Teenage pregnancy in the United States

The article is about teen pregnancy in the United States. For a broader view see Teen pregnancy and Adolescent sexuality in the United States.

Teen births, aged 15–19, per 1,000 people by state, 2015

Teenage pregnancy in the United States occurs mostly unintentionally ^[1] and out of wedlock ^{[2] [3]} but has been declining almost continuously since the 1990s. ^{[1] [4] [5]} In 2022, the teenage birth rate fell to 13.5 per 1,000 girls aged 15 to 19, the lowest on record. ^[6] According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), this decline is due to abstinence and the use of contraception. ^{[7] [3]}

The averages conceal significant ethnic or geographic differences within the US. ^[8] The birth rates for Hispanic and African-American teens were more than double those of European-American teens, ^[9] while Asian-American adolescents have the lowest pregnancy and birth rates of all. ^[3] As of 2015, New Mexico, Texas, Oklahoma, Arkansas, Louisiana, and Mississippi had the highest adolescent birth rates in the Union. (See map.)

Since 2012, the birth rate of American girls aged 15 to 19 has fallen below the OECD average, though it still remains above that of many other industrialized nations. ^[10] As of 2024, the rate of decline has faltered. ^[11]

General facts and statistics

Teen pregnancy is defined as pregnancies in girls under the age of 20, regardless of marital status. ^[12]

Recent trends

US birth rates among teenagers aged 15 to 19, 1991 to 2023

According to Child Trends research institute, prevalence of teen birth in the United States has plummeted between the early 1990s and 2020s. ^{[4] [5]} Teenage birth rates, as opposed to just pregnancies, peaked in 1991, when there were 61.8 births per 1,000 teens. ^[13] In 2014, 249,078 babies were born to girls 15 to 19 years of age, corresponding to a birth rate of 24.2 per 1,000 girls. ^[12] In 2016, three in ten American girls fell pregnant before age 20, corresponding to almost 750,000 pregnancies a year. ^[14]

In 2008, 16% of all girls became teen mothers. ^[15] Among girls 15 to 19, birth rates fell 77% between the 1990s and 2020s. ^[10] In 2016, researchers from the Guttmacher Institute were able to show that the fall in teenage birthrates is likely not due to terminated pregnancies. The number of abortions remained the same or decreased in all U.S. states except for Vermont. ^[1]

In 2010, an estimated 60% pregnancies to adolescent females ended in live birth, 15% ended in miscarriage, and 30% in abortion. ^[16] The number of hospital stays for teen pregnancies decreased by 47 percent from 2000 to 2012, when there were 104,700 maternal hospital stays for pregnant teens. ^[17] Most of the adolescents who give birth are over the age of 18. For example, in 2008, 6.6 pregnancies occurred per 1,000 teens aged 13–14. In other words, fewer than 1% of teens younger than 15 became pregnant in 2008. ^[18]

Contemporary teenagers are becoming better at avoiding pregnancies by abstinence or by using contraception. ^{[3] [19]} A CDC analysis found that the rates of teens using a long-acting and reversible method of contraception, such as an intrauterine device (IUD), jumped from 0.4% in 2005 to 7.1% in 2013. ^[3] Adolescents are also less likely get married at their age. ^[20] In 2006, nearly 80% of teenage fathers did not marry the teenage mothers of their children. ^[21] In the same year, 89% of teenage births occurred outside of marriage. ^[16] Some states allow minors to get married if the girl is pregnant. In these cases, though, the husband is typically much older, ^[22] and the bride's parents may be the ones who force her to get married for cultural or religious reasons. ^[23] In some cases, the parents may force the teenage girl to marry her rapist if he impregnated her to avoid an investigation by the child protective services. ^{[23] [24]}

Attitudes

In a 2013 study, most female teens reported that they would be very upset (58%) or a little upset (29%) if they got pregnant, while the remaining 13% reported that they would be a little or very pleased. ^[18] Most male teens reported that they would be very upset (47%) or a little upset (34%) if they got someone pregnant, while the remaining 18% reported that they would be a little or very pleased. ^[18]

Risk factors

Girls who were cohabiting, poorly educated, drug abusers, alcoholics, and came from low-income or unstable households were at the highest risks of unintentional pregnancies. ^{[25] [26] [27]} Teenage fathers have 10-15% lower annual earnings than teenagers who do not father children. ^[21] According to the Centers for Disease Control, more than four out of five, or 80%, of teenage pregnancies are unintended. ^[25]

Intentional pregnancies

In 2002, according to the Journal of Pediatric Health Care, approximately 15% of all adolescent pregnancies were planned. Based upon interviews conducted with pregnant teenagers, there are particular themes based upon wants and needs. Some of the wants expressed by teens includes, "(a) the desire to be or be perceived as more grown up, with increased responsibility, independence and maturity; (b) a long history of desiring pregnancy and the maternal role; c) never having had anything to call their own and wanting something to care for and love and (d) the pregnancy was the natural next step in their life or their relationship with their boyfriend." ^[28]

Rates by ethnicity

US teenage birth rates declined for all racial or ethnic groups from 2016 to 2020. Asian Americans have the lowest rates of all.

In 2016, Black, Latino, and Native-American youth had the highest rates of teenage pregnancy and childbirth. ^[12] In 2014, For every 1,000 black boys in the United States, 29 of them are teenage fathers, compared to 14 per 1,000 white boys. ^[18] The rate of teen fatherhood declined 36% between 1991 and 2010, from 25 to 16 per 1,000 males aged 15–19. This decline was more substantial among blacks than among whites (50% vs. 26%) and about half of the rate among teen girls. ^[18] Studies in 2008 and 2013 indicated that Asians (23 per 1,000) and whites (43 per 1,000) have lower rates of pregnancy before the age of 20. ^{[15] [18]}

Teen birth rates decline by racial groups ^[8]

Teen birth rates declined from 2018 to 2019 for several racial groups and for Hispanics.Among 15- to 19-year-olds, teen birth rates decreased:

• 5.2% for Hispanic females.
• 5.8% for non-Hispanic White females.
• 1.9% for non-Hispanic Black females.

Rates for non-Hispanic American Indian/Alaska Natives (AI/AN), non-Hispanic Asians, and non-Hispanic Native Hawaiian, and other Pacific Islander teenagers were unchanged.

In 2019, the birth rates for Hispanic teens (25.3 per 1,000) and non-Hispanic Black teens (25.8 per 1,000) were more than two times higher than the rate for non-Hispanic White teens (11.4 per 1,000). The birth rate of American Indian/Alaska Native teens (29.2 per 1,000) was highest among all race/ethnicities.

Rates by region

In 2013, the lowest birth rates were reported in the Northeast. The highest rates were located in the Southeast. ^[16]

Birth and abortion rates of girls ages 15–19, 2010 ^[29]

US State	Pregnancy rate (per 1000)	Birthrate	Abortion rate	% Abortion rate excluding stillborns and miscarriages
Alabama	62	32	9	17
Alaska	64	27.8	17	30
Arizona	60	29.9	9	18
Arkansas	73	39.5	9	14
California	59	21.1	19	38
Colorado	50	20.3	10	20
Connecticut	44	11.5	20	52
Delaware	15	20.7	28	47
Washington, D.C.	90	28.4	32	41
Florida	60	22.5	19	38
Georgia	64	28.4	13	24
Hawaii	65	23.1	23	42
Idaho	47	23.2	7	17
Illinois	57	22.8	15	32
Indiana	53	28	7	16
Iowa	44	19.8	9	23
Kansas	53	27.6	5	12
Kentucky	62	35.3	6	12
Louisiana	69	35.8	10	18
Maine	37	16.5	10	31
Maryland	57	17.8	22	45
Massachusetts	37	10.6	14	46
Michigan	52	21.1	14	32
Minnesota	36	15.5	8	25
Mississippi	76	38	9	14
Missouri	54	27.2	9	19
Montana	53	26.4	10	21
Nebraska	43	22.2	5	14
Nevada	68	28.5	20	34
New Hampshire	28	11	8	35
New Jersey	51	13.1	24	55
New Mexico	80	37.8	15	22
New York	63	16.1	32	58
North Carolina	59	25.9	12	24
North Dakota	42	23.9	6	18
Ohio	54	25.1	12	25
Oklahoma	69	38.5	8	13
Oregon	47	19.3	12	29
Pennsylvania	49	13.8	15	35
Rhode Island	44	15.8	16	41
South Carolina	65	28.5	13	23
South Dakota	47	26.2	4	11
Tennessee	62	33	9	18
Texas	73	37.8	9	15
Utah	38	19.4	4	13
Vermont	32	14.2	9	34
Virginia	48	18.4	14	33
Washington	49	19.1	16	37
West Virginia	64	36.6	9	17
Wisconsin	39	18	7	21
Wyoming	56	30.1	8	17

Parenting as a teenager

An anti-teenage pregnancy poster

In 2008, about 25% of teenage mothers had a second child within 24 months of the first birth. ^[30]

Parenting as a teenager has detrimental effects on the parents as well as the children. Pregnant teenage girls tend to gain less weight than older mothers, due to the fact that they are still growing and competing for nutrients with the baby during the pregnancy. ^[31] Teenage parents are considerably more likely to drop out of high school in order to work. ^{[14] [32] [33]} This is because child-rearing is expensive and requires a lot of attention, and the typical teenager is unable to handle the responsibilities of schoolwork, earning a living, and childcare. ^[33]

After becoming parents at such an early age, these teenagers often find themselves socially isolated from their peers. ^[33] Following the Great Recession of the late 2000s, young people take longer to gain financial independence than their counterparts three decades ago. It is much harder for teenage parents to be able to support a family compared to the past, due to the competitive work environment. ^[20]

Children born to teenage parents are more likely to be born prematurely, to do poorly at school, to live in poverty, and to suffer higher rates of relationship abuse. ^[30] They tend to repeat the cycle of early childbearing out of wedlock, and early marriage of their parents. ^[34] The sons of teen mothers are 13% more likely to end up incarcerated, and the daughters of teenage mothers are 22% more likely to become teenage mothers. ^[30] More than 25% of teen mothers live in poverty during their 20s. ^[21]

Supporting teenage parents

"Happy Birthday Sweet 16" / "Pink or Blue, We Love You" cake

Some high schools in the United States offer a program for pregnant and parenting teens to continue their education. ^[35]

A 2007 study found that when teen parents stay in school after being pregnant, they have a better chance of graduating high school. ^[36] In 2016, less than 2% of teen moms earn a college degree by age 30. ^[14] Many of these programs offer on-campus childcare. Some require the pregnant and parenting teens to attend parenting classes or practicum classes. The parenting classes offer a place for these young parents to learn about the basic needs of a child. The practical classes offer a hands on experience caring for the children in the childcare center.

Prevention

Preventing Teen Pregnancy graphic by Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

The United States has the highest rates of teenage pregnancy and sexually transmitted diseases in developed countries. ^[37] The two primary reasons given by teenagers for not using any form of protection is that they think the female partner is unlikely to fall pregnant or that they fail to anticipate intercourse. ^[38]

The best method of reducing the consequences of teenage parenthood is by providing reproductive health services to prevent teenagers from becoming pregnant in the first place. ^[20] Prevention can be beneficial on a micro level and on a more macro scale. Nationally, teen pregnancies cost tax payers an average of $9.4 billion each year. ^[12] These costs are associated with health care, foster care, criminal justice, public assistance and lost tax revenue. ^[30] Another method is to reform the curriculum for sex education. While traditional lessons involving bananas and condoms remain common, newer approaches that emphasize financial responsibility and character development have been implemented. ^[1] As previously mentioned, contemporary American teenagers are much more likely to use contraception when engaging in sexual intercourse than in the past. ^{[25] [39]} These reforms play a role in the significant drop in teenage birthrates. ^[1]

International comparison

Main article: Prevalence of teenage pregnancy

In 2016, the United States had a high adolescent birth rate relative to other developed nations.

There are large differences in adolescent pregnancy rates among developed nations like Canada, France, Great Britain, Sweden and the United States. The United States has the highest number of teen pregnancies and the highest number of sexually transmitted infections compared to the other four countries. ^[40]

In France and Sweden during the late 1990s, pregnancies were 20 per 1,000 girls at ages 15–19. ^[40] In Canada and Great Britain the levels were twice that. In the United States, the level was 4 times as high, with 84 per 1,000 teenage girls pregnant. The likelihood of pregnant teenage girls having abortions across the four countries differ and exclude miscarriages. In the U.S. abortion rates for 15–19 years are 35%, compared to 69% in Sweden, 39% in Great Britain, 46% in Canada, and 51% in France. ^[40]

The quality of sex education varies across the U.S, with some states offering more comprehensive education than others. 39 states require "some" education related to sexuality. 25 states are required by law to teach sex and HIV education. 17 states only require the teaching of STIs. 20 states require provision of information on contraception. 39 states are required to provide information on abstinence. Eleven states have no requirement. ^[41]

In popular media

In a 2014 paper, economists Melissa S. Kearney and Phillip B. Levine, both fellows of the Brookings Institution, were able to show that popular TV programs depicting the reality of teenage parenthood, such as MTV's 16 and Pregnant and its sequels ( Teen Mom , Teen Mom 2 , Teen Mom 3 , Teen Mom: Young and Pregnant), have played a significant role in the reduction of teenage childbearing. ^[42] The girls who watched any one of these shows also reported being able to predict the behaviors and intentions that result in teenage pregnancy. ^[43]

See also

• Society portal
• United States portal

• Minors and abortion#United States
• Native Americans and reservation inequality#Teenage pregnancy
• Prevalence of teenage pregnancy in the United States

References

1. Cha, Ariana (April 28, 2016). "Teen birthrate hits all-time low, led by 50 percent decline among Hispanics and blacks". The Washington Post. Retrieved May 15, 2019.
2. "An Analysis of Out-Of-Wedlock Births in the United States". The Brookings Institution. August 1, 1996. Retrieved March 8, 2016.
3. Patten, Eileen; Livingston, Gretchen (April 29, 2016). "Why is the teen birth rate falling?". Pew Research Center. Retrieved July 2, 2019.
4. Wildsmith, Elizabeth; Welti, Kate; Finocharo, Jane; Ryberg, Renee; Manlove, Jennifer (December 23, 2022). "Teen Births Have Declined by More Than Three Quarters Since 1991 - Child Trends". Child Trends. Retrieved January 15, 2023.
5. DeParle, Jason (December 31, 2022). "Their Mothers Were Teenagers. They Didn't Want That for Themselves". The New York Times. ISSN   0362-4331 . Retrieved January 15, 2023.
6. Kekatos, Mary (June 1, 2023). "Teenage birth rates in the US reached historic lows in 2022, CDC report finds". ABC News. Retrieved December 7, 2023.
7. "Too Much Netflix, Not Enough Chill: Why Young Americans Are Having Less Sex". Politico Magazine. February 8, 2018.
8. "About Teen Pregnancy | CDC". www.cdc.gov. November 15, 2021. Retrieved December 6, 2021.
9. "ONDCP: Hispanic teens more likely than whites, blacks to use drugs". PsycEXTRA Dataset. 2007. doi:10.1037/e426482008-009 . Retrieved April 27, 2022.
10. "Some good news about America's fertility problem". The Economist. February 5, 2024. Archived from the original on February 6, 2024. Retrieved June 10, 2024.
11. Stobbe, Mike (April 25, 2024). "US births fell last year, marking an end to the late pandemic rebound, experts say". Associated Press. Retrieved May 10, 2024.
12. "About Teen Pregnancy | Teen Pregnancy | Reproductive Health | CDC". www.cdc.gov. Retrieved April 20, 2016.
13. Timothy W. Martin (2011). "Birth Rate Continues to Slide Among Teens". Wall Street Journal. Retrieved March 7, 2012.
14. "11 Facts About Teen Pregnancy | DoSomething.org | Volunteer for Social Change". www.dosomething.org. Retrieved April 20, 2016.
15. "Policy Brief: Racial and Ethnic Disparities in Teen Pregnancy" (PDF). The National Campaign to Prevent Teen and Unplanned Pregnancy. July 2008. Archived from the original (PDF) on October 29, 2008. Retrieved October 13, 2008.
16. "The Office of Adolescent Health, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services". Office of Adolescent Health. Archived from the original on December 3, 2021. Retrieved April 20, 2016.
17. Witt WP, Wiess AJ, Elixhauser A (December 2014). "Overview of Hospital Stays for Children in the United States, 2012". HCUP Statistical Brief (186). Rockville, MD: Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality. PMID   25695124.
18. "www.guttmacher.org" (PDF). Guttmacher Institute. June 2013. Retrieved August 14, 2013.
19. Boonstra, Heather. "What Is Behind the Declines in Teen Pregnancy Rates?". Guttmacher Institute. Archived from the original on June 15, 2020. Retrieved April 20, 2017.
20. Furstenberg, Frank (November 1, 2016). "Reconsidering Teenage Pregnancy and Parenthood". Societies. 6 (4): 33. doi: 10.3390/soc6040033 .
21. "Statistics on Teenage Pregnancy" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on April 18, 2021. Retrieved April 19, 2016.
22. Baynes, Chris (August 18, 2018). "More than 200,000 children married in US over the last 15 years". The Independent. Retrieved October 19, 2024.
23. Jeltsen, Melissa (August 30, 2017). "Grown Men Are Exploiting Loopholes In State Laws To Marry Children". Huffington Post. Retrieved October 19, 2024.
24. Kristof, Nicholas (June 1, 2018). "Opinion: An American 13-Year-Old, Pregnant and Married to Her Rapist". The New York Times . Archived from the original on June 5, 2018. Retrieved January 25, 2023.
25. "Unintended Pregnancy Prevention | Unintended Pregnancy | Reproductive Health | CDC". www.cdc.gov. Retrieved April 20, 2016.
26. Burrus, Barri B. (February 1, 2018). "Decline in Adolescent Pregnancy in the United States: A Success Not Shared by All". American Journal of Public Health. 108 (S1): S5–S6. doi:10.2105/AJPH.2017.304273. ISSN   0090-0036. PMC   5813784 . PMID   29443563.
27. Vazsonyi, Alexander T.; Chen, Pan; Young, Maureen; Jenkins, Dusty; Browder, Sara; Kahumoku, Emily; Pagava, Karaman; Phagava, Helen; Jeannin, Andre; Michaud, Pierre-Andre (December 1, 2008). "A Test of Jessor's Problem Behavior Theory in a Eurasian and a Western European Developmental Context". Journal of Adolescent Health. 43 (6): 555–564. doi:10.1016/j.jadohealth.2008.06.013. ISSN   1054-139X. PMID   19027643.
28. Montgomery, Kristen S. (November 1, 2002). "Planned adolescent pregnancy: What they wanted". Journal of Pediatric Health Care. 16 (6): 282–289. doi:10.1067/mph.2002.122083. ISSN   0891-5245. PMID   12436097.
29. Kost, Kathryn; Henshaw, Stanley (2014), U.S. Teenage Pregnancies, Births and Abortions, 2010:National and State Trends by Age, Race and Ethnicity (PDF), retrieved June 8, 2015
30. "Teenage Births: Outcomes for Young Parents and Their Children" (PDF). December 2008. Archived from the original (PDF) on August 10, 2021. Retrieved April 19, 2016.
31. Chen, X.-K.; Wen, S. W.; Fleming, N.; Demissie, K.; Rhoads, G. G.; Walker, M. (April 1, 2007). "Teenage pregnancy and adverse birth outcomes: a large population based retrospective cohort study". International Journal of Epidemiology. 36 (2): 368–373. doi: 10.1093/ije/dyl284 . ISSN   0300-5771. PMID   17213208.
32. Van Pelt, Jennifer (March–April 2012). "Keep Teen Mom's In School- A School Social Work". Social Work Today. Retrieved March 4, 2016.
33. Harris, Robie H.; Emberley, Michael (2014). It's Perfectly Normal: Changing Bodies, Growing Up, Sex, and Sexual Health (4th ed.). Somerville, Massachusetts: Candlewick Press. p. 47. ISBN   978-0-7636-6872-3.
34. Myers, Wendy S. "Babies Having Babies. (Cover Story)." Women In Business 42.4 (1990): 18-20. Academic Search Complete. Web. 25 Oct. 2016.
35. Martinez, D. (February 7, 2009). "Teen Parenting Program aims to keep young mothers in school". Valley Morning Star. Archived from the original on December 3, 2021. Retrieved April 29, 2016. Saenz said the program, which follows a TEA curriculum, reaches out to girls and boys from middle school to high school who are facing a pregnancy to educate them about the parenting process, resources, federal programs and continuing their education.
36. Sadler L. S., Swartz M. K., Ryan-Krause P., Seitz V., Meadows-Oliver M., Grey M., Clemmens D. A. (2007). "Promising Outcomes in Teen Mothers Enrolled in a School-Based Parent Support Program and Child Care Center". Journal of School Health. 77 (3): 121–130. doi:10.1111/j.1746-1561.2007.00181.x. PMID   17302854.
37. Stanger-Hall, Kathrin F.; Hall, David W. (October 14, 2011). "Abstinence-Only Education and Teen Pregnancy Rates: Why We Need Comprehensive Sex Education in the U.S". PLOS ONE. 6 (10): e24658. Bibcode:2011PLoSO...624658S. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0024658 . ISSN   1932-6203. PMC   3194801 . PMID   22022362.
38. Trussell, James (Spring 2017). "Teenage Pregnancy in the United States". Family Planning Perspectives. 6 (6): 262–272. doi:10.2307/2135482. JSTOR   2135482.
39. Santelli, John S.; Lindberg, Laura Duberstein; Finer, Lawrence B.; Singh, Susheela (January 2007). "Explaining Recent Declines in Adolescent Pregnancy in the United States: The Contribution of Abstinence and Improved Contraceptive Use". American Journal of Public Health. 97 (1): 150–156. doi:10.2105/AJPH.2006.089169. ISSN   0090-0036. PMC   1716232 . PMID   17138906.
40. Darroch, Jacqueline E.; Singh, Susheela; Frost, Jennifer J. (November–December 2001). "Differences in Teenage Pregnancy Rates Among Five Developed Countries: The Roles of Sexual Activity and Contraceptive Use". Perspectives on Sexual and Reproductive Health. 33 (6): 244–281.
41. "Sex and HIV Education". March 14, 2016.
42. Kearney, Melissa; Levine, Phillip (January 15, 2014). "Media Influences on Social Outcomes: The Impact of MTV's "16 and Pregnant" on Teen Childbearing". The Brookings Institution. Retrieved July 2, 2019.
43. Aubrey, Jennifer Stevens; Behm-Morawitz, Elizabeth; Kim, Kyungbo (October 3, 2014). "Understanding the Effects of MTV's 16 and Pregnant on Adolescent Girls' Beliefs, Attitudes, and Behavioral Intentions Toward Teen Pregnancy". Journal of Health Communication. 19 (10): 1145–1160. doi:10.1080/10810730.2013.872721. ISSN   1081-0730. PMID   24628488. S2CID   12327917.

Further reading

• Ventura, Stephanie J., Brady E. Hamilton, and T. J. Mathews. (2013). "Pregnancy and childbirth among females aged 10–19 years—United States, 2007-2010". CDC Health Disparities and Inequalities Report—United States, 2013. Vol. 62. pp. 71–76.{{cite book}}: |work= ignored (help)