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Facts & Stats

Facts and Stats You Should Know About Teenage Pregnancy
(Ages 10-19 years)
  • Almost 1 million teens in the U.S. get pregnant each year.
  • 20% of graduating senior girls will have been pregnant at least once before graduation.
  • Only one out of every three teenage parents graduate from high school.
  • 80% of teen mothers end up on welfare.
  • Teenage girls who are sexually active are 6 times more likely to attempt suicide.
  • Teenage boys who are sexually active are 5 times more likely to use alcohol and marijuana.
  • 3 million teens each year contract at least one STD -- that's one teen every 10 seconds.
  • One out of every two (50%) people who are sexually active will catch H.P.V. (Human Papiloma Virus), which can cause genital warts, cervical cancer, and can lead to death.
  • One out of every four (25%) teenagers who are sexually active will catch Chlamydia, and over half of them will never have any symptoms. If left untreated, these people my never able to have children.
  • There is no cure for H.P.V., Herpes, and HIV.
  • Condoms will protect you from some STSs, but not from all of them! Ex: H.P.V
  • 66% of teen pregnancies occur when alcohol is involved.

Four Main Causes of Teen Pregnancy

  • Poverty
  • Dysfunctional family
  • Early school failure
  • Early behavior problems
Montgomery County*
  • 487 babies were born to teenagers in 2004 (decrease of 132 births from 1998).
  • These babies will fill 28 kindergarten classrooms in 2009.
  • There were 741 known pregnancies to teens in 2004.
  • Montgomery County's teen pregnancy rate is among the highest in Alabama with 46.4 pregnancies (10-19 year olds) out of every 1000.
  • Montgomery County spends more than $88 Million each year in lost earnings and tax revenues, Welfare/Care, and Juvenile Justice costs.
Autauga County*
  • 98 babies were born to teenagers in 2004.
  • These babies will fill 7 kindergarten classrooms in 2009.
  • There were 138 known pregnancies to teens in 2004.
  • Autauga County's teen pregnancy rate is 38.4 pregnancies (10-19 year olds) out of every 1000.
  • Autauga County spends more than $10.6 Million each year in lost earnings and tax revenues, Welfare/Care, and Juvenile Justice costs.

Elmore County*

  • 112 babies were born to teenagers in 2004.
  • These babies will fill 9 kindergarten classrooms in 2009.
  • There were 168 known pregnancies to teens in 2004.
  • Elmore County's teen pregnancy rate is 35.3 pregnancies (10-19 year olds) out of every 1000.
  • Autauga County spends more than $14.2 Million each year in lost earnings and tax revenues, Welfare/Care, and Juvenile Justice costs.
Lowndes County*
  • 27 babies were born to teenagers in 2004.
  • These babies will fill more than 2 kindergarten classrooms in 2009.
  • There were 41 known pregnancies to teens in 2004.
  • Lowndes County's teen pregnancy rate is 38.1 pregnancies (10-19 year olds) out of every 1000.
  • Lowndes County spends more than $5.4 Million each year in lost earnings and tax revenues, Welfare/Care, and Juvenile Justice costs.

State of Alabama*

  • Alabama ranks among the top ten states in the country with the highest teen pregnancy rates.

  • Montgomery County has the twelfth highest Teen Pregnancy Rate in Alabama

  • 8,589 babies were born to teenagers in 2002 (decrease of 6,888 births from 1998).

  • These babies will fill more than 505 kindergarten classrooms in 2007.

  • There were 12,542 known pregnancies to teenagers in 2002.

  • Alabama's teen pregnancy rate is one of the highest in the nation with 39.3 pregnancies (10-19 year olds) out of every 1000.

  • Alabama spends more than $1.4 Billion each year in lost earnings and tax revenues, Welfare/Care, and Juvenile Justice costs.

United States

  • The United States has the highest rates of teen pregnancy and births in the western industrialized world.

  • More than 820,000 babies are born to teenagers in the US each year. Eight in ten of these pregnancies are unintended and 79% are to unmarried teens.

  • One out of every five teenage girls who are sexually active will become pregnant by the age of 18.

  • 10% of all 15-19 year olds become pregnant each year.

  • 70% of teen pregnancies are fathered by men older than 20.

  • 1/4 of teenager mothers have a second child within two years of the first.

  • Teen pregnancy costs the United States at least $7 Billion annually.

Consequences of Teen Pregnancy

  • Almost 98% of sexually active teens regret early sexual involvement.

  • Teen pregnancy is the #1 reason teenage girls go to the hospital.

  • 1/3 of pregnant teens received inadequate prenatal care.

  • Teen mothers are less likely to complete high school (only one-third receive a high school diploma) and only 1.5% have a college degree by age 30. Teen mothers are more likely to end up on welfare (nearly 80%).

  • Teenage girls who are sexually active are three times more likely to become depressed, and teenage boys who are sexually active are twice as likely to become depressed.

  • The children of teenage mothers have lower birth weights, are more likely to perform poorly in school, and are at greater risk of abuse and neglect.

  • The sons of teen mothers are 13% more likely to end up in prison while teen daughters are 22% more likely to become teen mothers themselves.

You Should Know...

  • 52% of teen girls and 56% of teen boys (aged 15-19) have had sex at least once.

  • Prime-time television contains roughly three sexual acts an hour.

  • Younger sisters of teen mothers begin having sex at an earlier age than the average teen girl.

*Alabama Department of Public Health Center for Health Statistics
 
 

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