Teenage pregnancies on the rise in Memphis

At Memphis City School in North Memphis, 90 young girls are either pregnant or already have a child.

National teen pregnancy rates are around 10 percent while the Shelby County rates are as high as 16 percent, and in this area of Memphis, teen pregnancy rates are a staggering 25 percent.

Generally speaking, teenage pregnancy rates have been declining over the past 20 years. However, Memphis appears to be noticing an opposite trend.

Some believe the primary issue to be most pregnancy education is directed towards teenage girls. Maybe explaining potential life-changing experiences to young men, as well as forcing them to take responsibility for their actions and their new children would assist this growing problem.

Memphis area parents explain the issue to be due to the lack of parental interaction. The lack of a solid family structure has been known to increase the chances of teenage pregnancies as well.

Some say increasing education across the board may help. Forcing teenagers to take sexual education classes that inform and warn about the potential dangers and risks of teenage pregnancy could be a good starting point.

Many families in the area are lead by single mothers.