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Pregnancy and Birth

What factors contribute to teen pregnancy?

Many factors are associated with teen pregnancy. Some factors relate to the individual while others focus on the family structure and dynamics, the community environment or peer/partner attitudes and behaviors. First and foremost, however, teen pregnancy is a function of the early initiation of sex and having unprotected sex.

What are the current trends in unintended pregnancy rates?

While about half of all pregnancies in the United States are unintended, rates of unintended pregnancy are highest among females ages 18 and 19, and 20-24. ⁶
The proportion of unintended pregnancies remains highest among young women under 20. About 85% of teenage pregnancies are unintended compared to 50% of pregnancies among adult women. ⁶
Half of all unintended pregnancies occur among contraceptive users; 90% result from inconsistent or incorrect method use. ⁷
Half of all unintended pregnancies occur among the 12% who report using no method.⁵ ⁸
Eighty-two percent (82%) of teen pregnancies are unplanned; they account for about one in five of all unintended pregnancies annually in the U.S.⁶

What age groups of teens experience the most pregnancies?

Two-thirds of all teen pregnancies occur among 18-19-year-olds. ⁹

How do pregnancy rates in the United States compare to other countries?

Teen pregnancy rates are much higher in the United States than in many other developed countries-twice as high as in England and Wales or Canada, and eight times as high as in the Netherlands or Japan. ¹⁰
The teen pregnancy and birth rates in the United States remain among the highest in developed countries.

What are the current trends in birth rates for teen and young adult women?

Overall Teen Birth Rates

The teen birth rate for girls aged 15-19 increased 1% between 2006 and 2007 (from 41.9 births per 1,000 to 42.5 per 1,000). ¹¹
The teen birth rate for 15-19 year olds declined 31% between 1991 and 2007. ¹¹

Rates by Age

The birth rate for girls aged 10-14 remained unchanged between 2006 and 2007 (at 0.6 per 1,000). The birth rate for girls aged 10-14 declined 57% between 1991 and 2007. ¹¹
The birth rate for girls aged 15-17 increased 1% between 2006 and 2007 from 22.0 per 1,000 to 22.2 per 1,000) The birth rate for this age group declined 42% between 1991 and 2007. ¹¹
The birth rate for girls aged 18-19 increased 1% between 2006 and 2007 (from 73.0 per 1,000 to 73.9 per 1,000). The birth rate for this age group declined 21% between 1991 and 2007. ¹¹

Rates by Race/Ethnicity

Birth rates for 15-19 year olds increased from 2006 to 2007 for all racial/ethnic groups except for Hispanic teens. ¹¹
The birth rate for non-Hispanic white teens aged 15-19 increased 2% between 2006 and 2007 (from 26.6 per 1,000 to 27.2 per 1,000). ¹¹
The 2006 birth rate for non-Hispanic black teens aged 15-19 increased 1% between 2006 and 2007 (from 63.7 per 1,000 to 64.3 per 1,000). ¹¹
The 2006 birth rate for Hispanic teens aged 15-19 decreased 2% between 2006 and 2007 (from 83.0 per 1,000 to 81.7 per 1,000). ¹¹
The 2006 birth rate for American Indian teens aged 15-19 increased 7% between 2006 and 2007 (from 55.0 per 1,000 to 59.0 per 1,000). ¹¹
The 2006 birth rate for Asian/Pacific Islander teens aged 15-19 increased 2% between 2006 and 2007 (from 17.0 per 1,000 to 17.3 per 1,000). ¹¹

Non-marital Births

In 2007, the proportion of nonmarital births to teens reached a record high—85.7% of births to teens aged 15-19 were nonmarital, up from 84.4% in 2006. This is a total of 386,702 nonmarital births to teens. Among teens under age 15, the proportion was 98.8%; to those 15-17 it is 92.8; and to those 18-19 it was 82.1%. ¹¹

References

⁶ Finer LB, Henshaw SK. Disparities in rates of unintended pregnancy in the United States, 1994 and 2001. Perspectives on Sexual & Reproductive Health 2006; 38(2):90-96.

⁷ Frost JJ, Darroch JE. Factors associated with contraceptive choice and inconsistent method use, United States, 2004. Perspectives on Sexual & Reproductive Health 2008; 40(2):94-104.

⁸ Santelli JS et al. Contraceptive use and pregnancy risk among U.S. high school students, 1991-2003. Perspectives on Sexual & Reproductive Health 2006; 38(2):106-111.

⁹ Guttmacher Institute, U.S. Teenage Pregnancy Statistics: National and State Trends and Trends by Race and Ethnicity, 2006

¹¹ CDC, National Vital Statistics Reports, Volume 57, Number 12, March 18, 2009, Births: Preliminary Data for 2007 by Brady E. Hamilton, Ph.D.; Joyce A. Martin, M.P.H.; and Stephanie J. Ventura, M.A., Division of Vital Statistics, www.cdc.gov/nchs/data/nvsr/nvsr57/nvsr57_12.pdf.

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