Teen Pregnancy

Statistics, Resources, and Support Groups

National Day to Prevent Teen Pregnancy

May 8, 2002

Today’s teens face a wide variety of problems and decisions they are responsible for making.

Choosing to be sexually active is one of the most difficult. Teenagers not only have to face peer pressure but sometimes they do not have the resources or the support to make the right decision. This site is here to provide teens with statistics, referral numbers and support groups to help them in making the right decision for their particular situation.

Statistics:

· Nearly 13% of all U.S. births in 1997 were teens (Ages 15-19).

· 4 out of 10 girls in the U.S. get pregnant at least once by the age of 20.

· U.S. has the highest teenage pregnancy rate of all developing countries.

· 95% of the 1 million pregnancies per year are unintended.

· Public cost from teenage childbearing totaled $120 billion from 1985-1990.

· The teenage birth rate is declining due to awareness and education.

· About 1 out of 4 teen mothers go on to have a second baby within 2 yrs after the birth of their first baby.

· Teenagers are at a higher risk to have a complicated pregnancy.

· Only 64% of teen mothers graduate from High School.

· Nearly 75% of unwed teen mothers go on welfare.

For more statistics log on to http://www.noah-health.org or http://www.cdc.gov/nccphp/teen.htm .