Teen Pregnancy…So what?

An overview of the teen pregnancy problem in America

Prepared by the National Campaign to Prevent Teen Pregnancy Prepared by the National Campaign to Prevent Teen Pregnancy www.teenpregnancy.orgwww.teenpregnancy.org

Four in ten girls get pregnant at least once before age 20.

Source: National Campaign to Prevent Teen Pregnancy analysis of Henshaw, S.K., U.S.. Teenage Pregnancy Statistics, New York: Alan Guttmacher Institute, May, 1996; and Forrest, J.D., Proportion of U.S. Women Ever Pregnant Before Age 20, New York: Alan Guttmacher Institute, 1986, unpublished.

We’re number one…unfortunately

0

20

40

60

80

100

120

UnitedStates(1996)

Canada(1995)

Denmark(1995)

England &Wales(1995)

France(1995)

Japan(1995)

Netherlands(1992)

Norway(1996)

Sweden(1996)

Pregnancy Rate Birth Rate

The United States has much higher pregnancy and birth rates than other fully industrialized countries. US pregnancy rates are nearly twice as high as rates in Canada and England and seven to eight times as high as rates in Japan and the Netherlands.

Singh, S., & Darroch, J.E. (2000). Adolescent pregnancy and childbearing: Levels and trends in developed countries. Family Planning Perspectives 32(1), 14-23. Pregnancy rates calculated as the sum of births, abortions, and estimated miscarriages (20 percent of births plus 10 percent of miscarriages).

The consequences of teen motherhood are many:

Less likely to complete high schoolLess likely to complete high school Dependence on welfareDependence on welfare Single parenthoodSingle parenthood More likely to have more children sooner More likely to have more children sooner

on a limited incomeon a limited income More likely to abuse or neglect the child More likely to abuse or neglect the child

National Campaign to Prevent Teen Pregnancy. (1997). Whatever Happened to Childhood? The Problem of Teen Pregnancy in the United States. Washington, DC: Author.

Risks to children of teen mothers

Source: Maynard, R.A., (ed.), Kids Having Kids: A Robin Hood Foundation Special Report on the Costs of Adolescent Childbearing, New York: Robin Hood Foundation, 1996.

growing up without a fathergrowing up without a father low birthweight and prematuritylow birthweight and prematurity school failureschool failure mental retardationmental retardation insufficient health careinsufficient health care abuse and neglectabuse and neglect poverty and welfare dependencepoverty and welfare dependence

Only 32 percent of teen mothers get their high school diploma

Teen mothers: Educational attainment by age 30Teen mothers: Educational attainment by age 30

High school diploma

No high school diploma68%

32%

National Campaign to Prevent Teen Pregnancy. (1997). Whatever Happened to Childhood? The Problem of Teen Pregnancy in the United States. Washington, DC: Author.

The children of teen mothers are at greater risk of abuse and neglect

0

20

40

60

80

100

120

Children born to teenmothers

Children born to oldermothers (age 20-21)

Reported child abuseincidents per 1,000childrenFoster care placementsper 1,000 children

110

51

2918

National Campaign to Prevent Teen Pregnancy. (1997). Whatever Happened to Childhood? The Problem of Teen Pregnancy in the United States. Washington, DC: Author.

Lost Tax Revenues

Public AssistanceExpenditures

Health Care Costsfor the Children ofTeen MothersFoster Care Costs

Criminal JusticeCosts

Taxpayers spend about $6.9 billion ($2,831 per teen parent) on teen childbearing

$2.7

$1.0$1.4

$1.7$0.1

Estimated annual costs to taxpayers of teen childbearing, 1996 dollars in billions

National Campaign to Prevent Teen Pregnancy. (1997). Whatever Happened to Childhood? The Problem of Teen Pregnancy in the United States. Washington, DC: Author.

Nearly 1 million teen pregnancies occurred in 1996. To put it another way, more than 100 U.S. teens become pregnant each hour. Forty percent of these pregnancies were to girls under age 18, and 60 percent were to girls aged 18-19.

under 153%

15-1737%

18-1960%

542,640

337,53024,830

Total: 905,000

The Alan Guttmacher Institute. (1999). Special report: U.S. teenage pregnancy statistics with comparative statistics for women aged 20-24. New York: Author.

100 teen girls get pregnant each hour

117.1

97.3

106.6

111.0

95.1

80

85

90

95

100

105

110

115

120

1972 1974 1976 1978 1980 1982 1984 1986 1988 1990 1992 1994 1996

After increasing 23 percent between 1972 and 1990 (including 10 percent between 1987 and 1990), the teen pregnancy rate for girls aged 15-19 decreased 17 percent between 1990 and 1996.

The Alan Guttmacher Institute. (1999). Special report: U.S. teenage pregnancy statistics with comparative statistics for women aged 20-24. New York: Author.

Teen pregnancy rates, girls aged 15-19(pregnancies per 1,000 girls)

Teen pregnancy rates vary substantially among the three largest racial/ethnic subgroups. Between 1990 and 1996, the rate for African-American teens declined 20 percent and the rate for non-Hispanic White teens declined 24 percent. The teen pregnancy rate for Hispanics increased between 1990 and 1994, but then declined 6 percent between 1994 and 1996.

Darroch, J.E., & Singh, S. (1999). Why is teenage pregnancy declining? The roles of abstinence, sexual activity and contraceptive use. Occasional Report 1. New York: The Alan Guttmacher Institute.

87.3

66.1

224.3178.9175.1

163.4 164.6

0

40

80

120

160

200

240

1990 1991 1992 1993 1994 1995 1996

Non-Hispanic BlackHispanic (any race)

Non-Hispanic White

Teen pregnancy rates, racial/ethnic subgroups (number of pregnancies per 1,000 girls aged 15-19)

miscarriage14%

abortion30%

birth56%

In 1996, just over one-half of teen pregnancies to girls aged 15-19 ended in birth, about one-third ended in abortion, and 14 percent ended in miscarriage.

The Alan Guttmacher Institute. (1999). Special report: U.S. teenage pregnancy statistics with comparative statistics for women aged 20-24. New York: Author.

491,577124,700

263,890

Each year, half a million teens give birth

Nearly one-half million teen births occurred in 1999. To put it another way, more than 55 U.S. teens give birth each hour. Thirty-six percent of these births were to girls under age 18, and 64 percent were to girls aged 18-19.

* Data for 1999 are preliminary. Curtin, S.C., & Martin, J.A. (2000). Births: Preliminary data for 1999. National Vital Statistics Reports 48(14).

under 152%

18-1964%

15-1734%

312,186

163,559 9,049

Total: 484,794

55 teen girls give birth each hour

108-140 per 1,000

65-85 per 1,000

95-106 per 1,000

86-90 per 1,000

50-62 per 1,000

The Alan Guttmacher Institute. (1999). Teenage pregnancy: Overall trends and state-by-state information. New York: Author.

Teen pregnancy rates vary widely by state, ranging from 50 per 1,000 in North Dakota to 140 per 1,000 in Nevada.

State teen pregnancy rates, 1996 (pregnancies per 1,000 girls aged 15-19)

Teen pregnancy rates declined in every state but New Jersey between 1992 and 1996; declines ranged from 3.4 percent in Nevada to 31.2 percent in Alaska.

The Alan Guttmacher Institute. (1999). Teenage pregnancy: Overall trends and state-by-state information. New York: Author.

Changes in teen pregnancy rates, 1992-96(pregnancies per 1,000 girls aged 15-19)

12.2-15.5% decline16.4-31.2% decline

9.4-11.5% decline

No change3.4-9.2% decline

Among teens aged 15-19, more births occur to non-Hispanic White teens than to any other racial/ethnic group.

9,255

124,352

337,323

213,223

121,262

7,905

0

50,000

100,000

150,000

200,000

250,000

300,000

350,000

400,000

teen girls aged 15-19

White (total)White (non-Hispanic)African AmericanNative AmericanAsian/Pacific IslanderHispanic (any race)

* Data for 1999 are preliminary. Curtin, S.C., & Martin, J.A. (2000). Births: Preliminary data for 1999. National Vital Statistics Reports 48(14).

Number of teen births, 1999*

49.6

52.8

89.1

50.2

62.168.3

81.6

0

10

20

30

40

50

60

70

80

90

100

1950 1954 1958 1962 1966 1970 1974 1978 1982 1986 1990 1994 1998

The teen birth rate declined steadily from 1960 through the mid-1970s, stayed fairly constant for the next decade, then increased 24 percent between 1986 and 1991. Between 1991 and 1999, the teen birth rate decreased 20 percent to a record low.

Note: data for 1999 are preliminary. Curtin, S.C., & Martin, J.A. (2000). Births: Preliminary data for 1999. National Vital Statistics Reports 48(14). Ventura, S.J., Mathews, T.J., & Curtin, S.C. (1998). Declines in teenage birth rates, 1991-97: National and state patterns. National Vital Statistics Reports 47(12).

Teen birth rates, girls aged 15-19(number of births per 1,000 girls)

49.6

62.153.0

44.552.8

45.434.1

43.4

81.1

115.5

97.8

67.7

85.0

82.2

22.827.426.2

93.1106.7

0

20

40

60

80

100

120

1980 1982 1984 1986 1988 1990 1992 1994 1996 1998

Teen birth rates vary substantially among the largest racial/ethnic subgroups. Between 1991 and 1999, the rate for African-American teens declined 30 percent, the rate for all White teens declined 16 percent and the rate for non-Hispanic White teens declined 21 percent, the rate for Hispanics decreased 13 percent, the rate for Native Americans declined 20 percent, and the rate for Asian/Pacific Islanders declined 17 percent.

Hispanic (any race)

African American

White (total)

Non-Hispanic WhiteAsian/Pacific Islander

Native American

TOTAL

Note: data for 1999 are preliminary. Curtin, S.C., & Martin, J.A. (2000). Births: Preliminary data for 1999. National Vital Statistics Reports 48(14). Ventura, S.J., Martin, J.A., Curtin, S.C., Mathews, T.J., & Park, M.M. (2000). Birth: Final data for 1998. National Vital Statistics Reports 48(3).

Teen birth rates by race/ethnicity, girls aged 15-19(number of births per 1,000 girls)

Ventura, S.J., Curtin, S.C., & Mathews, T.J. (2000). Variations in teenage birth rates, 1991-98: National and state trends. National Vital Statistics Reports 48(6).

Teen birth rates vary widely by state, ranging from 24.4 per 1,000 in Vermont to 73.0 per 1,000 in Mississippi.

State teen birth rates, 1998(births per 1,000 girls aged 15-19)

24.4-35.8 per 1,000

36.9-42.6 per 1,000

43.1-49.2 per 1,000

51.2-61.6 per 1,000

64.3-73.0 per 1,000

Teen birth rates declined in all 50 state between 1991 and 1998; declines ranged from 9.7 percent in Rhode Island to 37.8 percent in Vermont.

20.6-37.8% decline

17.9-20.5% decline

14.9-17.4% decline

12.7-14.7% decline

9.7-12.6% decline

Ventura, S.J., Curtin, S.C., & Mathews, T.J. (2000). Variations in teenage birth rates, 1991-98: National and state trends. National Vital Statistics Reports 48(6).

Changes in teen birth rates, 1991-98(births per 1,000 girls aged 15-19)

Nearly four-fifths of all teen births are first births. Of the other 22 percent, 18 percent are births to teens who already have one child, 3 percent are births to teens who already have two children, less than one percent are fourth or higher-order births, and the final 1 percent of births do not have a birth order stated on the birth certificate.

Fourth+0%

Not Stated1%

Third3%

Second18%

First78%

(370,749)(2,148)

Total: 475,745 (85,455)

(14,643)

(2,750)

* Data for 1999 are preliminary. Curtin, S.C., & Martin, J.A. (2000). Births: Preliminary data for 1999. National Vital Statistics Reports 48(14).

Number of teen births by birth order, 1999*(births to girls aged 15-19)

Of the one-half million births to teens aged 15-19 in 1999, 78.6 percent were to unmarried teens.

Married21.4%

Unmarried78.6%

* Data for 1999 are preliminary. Ventura, S.J., & Bachrach, C.A. (2000). Nonmarital childbearing in the United States, 1940-99. National Vital Statistics Reports 48(16). Curtin, S.C., & Martin, J.A. (2000). Births: Preliminary data for 1999. National Vital Statistics Reports 48(14).

373,931

Proportion of teen births to unmarried teens, 1999*(births to teens aged 15-19)

101,814