The statistics and facts about teen pregnancy have always been alarming, with most pregnancies reported in the US (1). Most cases are accidents or mistakes, leading to abortions, which often cause strain on the healthcare sector. Thankfully, teen pregnancies have shown a decline since 1991, and the overall number of pregnant teens opting for abortion has reduced by half. But only some states in the United States have shown a drop. The decline is also limited to certain communities. For instance, African-Americans constituted a significant chunk of teen pregnancy statistics. However, the rates have shown a decline among them (2). Despite the drop in the comparative rates, teenage pregnancy rates remain higher among African-Americans and Hispanic populations. Read on to know more such facts and statistics about teenage pregnancy.
Important Statistics About Teen Pregnancy
Facts About Teen Pregnancy
Before you go into the details about the risks involved with teen pregnancy, here are a few facts about the same that you should also know about:
Most high school students have had a sexual encounter at least once, and many have also been involved in sexual intercourse during their high school years. Almost eight out of ten pregnancies that occur in the teenage years are unplanned. Most of these also happen before the teens are ready to understand the implication and importance of becoming parents.
About 18 percent of teen girls who are around 15 years of age will give birth by the time they turn 20 years old. In teen girls who are from an African ethnicity, the number is higher and accounts for about one in four cases. In teen girls who are from a Hispanic ethnicity, the number is higher than the teen girls from a black ethnicity and accounts for about one in three cases. In teen girls who are from a Caucasian ethnicity, the number is the same as that of teen girls from a black ethnicity and accounts for about one in four cases.
The graph here illustrates the teen birth rate based on the origin and race of adolescent women aged 15 to 19 in the years 2018 and 2019. The rates either decreased or remained static but did not show any increase year on year.
Birth rates among teenagers in the US
One of the easiest and most effective ways to prevent any pregnancy during the teenage years is to stay away from having any sexual intercourse, with or without protection. Teen pregnancy is one of the main reasons why teens drop out of school. More than half of allteen moms don’t graduate high school. The lucky ones get help and support from friends and family, as parents of teen moms find it difficult to support the mom and the baby. Alternatively, some schools offer daycare programs, which help teen moms finish their graduation. Unfortunately though, most schools don’t have such systems.
According to teenage pregnancy statistics, 1 out of every 3 girls in U.S. becomes pregnant before she turns 20. More than 700,000 teens get pregnant every year. Often, a teen mother gets pregnant with her second child within a few years of having the first. Teen pregnancy is one of the main reasons why teens drop out of school. More than half of all teen moms don’t graduate high school. The lucky ones get help and support from friends and family, as parents of teen moms find it difficult to support the mom and the baby. Alternatively, some schools offer daycare programs, which help teen moms finish their graduation. Unfortunately though, most schools don’t have such systems. College isn’t an option for most teen moms. If college is an option, it’s an option for later. Less than 2% of teen moms graduate college by the time they turn 30. Work, school and taking care of a baby is a daunting task and is too much for anyone. Many teen moms work minimum wage jobs to make ends meet.
Many people may not know this, but race does have an impact on teen pregnancy. The 2008 teen pregnancy rate among Hispanic teens and African-American teens between the age of 15 and 19 was higher than the rate among “white” teenage girls. The reasons are debatable, as many think the poverty levels and lack of education are common causes.
Single Teenage Moms
Statistics show that 8 out of 10 teen dads do not marry the mother of their child and often, the relationship doesn’t last until the baby’s first birthday (6). 20% of these young fathers get into a new relationship within 2 years of ending the previous relationship, and become a father again. Over 80% of teens eventually become single mothers, which is not an easy problem.
