This section will analyze teenage pregnancies, some of them measured with the effects of substance use. The idea is that with the impairment of substances, sexual activity is likely to increase and could lead to unprotected sex, resulting in a pregnancy. Abortions and miscarriages will also be taken into consideration in the discussion.

          To connect substance use to sexual behavior, a study done by two institutes in Chicago, IL which draws a line between substance use, peer influence and risky sexual behavior. It concluded that substance use alone is not enough to formulate a relationship with risky sexual behavior but with the addition of peer influence and parental permissiveness, a line can be draw between the two. From this point, it can be established that there is a correlation between sexual behavior and substance use but with the inclusion of a third factor such as influence by the environment, but this does not prove a correlation with teenage pregnancy. The third variable will be discussed more in the Directionality and Third Variables Tab.

           To try and prove a correlation with pregnancy, another study done by The American Journal of Drug and Alcohol Abuse displays the result of substance use and unintended pregnancies, however, this is not limited to just teenagers. Performed within the years of 1979 and 1988, the study mostly focuses on the use of alcohol rather than including other popular substances which could alter the correlation that is trying to be drawn. Unlike the other sources to be mentioned, this one included abortions and births of those unintended pregnancies, and there was, in fact, an increasing relationship between unintended pregnancies, abortion and high risk of substance use. However, this does not prove a directionality of the relationship, meaning that this does not prove whether the substance use causes the women to get an abortion or if the abortion caused the women to use substances more heavily (view more in Directionality and Third Variable).

          Natacha M. De Genna, Marie D. Cornelius and John E. Donovan have an article entitled Risk Factors for Young Adult Substance Use Among Women Who Were Teenage Mothers and it studies the amount of substances that these mothers use after the birth of their child. This is interesting because it discusses use after pregnancy rather than before unlike the other studies that have been stated in the research. They gathered pregnant teens between the ages of 12 and 18 and asked them about their substance use, then interviewing them again after 6 years and once more at 10 years later. They recorded the mothers reported substance use and found that it did increase, but also resulted in depression and other metal problems. They drew a line between teenage pregnancy and substance use and were able to identify risk factors that came from being being pregnant at such a young age.

          Teenage pregnancies have been glorified and disputed for many years. Take the T.V show “16 and Pregnant” that follows the lives of these young mothers and their child(ren) and records every event of their life; birthday parties, divorces, weddings, picnics, rehab, etc. Lord knows why people watched these types of shows but it does display the normalization of teenage pregnancy in American culture and could potentially lead to more of the same. Today’s teens need to enjoy their youth in safe environments and not need to turn to risky sexual behavior or substance use.