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Teenage pregnancy is a problem that has plagued this country for many years. A variety of techniques have been integrated into public policy to curb the spread of teen pregnancy, some with more success than others.

One of the many disadvantages of teen pregnancy is economic. Becoming pregnant as a teenager generally prevents the mother from attending and obtaining a degree. All those without college degrees earn a lot less, on average, than those who do hold college degrees. Generally, the father of the child is not involved in the baby's life in situations of teen pregnancy. However, modern DNA technology helps it be more simple to determine the identity of the father, if that is in question, often teen mothers do not opt to make use of this technology. Of course, now and again, the father of the child makes an effort to take responsibility for taking care of the child along with the mother. In those cases, it is a battle for both parents to successfully complete high school and college.

The poverty of teen mothers cannot be overstated. Many teen mothers at some point do make efforts to get a degree, but this is not a simple task. As well as securing childcare during class time, teen mothers will have to atone for the lost income caused by the many hours of college classes and homework. In contrast, college students who are not also single parents would not have the same financial obligations, and are better able to take care of thorough class schedules. It will need to be noted, however, that a number of teenager mothers prevail over these difficulties and do complete their degrees. Some government assistance is open to teen mothers, but that comes with strings attached and is anyhow limited in scope.

One more downside of teen pregnancy comes in the forms of missed opportunities. While majority of high school and college students experience a period of freedom and excitement, teenage mothers spend this period negotiating parenting and academic duties, together with financial responsibilities. Even teenagers who are able to make it to college will have to bypass opportunities that hinder with their parenting responsibilities. Incuded in these are not only overseas work-study opportunities and internships in distant cities, but also recreational and extracurricular clubs and activities that are way too time consuming. Not surprisngly, a devoted teen mother can certainly still complete a college education -- but nowhere near as easily as the typical university student.