Statistics on Pregnancy

Unwanted pregnancy is a major occurrence in many countries today especially among teenagers. Every year about 750,000 teens between the ages of 15-19 get pregnant in the United States making it the country with the highest rate of teenage pregnancy. The Federal Government spends approximately $7 billion to help teenage mothers.

Below are interesting pregnancy statistics that occur between the ages of 16-25:

• In every 10 teenage pregnancies, 8 are unintended. 82% of those children come into this world without their parent having a plan.
• 79% of most teenage mothers are unmarried.
• 80% of teenage mothers end up on welfare and about 50% of these mothers will need state support for the first five years of the child’s existence.
• Less than half of teen mothers graduate from high school. The children of these young mothers are more susceptible to abuse and neglect.
• Only 1.5% of women who had a teenage pregnancy have a college degree by age 30.
• 30% of teenage mothers end up aborting their children. Teens that have aborted in the last six months are 10 times more likely to attempt suicide. They are more likely to develop psychological problems, and 65% are at a higher risk of being clinically depressed.

Effect on the Child

Children born to teenage mothers are more often born prematurely and are susceptible to many newborn diseases. They are more likely to have developmental disabilities and perform poorly in class later in life. They are also less likely to graduate from high school.

Resources:

Kost K and Henshaw S, U.S. Teenage Pregnancies, Births and Abortions, 2008: National Trends by Race and Ethnicity, 2012

Finer LB and Zolna MR, Unintended pregnancy in the United States: incidence and disparities, 2006, Contraception, 2011