Whatever Happened to Childhood?: The Problem of Teen Pregnancy in the United States

Abstract:
This report provides facts on teen pregnancy and describes what program evaluations reveal about the effectiveness of various community-level prevention programs. Through text and graphics, the report explores such questions as 'How big is the problem?' (approximately four in ten girls become pregnant at least once before age 20) and 'Who are the pregnant teens?' (about 40% are age 17 or younger; about half of pregnant teens ages 15-19 are white). The report describes trends in rates of teen pregnancy, teen births, and out-of-wedlock births, and it examines factors behind these trends, such as teen sexual activity and marriage rates, teen abortion rates, contraceptive use, size of the teenage population, and birth rates by race and ethnicity. A section on the consequences of teen pregnancy describes educational, financial, and health consequences for the teenage mothers and their children. The report concludes with recommendations for community and national efforts to prevent teen pregnancy. It describes important basic messages, research findings on approaches currently being taken, insights on community innovation, thoughts on managing conflict, and objectives for national leadership.


Date Published: 5/1/1997

Pages: 20

Comments:
This report is also included in the National Campaign to Prevent Teen Pregnancy resource folder, #6264. It can be ordered from the National Campaign to Prevent Teen Pregnancy. A single copy is free; additional copies are $10.

Location Code: 8216