~ Approximately One Million teens become pregnant each year in the United States. This results in approximately 520,000 births, 405,000 abortions & 80,000 miscarriages.
~ Over forty percent of adolescents will become pregnant before reaching age twenty.
~ The United States has the highest teen pregnancy rate of any developed country. It is twice as high as England, France & Canada, three times as high as Sweden and four times as high as The Netherlands.
~ Nearly one in five teenagers who experience a premarital pregnancy will get pregnant again within a year.
~ Of prison inmates between 15 & 19 years of age, 90% are products of an adolescent pregnancy.
~ Of the top ten disciplinary problems confronting public school teachers, pregnancy is third.
Not only is this problem among those who are living it but it is also a problem for our country. These statistics list the cost of teen pregnancy withing our country. In these hard economic times it would be a great thing to decrease and over come.
~The cost to our government for teen pregnancy is estimated by several different agencies. Various estimates put it as high as $50,000,000,000 annually, while the low side estimate is a staggering $25,000,000,000. This does not consider the cost of factors other than direct payments. Education, food subsidies, incarceration, WIC and other programs are not included, nor the costs in time and actual money contributed by charitable organizations.
~ Approximately $5 - $7 billion in state and federal money is spent each year on services related to teen parents.
~ 46% of single mothers receive public assistance.
~ Over 50% of the national AFDC budget is related to adolescent pregnancy.
The most devastating problem isn't anything listed above. Its what the statistics are for poor health among pregnant teens and even suicide. Here are some of those statistics.
~Approximately 70 percent of all pregnant adolescents do not receive adequate prenatal care, when in reality, this is the group that needs the most care.
~The health risks to the baby are substantially greater. Nine percent of teen moths have low birth weight babies. Low birth weight babies are 40 times more likely to die in their first month of life than normal weight babies.
~The same risk factors that contribute to teen pregnancy also contribute to a high incidence of risk for HIV/AIDS and other sexually transmitted diseases.
~Teens too often have poor eating habits, and may smoke, drink alcohol and take drugs, increasing the risk that their babies will be born with health problems. Pregnant teens are least likely of all maternal ages to get early and regular care. A teenage mother is more at risk of pregnancy complications such as premature or prolonged labor, anemia and high blood pressure. The risks are even greater for teens who are less than 15 years old.
Teenage Suicide Rates
Suicides per 100,000 15-24 Year Olds
If you are a parent of a teen who may be or might be on the path of pregnancy, these statistics are for you. There is always a way to deal with a teen in hard times. Even if the outcome seems overwhelming there is help out there
