I'll have you know!) I don't give a rats *ss how "mature" teens think they are, how much they "want" to have a baby, how it's the "only" way they know to give or get love, how the birth control method "failed", how much the boyfriend "pressured" the girl into it, or any of the other BS excuses. In this country and in this day and age, teens are NOT prepared to take on the role of responsible parents. Personally, if a person wants to have sex (the REAL reason people get pregnant, by the way) then they MUST accept the possibility that pregnancy may result and therefore should already be in a position to assume that responsibility. If you have no means of support, you have no business risking pregnancy. If you have no means to properly care for a child YOURSELF (not your mommy and daddy), you have no business risking pregnancy. If you are still a child, you have no business risking pregnancy. If you are only trying to use this to get away from home, you have no business risking pregnancy. If you think you know it all, you are wrong and have no business risking pregnancy. If all you really care about is how good it feels to have sex, you have no business risking pregnancy. If you are a guy and you aren't ready to provide support to a mother and your child, you have no business risking getting her pregnant. If you are too wishy-washy to say "NO" to your boyfriend, you have no business risking pregnancy. If this offends you, then take it as a sign that you are NOT ready to risk getting pregnant. And for all the teens who will read this and think I don't know everything, you are right. However I DO remember being a teen with my friends and associates. The difference is I've got the time and experience to know better. And if you refuse to listen, then by all means join the millions of other pregnant teens who have repeatedly proven they are MORONS out of spite and stupidity. 'nuff said.

its the new accessory, its the IN thing, the new fad.

Because they are under the (false) impression that having a child will rid them of their insecurities.

some of them want a kid and think it is easy, others are stupid and have sex.

Because they have sex. You see when a man loves a woman.... Well, he doesn't always love her, but he loves certain parts of her. He sticks his man part in to her woman hole. He promises to pull out before he's done, but he either forgets, or plainly just doesn't do it. Men have a brain and a dick and only enough blood to operate one at a time. Nine months later the stork brings a baby. Then shit gets all f***ed up and retarded.

Teen girls are attracted to anything that will give them unconditional love. Infants fill that need.

Some teens choose to. A girl I was talking to told me that the only reason she had a child at 14 was because she wanted it. She wanted to have someone who had unconditional love for her and she didn't get that from anyone else. Most of the time though it's not on purpose.

mistake..

to ruin their lives early

coz they wanna be adults!!

This age old thing called instinct... Only since society "progressed" has this been seen as odd.

because everybody make mistakes the important thing is that you learn from them

I think it has something to do with hormones and biology.

Hormones and Lust

because they have sex x

Because when they have sex they don't use protection and they're stupid sometimes, like really stupid, and i am a teenager but i haven't had sex yet b/c i am a young teeanger :)

Judging by the hundreds of times girls on AB have asked whether they can get pregnant after having sex, it's because some teenaged girls in heat have an IQ that's smaller than their belt size.

When my boyfriend and I nearly had an accident. It was because we had no money to buy condoms, the place that would hand out free condoms had recently switched buildings to... I still don't know where and it was terribly heat of the moment. Living together is really hard to not have lots of "of the moment" sex. Now I have Mirena to lessen the chance of anymore accidents if we don't have condoms. It was a life lesson for the both of us.

I'm pretty sure sex has something to do with it.

because they are too immature to be having responsible sex. I have heard every excuse and there in not one valid one to argue against either abstaining or using their brain and getting some protection and maybe pulling our or something..even though we all know none of those are fool-proof either. I might also add an increase in people having more kids than they can raise correctly, might have something to do with kids growing up to be so irresponsible. stupidity begets stupidity.

Irresponsible sex. Why else?

One answer is if they weren't teenagers they wouldn't be all that young yo...

Impluse and carlessness

I Planned it. I always said i wanted to be a young mom, but not too young. I wanted to have a baby at 18. but not just with anyone duh. i wanted a stanle relationship and someone that loved me. well i did end up married at 17 and have my baby at 18 and now i am 20 and have a 2 year old and a 6 month old boy and girl. that is the only kids i am having. i am young and i love it because when they grow up i relate to them. but i believe 18 was a goodage for me since i was already graduated in college as a CNA. some people are just immature and got pregnant cuz it slipped lol

listen im 12 and my 15 yo boyfriend wants a child and i do too well im pregnant and me and him can suport tha babby i wantd one at 16 this is the biggest mistake of my life i wanted to have a child at 16 or 17 but for all you teens hav fun its going to ruin ur life so waittt

ur answer is in ur question. Teenagers

I actually did a huuuge project on teen pregnancy in my senior year of highschool. It mostly focused on why the teenage pregnancy is rate is higher and lower in certain places; Asia and Africa being highest, then North America and then Europe which was significantly lower than all the others. My conclusion, based on interviews, secondary research and a truckload of statistics, was that places with a lower teen pregnancy rate had a closer equality between men and women. Cultures where men and women felt equal resulted in relationships at any age that accomodated both partners' desires fairly and, when there was sex, proper communication allowed it to be safe and babyless.

because all teens are taught nowadays is how to have sex, they dont get taught all the dangers of having unprotected sex, the STI's etc.. they teach them about how to bring up a baby, how to put on a condom, (not that they use them) they teach the silly things, if teens were taught about all the STD's out there it would put them off sex for life! sex education is not what it should be.

I think its because everything on tv and all the things about teen pregnancy. Also because sometimes teenagers think its the cool thing to do, having sex and all, and when they do have sex they have it unprotected, which makes them pregnant. Maybe pressure. Many things.

I think there are MANY factors that lead to young teens getting pregnant. Teens tend to make bad desicions which have a bad out come. It's also the circumstances they put thenselves in. They use drugs, they tend to make choices that they may have never made if they were sober. Also there is the teens who think they're in love and ready for a family. And some are just too irresponsible to do the right thing and have safe sex. But our soceity also puts alot of pressure on sex. Sex is everywhere, that may also be a factor in the high rate of teenage pregnancy.

I would say because it was unplanned.

Because they have sex and they are not smart enough to use protection.

the 1s that do on purpose think its cute when they have no idea what its like at all1, yes its a blessing but they shud wait as long as possible. im an 18 yr old american/dominican young women.i got pregnant when i was 17yrs old.my son is just turned 2mos yesterday. my fiance is 21 yrs old. i did not choose to get pregnant i was on birth control but it failed b/c i got ill and was hospitalized,i was on very strong antibiotics which canceled out the effects of the contraceptive for a few weeks. the doctor failed to inform me this could be a possibility there for here i am 18yrs young living w/ my fiance and 2mo old baby boy in our own apartment. i am about to graduate HS at the end of june, i kept on going to school until the day i gave birth, i did not use my pregnancy as an excuse to drop out or get lazy i used it as an inspiration to keep going much harder. i lasted 23hrs in labor. i will b starting college in aug. i have a job tutoring kids and selling my wonderful art work that i do all from home with still being an excellent mother & caring for my son as best possible, he isn't missing anything im not on welfare or WIC nor is my fiance a drug dealer. my fiance and i are doing it all by our selves not w/ the help of"mommy & Daddy" as. my son wasn't asked to b born but that doesnt take away the fact that i love him more than my self and anything in this world and i am and will do anything and everything so that i can get educated as best possible so that i can get a career and kick ass at it so that he grows up to be a healthy loving intellectual person. BUT ITS SOOOOOOO HARD and this is just starting. i just hope teens out there can see my example and wait as long as possible its a beautiful experience but u have ur whole life ahead of u. get ready 2 bring a life into this world 1st, get prepared and educated as much possible 1st, enjoy life. if i knew the consequences i would of used other protection but that's life this is helping me to b a better person, its not the case for every1. TEENS IF U BECOME PREGNANT KEEP UR HEADS UP DONT LOSE FAITH KEEP GOING, UR NOW RESPONSIBLE FOR 2 HUMAN BEINGS ITS NOT JUST U ANYMORE!!!

irresponsibility.They think they know everything when in fact they know very little.

Ignorance.

because they think it'll be fun to have sex...

Because they do not think and are irresponsible and disrespectful. All they want to do know-a-days is sleep around and think that having a bf is the most important thing in the world and not their studies. It's a shame really. It scares me that this generation is growing up so horribly.

everyone has sex. whatever. ( i don't... fml ) gotta give em props for keeping babies, you know?

One word (and I don't care if I'm unwittingly copying other people's answers): Darwinism.

Many reasons actually. Not enough parent talks, or lack of sexual education either at school, or home, feeling depressed and isolated so you want to feel the love of a child, or just being a totally confused whore.

Because they think they're invincible and that they won't get pregnant. Because they go to parties, get shit-faced, and have unprotected sex because they don't have good judgment while shit-faced. Because their horny boyfriends like the feeling of sex without a condom rather than with a condom. Because they are vulnerable and believe boys when they say "Don't worry, you won't get pregnant" Because they don't know that the pull-out method doesn't work. Because they don't know that having sex with a pot-head actually ISN'T a form of contraception. Although smoking pot does lower your sperm count. Because the theory-based form of contraception they are "using" doesn't work. Because they want to get pregnant and haven't experienced enough of their life or haven't lived without their parents support yet, so they don't know how difficult raising a child is. Because they aren't old enough to buy the morning-after pill and are too nervous to tell their parents and ask them to buy it.

because the teen years are young ages. kind hard to be old when you're 15. pregnant or not.

because they want the loving attention that comes with bein prego