Teen Pregnancy Help

Teen pregnancy statistics show the number of teens getting pregnant each year is on the rise. The teen pregnancy statistics may be demonstrating existing methods of pregnancy prevention, namely abstinence only, is not effective. Read on for more teen pregancy stats.

The exact cause behind teen pregnancy rates continuing to rise in unknown. However, several recent studies of teen pregnancy statistics have reported that religion and abstinence-only sex education in schools may be partly to blame for not teaching teens the responsible ways to have sex and prevent pregnancy. 

What are the teen pregnancy statistics?

• In the most recently released teen pregnancy statistics, it was reported that in 2006 the number of pregnant teens is reaching about 80 pregnancies per 1,000 girls aged 15 to 19, according to the National Center for Health Statistics.
• Recent studies show that teens in highly religious areas demonstrate higher rates of teen pregnancy than in comparison to less religious areas.
• More and more teens think it is  OK for an unmarried female to have a baby, according to a recent government survey .
• About 17 percent of teen girls say they use the rhythm method to time sexual activities around certain days in the month to avoid the days where they are the most fertile and likely to get pregnant. This is based on teen pregnancy statistics from the Center for Disease Control. 

Why are more teens getting pregnant?

• There are many ideas about why the teen pregnancy rates are increasing, but little teen pregnancy statistics and reports to back up any theories. According to some studies, abstinence-only sex education may be not as effective in preventing teen pregnancy as originally thought. However, the teen pregnancy statistics to actually back this up are difficult to find. 
• As previously mentioned, teens in religious areas and states are more likely to engage in unprotected sex, which often results in pregnancy. 
• Teens attitudes toward sex and being an unwed mother are also changing, according to a recent survey. As it becomes more socially acceptable to have children out of wedlock, more than 70 percent of teens are not seeing as big of a problem with getting pregnant while unmarried still in their teen years. 

What are the solutions to teen pregnancy rates increasing?

• The best way to halt the rates of teen pregnancy statistics from continuing to rise is to educate teens. It is important for parents to discuss sex and safe sex with their teens. It is also important for teens to pay attention and learn about teen sex and how to be safe about it. 

Sources:

www.thenationalcampaign.org, www.msnbc.com, www.cbsnews.com