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What Is Teenage Pregnancy?

Teen pregnancy is a pregnancy occurring in a young girl between the ages of 13 and 19. According to the website for the National Campaign to Prevent Teen and Unplanned Pregnancy, as of 2006 an estimated $9 billion of U.S. taxpayer money is spent annually toward health care, criminal justice and foster-care programs as a result of teen pregnancy.

  1. Significance

    • According to a 2010 report from TheNationalCampaign.org, the rate of teen pregnancies in the United States steadily declined from 1990 to 2005. The data--supplied to the National Campaign to Prevent Teen and Unplanned Pregnancy by The Guttmacher Institute--shows that the rate of teen pregnancies per 1,000 for girls ages 15 to 19 decreased from 116.9 to 69.5 during those years. According to the most current data from 2006, the teen pregnancy rate had increased to 71.5 per 1,000 girls.

    Geography

    • According to MSNBC, data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention show that Mississippi has the highest teen birthrate in the United States.

    Effects

    • Teen pregnancy causes dramatic changes to a teen girl's lifestyle, emotional well-being and body. According to PregnancyCenters.org, some of the most long-lasting effects of teen pregnancy involve the emotional stress of planning for parenthood, or planning for adoption.

    Prevention/Solution

    • The only guaranteed method of avoiding teen pregnancy is abstinence. If a teen does decide to become sexually active, she should talk to her parents, physician, counselor or other mentor or health-care professional about available methods of birth control.

    Mainstream

    • MTV's hit shows "16 and Pregnant" and "Teen Mom" have brought teenage-pregnancy awareness and prevention into mainstream popular culture.

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