Why is teenage pregnancy growing?

Question

Teenage pregnancy and out-of-wedlock childbearing have become central issues in the debate over welfare reform. Paradoxically, they are frequently seen as both the cause of increased welfare costs and caseloads over the last 25 years, and the result of the welfare system itself.

Out-of-wedlock births among teenagers have increased dramatically in the last several decades and now account for almost 70% of all teenage births. Yet, trends in teenage sexual activity and childbearing reflect broader trends in sexual and reproductive behavior among women of all ages and income levels. Women age 20 and older, for example, account for more than three-quarters of the unintended pregnancies and abortions that occur each year in the United States. Moreover, despite the sharp increase in teenage out-of-wedlock births, the increase has been even greater among older women. As a result, teenagers account for a much smaller proportion of out-of-wedlock births today than they did in the 1970s.

Contrary to popular belief, only 5% of mothers on welfare are teenagers, and just 1%, or about 32,000, are under age 18. However, a large proportion of women who begin childbearing as teenagers eventually end up on welfare, and those who do tend to need assistance for a long period of time.

Clearly, therefore, ensuring teenagers access to services that can enable them to avoid unplanned pregnancies and unwanted births is essential to helping them avoid or escape poverty and welfare. Making voluntary family planning services and, as a backup, abortion easily accessible to adolescents has been demonstrated to be a cost-effective way to reduce unplanned childbearing and its consequences.

For the most part, however, current welfare reform proposals take a different approach. They rely on disincentives-the threat of punitive measures down the line-to discourage teenage childbearing.

These proposals appear to rest on two basic assumptions: that poor, unmarried teenagers deliberately get pregnant and have babies in order to collect welfare and set up their own households; and that a prohibition on benefits will, in and of itself, discourage out-of-wedlock births. Undoubtedly, some teenagers want to get pregnant and have a child. Research indicates, however, that the great majority of poor teenagers use contraceptives to prevent pregnancy, and that most births to poor adolescents are unintended. It also suggests that most women, including teenagers, would prefer to give birth within marriage. The reality is, however, that marriage is not a realistic or even desirable option for most poor adolescent women.

This Issues in Brief examines teenage sexual and reproductive behavior, with special attention to key behavior differences among adolescents of varying income levels. It explores the extent to which teenage mothers depend on welfare and whether welfare recipients who gave birth as teenagers differ significantly on certain socioeconomic indicators from those who were not teenage mothers. It also considers whether current proposals to reduce teenage pregnancies and out-of-wedlock births among young women on or at risk of welfare are likely to achieve their stated goals.

Teenagers and Sex

Initiation of sexual intercourse during the teenage years has become the norm in the United States. While intercourse among very young teenagers is still relatively rare (and many of the youngest teenagers who have had sex report that they were forced to do so), more than 8 in 10 adolescents have had intercourse by the time they turn 20. Because marriage in the teenage years is now so uncommon, most adolescent sexual activity occurs outside marriage.

As sex has become more common at younger ages, historic differences in sexual activity among teenagers of different races, income levels and religions have narrowed considerably. For example, while 60% of poor women aged 15-19 are sexually experienced, so are 53% of low-income adolescents and 50% of higher income teenagers.

[Poor refers to those whose family income is at or below the federal poverty level; low-income, to those with incomes between 100% and 199% of the poverty level; and higher income, to those

As a result of differences in pregnancy and abortion rates, poor and low-income teenagers account for 83% of adolescents who have a baby and become a parent and 85% of those who become an unwed parent. By contrast, higher income teenagers, who make up 62% of all women aged 15-19, represent only 17% of those who give birth.

Many teenagers who become mothers would have been poor later in life even if they had not had a baby. Nevertheless, having a baby often compounds the disadvantaged circumstances in which young mothers live, causing them to fall further behind their better-off peers in terms of income, education and the likelihood of a stable marriage. Thus, early childbearing has a profound impact on the lives of these young mothers and their children.

Why do young ladies want to have babies when they are still developing themselves?

Excuse me for forgetting
http://www.guttmacher.org/pubs/ib5.html

Answer 1

DEAR IT IS BECAUSE THE PARENTS DO NOT TIME RAISE THERE KIDS THE KIDS RAISE THERE ON SELF'S AND PARENTS DO NOT EVEN DO NOT EVEN KNOW WHAT THERE OWN KIDS ARE DOING ARE WHO THERE FRIENDS ARE AND THE CROWDS THAT THEY ARE RUNNING WITH THAT IS WHY AND THE REASON TAKE CARE HAPPY NEW YEAR

Answer 2

I have heard that here lately that the teenage pregnancy is in a decline and is not going up. For the fact being that there is more education at the schools on birth control and what to do. Also there are alot more clinics that are giving away free birth control or for a small price. But anyhow why are you worried about teenage pregnancy for? Don't you know that there is nothing that you can do about it? And that teenage pregnancy will happen time and time again. So you need to get over cause it will always happen. And for the out of wedlock babies is always going to be there as well. Cause there are woman out there that does not want to be married but yet wants children. Also there is alot more lesbians out there that wants children, so there for there are more sperm banks out there to help them. And in alot of states lesbians cant get married so there is a out of wedlock child. And for the teenagers there are always going to have a out of wedlock child for the fact that they do not stay with the child daddy. For the reason that they are too immature to get married and do want to get married. And there will always be welfare out there. The government is not going to get rid of the welfare system anytime soon. I dont like paying for the people to get welfare either. But it is a part of life and I really dont worry about it at all. But I believe that there are some situtions that some people may have to have the welfare for a short period. And in Kentucky I know that you can only get welfare for only 5 years of your life. But in closing I am proud to say that yes I am a single 23 year old mother of a beautiful little boy, who has not been raised on the welfare system. And that I am a college student and working part time while raising my child the right way. And who in turn will be raised that he should not ingage in sexual activity until he is married and can handle his own situtions! Sorry for the long answer!

Answer 3

I think your articles there actually answered the question. Proper sex-education is needed not just for teenagers, but for all women and men. That includes proper information about birth control, pregnancy and abortion.

I also think that while society accepts and should accept that it's okay for women to have children outside of marriage, they ignore the impression that this gives to teenager especially girls who think they are adults and who can handle this responsibility. Again, proper education could address this problem as we cannot rely on individual parents and should not have to.

It also has to do with the impact of the hateful pro-life movement that lies to women about abortion in attempts to restrict female sexuality, keep women in the home and punish women who go against these warped ideals. Again, proper education could address this problem.

Unfortunately in America, schools and education problems in areas where the income is higher recieve better funding and have better teachers. This creates a disadvantage for people in poorer areas as their schools are under-funded and their teachers are less likely to really care. This is probably one of the reasons for the corelation between lower income and unwanted pregnancy.

In America, everything is second to money even people's lives. If Americans were to stop being so greedy with their tax dollars and adopt a more socialist (but not totally socialist) way of thinking, like Canada, then perhaps America wouldn't be so messed up or hated.

Answer 4

Whoa Jade. You ask a really good question then proceed to answer it yourself.

I think marriage isn't perceived as important anymore in teen's lives. In the 21st century, its now "cool" for women to have babies out of wedlock. Look how many celebrities are doing it. But you also have to realize that the celebrities already have it made financially. Unfortunately these examples, plus having little education and choosing to raise a child alone is causing more poor teen mothers.

I believe this and lack of formal education causes more poor teen mothers.

Answer 5

When I was growing up my mother and father knew where I was at all times. I had to be home at a certain time or there was hell to pay. But nowadays it seems like parents are occupied with other things and forgetting the children. Then when the child gets in to real trouble, (ie. Pregnancy, jail, drug use) they want to know what went wrong. They blame the child when they should be looking in the mirror at themselves. It doesnt matter what race you are...it happends in all races. No one more than another. It's like we want our kids to be adults before their time, but at the same time we don't. Can't have it both ways. 10-15 years ago cigarettes, liquor, drugs, condoms wasnt easy to obtain. Nowadays, you can send a person off the street and pay them to buy it for you. And you can go into your nearest convenience stores restroom and purchase condoms right from the machine itself. The machine doesnt ask for identification of age. Not only that but birth control. Oh my, you can be 10 and sign up for it. Why? Thats sending a signal there too. My daughter is 15 now and yes she likes Chris Brown and cooo's over his picture, but she also knows at 15 what can happend if you make the wrong decision. Ive taught her but in the end the decision is her's. I keep a tight hold on my children. Not one to choak them, but enough of one to let them know they can talk to me cause I genuinely care. That brings me to my final reason. Lack of communication between parents/guardians and children. Lack of ones imput. Children crave for boundaries. And if they dont get them from us, they use alternative routes!

Answer 6

http://www.guttmacher.org/pubs/ib5.html
you forgot your resources -

The Alan Guttmacher Institute (AGI), The Politics of Blame: Family Planning, Abortion and the Poor, New York, 1995.


AGI, Sex and America's Teenagers, New York, 1994.


General Accounting Office (GAO), "Families on Welfare: Sharp Rise in Never-Married Women Reflects Societal Trend," GAO/HERS-94-92, Washington, D.C., May 1994.


GAO, "Families on Welfare: Teenage Mothers Least Likely to Become Self-Sufficient," GAO/HERS-94-115, Washington, D.C., May 1994.


U.S. House of Representatives, Overview of Entitlement Programs: 1994 Green Book, Washington, D.C., July 15, 1994.



The preparation of this Issues in Brief has been made possible by grants from the Glen Eagles Foundation and The Marion Cohen Memorial Foundation.



For more information about the data presented in this Issues in Brief or about other AGI publications and materials, contact the Washington Office at [phone]. Multiple copies of this Issues in Brief can be purchased for a small charge.


© 1995 by The Alan Guttmacher Institute.

notice the copyright : )

Answer 7

You need to do some serious research, if you did you will find out that teen pregnacy is at an all time low in about a 20 year span. Most of it due to sexual education being taught efficiently, and to the greater acess to contraceptives.

Answer 8

There was a survey done recently and a good percentage of women
who are financially sound would prefer to have a child w/o marrying a man

Answer 9

Teenage pregnancy is actually decreasing, what with birth control and what not.

As for out of wedlock child bearing, not everyone wants to get married and not everyone feels people have to be married to have children. this isn't the dark ages anymore. Welcome to 2007.

Answer 10

I think teenage pregnancy is growing because a lot of teens aren't informed enough and aern't prepared wen they have sex and that sometimes leads to teenage pregnancy.

Answer 11

Some of them have sex while on birth control, and the birth control fails. Some get raped. Some use no birth control.


This isn't as black and white as everyone makes it out to be. Besides, teen pregnancy rates are down.