FX Answers
Bookmark and Share

Teen Pregnancy

Teen Pregnancy

Teen Pregnancy in the United States

In 2013, a total of 273,105 babies were born to women aged 15–19 years, for a live birth rate of 26.5 per 1,000 women in this age group.This is a record low for U.S. teens in this age group, and a drop of 10% from 2012. Birth rates fell 13% for women aged 15–17 years, and 8% for women aged 18–19 years. Still, the U.S. teen pregnancy rate is substantially higher than in other western industrialized nations.

While reasons for the declines are not clear, teens seem to be less sexually active, and sexually active teens seem to be using birth control than in previous years.

Some Statistics on Teen Pregnancy

According to the U.S. Department of Health & Human Services Office of Adolescent Health:

  • 3 in 10 teen American girls will get pregnant at least once before age 20. That’s nearly 750,000 teen pregnancies every year.

  • Most adolescents who give birth are 18 or older; in 2013, 73 percent of all teen births occurred to 18- to 19-year-olds.

  • In 2013, Hispanic adolescent females ages 15-19 had the highest birth rate (41.7 births per 1,000 adolescent females), followed by black adolescent females (39.0 births per 1,000 adolescent females) and white adolescent females (18.6 births per 1,000 adolescent females).

  • The three states with the highest teen birth rates in 2013 include Arkansas, New Mexico, and Oklahoma.

  • The three states with the lowest teen birth rates in 2013 include Connecticut, Massachusetts and New Hampshire.

  • Parenthood is the leading reason that teen girls drop out of school. More than 50% of teen mothers never graduate from high school.

  • About 25% of teen moms have a 2nd child within 24 months of their first baby.

  • Less than 2% of teen moms earn a college degree by age 30.

  • The United States has one of the highest teen pregnancy rates in the western industrialized world.

  • The vast majority (8 in 10) of all pregnancies among adolescents are either unplanned or occurred before the adolescents were ready to be parents.

  • One in six (18%) 15-year-old females will give birth by her 20th birthday. This percentage is higher for black (1 in 4) and Hispanic (1 in 3) adolescents than for white adolescents (1 in 10).

  • Abstinence from sexual intercourse is the most effective way to prevent unplanned pregnancies. 

  • In order to avoid unplanned pregnancies, it is essential for adolescents who are sexually active to use effective contraceptives (such as condoms, birth control pills, the patch, the vaginal ring, the IUD, and injectable birth control methods) and to use them every time they have sex.

Preventing Teen Pregnancy

Studies have shown that there are definite issues related to finances, physical and emotional health, academics and social/emotional development related to teen pregnancy. That said, much work is being done in this country on teen pregnancy prevention.

The financial consequences of teen pregnancy:

  • In 2010, teen pregnancy and childbirth accounted for at least $9.4 billion in costs to U.S. taxpayers for increased health care and foster care, increased incarceration rates among children of teen parents, and lost tax revenue because of lower educational attainment and income among teen mothers.

  • Teen parents are more likely to rely on public assistance

  • Teen parents are more likely to be poor as adults

Health issues:

  • Teenage girls who are pregnant (especially if they don't have support from their parents) are at risk of not getting adequate prenatal care. Prenatal care is critical, especially in the first months of pregnancy. Prenatal care screens for medical problems in both mother and baby, monitors the baby's growth, and deals quickly with any complications that arise. Prenatal vitamins with folic acid (ideally taken beforegetting pregnant) are essential in helping to help prevent certain birth defects, such as neural tube defects.

  • Pregnant teens have a higher risk of getting high blood pressure (called pregnancy-induced hypertension) than pregnant women in their 20s or 30s. They also have a higher risk of preeclampsia. This is a dangerous medical condition that combines high blood pressure with excess protein in the urine, swelling of a mother's hands and face, and organ damage. These medical risks affect the pregnant teen, who may need to take medications to control symptoms.

  • The medical issues for the teen mother listed above can also disrupt the unborn baby’s growth. Babies born to teen mothers have a higher risk for premature birth and low birth weight. A very-low-birth-weight baby weighs less than 3.3 pounds. Babies that small may need to be put on a ventilator in a hospital's neonatal care unit for help with breathing after birth. The earlier a baby is born, the more risk there is of respiratory, digestive, vision, cognitive, and other problems.

  • For teens who have sex during pregnancy, STDS such as chlamydia and HIV are a major concern. Using a latex condom during intercourse may help prevent STDs, which can infect the uterus and growing baby.

  • Pregnant teens may be at a higher risk of postpartum depression (this is depression that starts after delivering a baby). Depression can interfere with taking good care of a newborn, as well as with healthy teenage development. But it can be treated, so any teens dealing with issues of depression during or after pregnancy should speak to their doctor or a reputable mental health professional.

  • Pregnant teens are often scared to tell anyone about their situation, which can leave them scared, isolated and alone. Without the support from family and medical professionals, pregnant teens are less likely to eat well, exercise, get enough rest and get prenatal care.

  • Teen fathers pass along 6 times as many genetic mutations to their kids compared with fathers over 20 years of age. The risk of adverse pregnancy outcomes with teen fathers also includes preterm birth, low birth weight and neonatal deaths.

The impact on education for teen mothers:

  • Pregnancy and birth are significant contributors to high school drop-out rates among girls. Only about 50% of teen mothers receive a high school diploma by 22 years of age, versus approximately 90% of women who had not given birth during adolescence.

The children of teenage mothers are more likely to:

  • have lower school achievement and drop out of high school

  • have more health problems

  • be incarcerated at some time during adolescence

  • give birth as a teenager

  • face unemployment as a young adult

How to Reduce Teen Pregnancy Rates

Evidence-based teen pregnancy prevention programs typically address specific protective factors on the basis of knowledge, skills, beliefs, or attitudes related to teen pregnancy.

  • Knowledge of sexual issues, HIV, other STDs, and pregnancy (including methods of prevention).

  • Perception of HIV risk.

  • Personal values about sex and abstinence.

  • Attitudes toward condoms (pro and con).

  • Perception of peer norms and sexual behavior.

  • Individual ability to refuse sex and to use condoms.

  • Intent to abstain from sex or limit number of partners.

  • Communication with parents or other adults about sex, condoms, and contraception.

  • Individual ability to avoid HIV/STD risk and risk behaviors.

  • Avoidance of places and situations that might lead to sex.

  • Intent to use a condom.

In addition to evidence-based prevention programs, teens need access to youth-friendly clinical services. Parents and other trusted adults also play an important role in helping teens make healthy choices about relationships, sex, and birth control. Learn about what CDC and other federal agencies are doing to reduce teen pregnancy.

Characteristics Associated with Teen Pregnancy

  • Adolescents who are enrolled in school, who participate in after-school activities, have positive attitudes towards school and are doing well academically are less likely to have or father a baby during adolescence.

  • Adolescents with mothers who gave birth as teens and/or whose mothers have only a high school degree are more likely to have a baby before age 20 than are teens whose mothers were older at their birth or who attended at least some college.

  • Having lived with both biological parents at age 14 is associated with a lower risk of a teen birth.

  • Adolescents who live in wealthier neighborhoods with strong levels of employment are less likely to have or to father a baby than are adolescents in neighborhoods in which income and employment opportunities are more limited.

What to Do If You Are Pregnant:

If you find out you are pregnant, then you need to consider your options (abortion, adoption and parenting). In the end, you must decide what is best for you, however, you might find it helpful to discuss it with a trusted adult so that you can get the support and guidance you need. Keep in mind that while you will want to think through your options and not make a hasty decision,  the sooner you decide, the more options you will have. For more information, read Planned Parenthood’s article, I’m Pregnant. Now What?

If you are a pregnant teen who has decided to parent, you can help yourself and your baby by:

  • Getting regular prenatal care

  • Taking your prenatal vitamins for your health and to prevent some birth defects

  • Avoiding smoking, alcohol and drugs

  • Using a condom, if you are having sex, to prevent sexually transmitted diseases that could hurt your baby

  • Reach out to friends, family members, counselors, medical professionals and any other adults who can provide the guidance and support you will need. There are emotional and practical challenges that come along with parenthood, particularly for teens. So make sure you have the emotional and practical support you need.

For more information, read the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists article, Especially for Teens: Having a Baby. If you don't have a doctor and live in northern New Jersey, you can call the Adolescent/Young Adult Center for Health at 973-971-5199 for an appointment with an adolescent medicine specialist or contact your local teen health center or Planned Parenthood. You can also contact your insurance company for a list of in-network OB/GYN (obstetrician/gynecologist).

For more information, read the following:

  • The American Academy of Pediatrics article, Teenage Pregnancy.

  • MedlinePlus article on Teenage Pregnancy, which offers links to information on diagnosis/symptoms, prevention/screening, nutrition, coping and more.