Hao Guo

J333

Research Paper

04/20/2014

College Student Pregnancy-Overview

 

According to the Wisconsin Financial Aid Study, 23% of college students in 2008 had more than one child, but a few students with children finished their college study within their six years in college. Hospitals and health care are not very well prepared for those who are pregnant. What’s more, only a few information is provided for pregnant students. College students who are pregnant find it difficult to get a comfortable off-campus housing. Estimates indicate that many pregnant students tend to drop out of school. However, young mothers can still achieve success and complish their dreams.1

Based on the survey, about 50% of college students have unexpected pregnancy. They do not have the plan that they will be pregnant in college. About three-quarters of the unplanned pregnancies are women who are young. Women who are not married and usually are in their 20s have not planned that they will be pregnant in college. Women who are not prepared to pregnancy occupy the largest proportion in the high income level.2

It is difficult for college students to graduate if they become pregnant. To some degree, the pregnancy affect the graduation rates. Students who are pregnant usually tend to drop out of school, which can affect their future work and income. They would become poor when they grow up. Pregnant students perform worse in the school courses and may fail a grade. 3

According to the survey, women who are in their twenties occupy the larger proportion of abortions in 2010. In the very early gestation, young women tend to take abortions. Most abortions in 2010 occurred in early gestation. More than 90% of abortions happen less than 13 weeks’ gestation. 4

 

1. Cara Newlon. “University support for pregnant students uncommon”. 24 Sept.2013.http://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2013/09/24/pregnant-college-students-lack-univ-support/2861583/

2. The Guttmacher Institute, “Unplanned Pregnancy”. 13Aug,2013. http://www.wvperinatal.org/downloads/longterm/Unplanned%20Pregnancy%20Among%2020-Somethings%20-%20The%20Full%20Story.

3. NCSL, “Postcard:Teen Pregnancy affect graduation rates”, July,2010. http://www.ncsl.org/research/health/teen-pregnancy-affects-graduation-rates-postcard.aspx

4. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, “Reproductive Health”, 13 Dec, 2013.  http://www.cdc.gov/reproductivehealth/data_stats/

 

Timeline

  •   2008-A study indicates 23% of undergraduates enrolled in college in 2008 had at least one child-yet less than 1 in 1- students with children completed their bachelor’s degree within six years of college entry.
  • 2001-Of the 6.4 million U.S. pregnancies(the most recent year for which we have complete data), over three million were unplanned. Of the 3million unplanned pregnancies over 2 million were to women 29 and younger. Over 1 million of the 3milllion unplanned pregnancies were to unmarried women in their 20s.
  • 2010-17 states received pregnancy assistance grants to support pregnant and parenting teens and women with continuing their education.
  •  2010-765651 legal induced abortions were reported to CDC from 49 reporting areas. The abortion rate was 14.6 abortions per 1000 women aged 15-44 years and abortion ratio was 228 abortions per 1000 live births.

 

Footnotes(s):1

Name of source: University support for pregnant students uncommon

Why did you choose it? “ University support for pregnant students uncommon” is a truth-based study indicated college pregnant students have some problems both in and off campus. It is better for university to provide good environment and health care for them.

How did you find it ? Google “College pregnancy”; 9th result was “University support for pregnant students uncommon” by Cara Newlon.

Analyze the source’s authority: USATODAY website is a news website that provides useful information for research. Cara Newlon is senior at Brown University.

Analyze the source’s objectivity: The website provides many truths based on the fact that in the normal life it is easy for college students to get pregnant, and when they are pregnant, they need health care and helpful information.

Analyze the source’s quality: The study has many examples and some statistics which fully outstands the topic that college pregnant students need support from university.

Analyze the source’s currency: The website offer up-to-date and very new information to help people for their research and study.

Analyze the source’s relevancy: This source is relevant to the college pregnant students because the study indicates that university should provide helpful information and better environment for pregnant students.

Footnotes(s):2

Name of source: Unplanned Pregnancy

Why did you choose it? “Unplanned pregnancy” provides a lot of precise data and graph to show the proportion of women who have not planned to pregnancy and their average and income.

How did you find it ? Google “college pregnant statistics”, the 5th result show the “unplanned pregnancy” by Guttmacher Institute.

Analyze the source’s authority: the source is a PDF document which is sourced from the unpublished tabulations from Guttmacher Institute, and more information is from Finer and Henshaw.

Analyze the source’s objectivity: The study uses data and graph to show the proportion of unplanned pregnancy that occur in unmarried women. And also shows the proportion of unplanned pregnancy that occur in younger women like in their 20s.

Analyze the source’s quality: The study is highly organized and well-written with overview and analyzed graph. They show a large proportion unplanned pregnancies occur in unmarried women in their 20s.

Analyze the source’s currency: the study uses many figures to show the characteristics of unmarried women who have unplanned pregnancy, which has new information and revised very often.

Analyze the source’s relevancy: This source is relevant to college pregnancy because it shows the proportion of college students who have not planned to pregnancy and their characteristics.

Footnotes(s):3

Name of source: Teen pregnancy affects graduation rates

Why did you choose it? “Teen pregnancy affects graduation rates” shows another view of the problems that exist in pregnant college students. Pregnancy may affect their school grades and their graduation rates.

How did you find it ? Google “college pregnant statistics”, the 8th result show the “Teen pregnancy affects graduation rates” by national conference of state legislatures.

Analyze the source’s authority: the national conference of state legislatures is a very formal and precise website that shows some legal laws and research. Most information is guaranteed precise compared to other informal websites.

Analyze the source’s objectivity: The study shows many percentages and figures that imply the pregnancy indeed affect the grades of college students and they may drop out of school because of pregnancy.

Analyze the source’s quality: The study shows many different kinds of aspects and use a lot of figures and graph to show that teen parents drop out of school and may earn very little in the future. This atmosphere becomes very common now.

Analyze the source’s currency: the study uses many figures to show college pregnant women drop out of school and end up poor and lose the school diploma. Pregnancy affects the graduation rates and grades in school.

Analyze the source’s relevancy: This source is relevant to college pregnancy because it shows the proportion of pregnant college students drop out of school and pregnancy affects their academic performance.

Footnotes(s):4

Name of source: Reproductive health abortion surveillance

Why did you choose it? “Reproductive health” shows that the majority of abortions happen in young women who are in their twenties. The study shows many figures to indicate it.

How did you find it ? Google “college pregnant statistics”, the 10th result show the “Reproductive health” by centers for disease control and prevention.

Analyze the source’s authority: the centers for disease control and prevention is a very professional website that shows the data and figures to imply that many young women have abortions in their twenties.

Analyze the source’s objectivity: The study shows many formal data and examples to show that college pregnant students accounted for a large majority of abortions.

Analyze the source’s quality: The study use different kinds of aspects to show the fact that women in their twenties are more likely to have abortions.

Analyze the source’s currency: the study uses many figures to show college pregnant women tend to take abortions in their twenties

Analyze the source’s relevancy: This source is relevant to college pregnancy because it shows the college pregnant students have abortions and have the large proportion to take abortions in their twenties.