Teenage pregnancy, a national disaster: a significant factor in black teenage unemployment.

Pregnancy is an unfortunate event in the life of preteen and teenagers. Yet, it is occurring with increasing frequency among children between the ages of 12 and 16. The magnitude of this growing problem is so great it demands the assistance of all segments of society to find a solution.While it is true that pregnancy is often a social, economic, and psychological burden to the young mother, the outlook for the baby may be even more bleak. Homes and schools are not meeting the needs for rearing and training these unplanned progeny to become productive citizens. Already, some of them are entering the labor market with few, if any, marketable skills.Preventive measures seem to offer the best prospects for dealing with this human dilemma. Since the majority of the unwed teens under discussion are black, the black physician must apply his talents and resources to finding a workable solution.