Category: Statistics

Having an unplanned pregnancy while in high school requires major life choices, including whether to drop out of high school. The pregnant teen drop out rate in the U.S. is alarming. Keep reading for statistics on drop out rates, risk factors for pregnant teenagers, and options for these teens. Pregnant teens in high school have a very high drop out rate, though the exact percentage varies by location. Though pregnant teens have many reasons for wanting to drop out, it’s important for their own well being as well as that of their babies for them to complete their education. A good support system is extremely important in helping pregnant teens finish school. 

While the number of pregnant teens has declined over the past decade, in the last couple of years the numbers have started to go up a little. Increased numbers of pregnant teens mean increased numbers of teens dropping out of school, so it’s best to help teens embrace abstinence or use birth control to reduce the risk of pregnancy. 

The statistics on the pregnant teen drop out rate are alarming: 

According to STD statistics, teens are more likely to be affected by sexually transmitted diseases (STDs). This article has information and statistics on the most common sexually transmitted diseases such as chlamydia, gonorrhea, syphilis, and more.

Sexually transmitted diseases (STDs) still afflict the population in general, and they are rather common amongst sexually active teenagers. Indeed, the Guttmacher Institute reports that 48 percent of new cases of STDs each year occur in those aged 15-24. This age group represents only one fourth of the population, yet almost half of the new cases of STDs occur therein. It should therefore not come as a surprise that focus is being put on educating teenagers so that they will have protected sex and hopefully avoid contributing to the spread of sexually transmitted diseases.

Some of the most common STDs are Chlamydia, gonorrhea and syphilis. The Centers for Disease Control offers some statistics on each of these diseases:

Chlamydia statistics

For women, the teen age group – ages 15 to 19 – represented the highest rate of infection. The rate of infection in women is higher than the rate of infection in men. There is speculation that this discrepancy is due to the fact that women are more likely to be screened for any disease, and visit the doctor more regularly, than men in general. This is backed up in part by the fact that the rate of Chlamydia infection has in men has increased by almost 43 percent recently, while there has been only a 17 percent increase for women. The highest rates of Chlamydia in the U.S. can be found in the Western states and in the Southeastern states.

Gonorrhea statistics

Like Chlamydia, gonorrhea is most prevalent amongst women who are between the ages of 15 and 19 and men in the 20 to 24 age group. Increases in the incidence of gonorrhea increased the most in teenagers as well. However, these increases are only slight; for the most part, the rate of gonorrhea has remained relatively stable. The Midwest and the South contain the largest numbers of cases of gonorrhea.

Syphilis Statistics

While syphilis is a sexually transmitted illness that has been thought of as belonging to the past, it is actually on the rise. The South is the region most affected by syphilis, as well as some urban areas. Syphilis is not actually considered much of a threat for teenagers; the highest rate of the disease is seen in 25 to 20 years olds. However, it is important to realize that syphilis can affect fetuses and can even be congenital.

Other STD statistics

There are STDs beyond Chlamydia, gonorrhea and syphilis, of course. One of the most common STDs is the human papillomavirus (HPV). This is a disease that can lead to cancers – such as cervical. HPV is most often associated with women, and a vaccination has been developed for the virus, in the hopes of protecting young women. HPV is most common in 14 to 19 year olds, and accounts for about half of STDs diagnosed in teenagers. It is the most common STD in the U.S. right now. Herpes and trichomoniasis are both STDs that are declining. Case data is scarce, since these STDs are declining.

Here are some additional facts about STDs, from smartersex.org:

• 20 percent of the people in the U.S. have an STD.
• It costs $8 billion each year to treat STDs (other than HIV).
• 80 percent of those with genital herpes do not know that they are infected. This probably accounts for the lack of case data on this particular STD.
• 15 percent of infertile women can trace their condition to untreated cases of the STD known as pelvic inflammatory disease.
• The STD Hepatitis B is more infectious than HIV.

With 18.9 million cases of new infection by sexually transmitted illnesses each year (according to the Guttmacher Institute) – and more than 9 million of these occurring in teenagers – it is no surprise that efforts to educate teens about safer sex practices are underway. Since many teens say that they would have sex – even without protection – many feel that making sure that kids have adequate education and access to protection is a high priority.

Teenage birth rates have gone up and down over the last 60+ years. Where do the teenage birth rates stand now? The statistics point to a downward trend, which hopefully can be continued in the coming years. Keep reading for more on teenage birth rates.

From 1940 to 1957 the teenage birth rate climbed a staggering 78 percent. It then dropped until the mid-1980s when it jumped 24 percent. Then in the early 1990s, it began to decline and has continued to decline since. What has helped fuel this decline in the recent years?

Research is pointing to teenage pregnancy prevention programs, contraception availability and just overall more education on the problems associated with teenage pregnancy and unsafe sex to the drop in numbers. In looking at a state-by-state comparison, the drop in numbers varies (please see the article on teen pregnancy statistics for more information). As of 2004, the number of live births to teenage mothers across the United States was 415,408. And the number of births to teenagers in the United States aged 15-19 was 41.2 out of a 1,000.

Unfortunately the United States still has the highest rate of teenage pregnancies when compared to other counties of similar status. Some have questioned this because they do not feel the teenagers in the United States are any more sexually active teens then those in similar countries. It goes back to education about sex and pregnancy prevention within the schools and homes. More should and can be done to help the teenage birth rates decline even more.

Teenagers who have babies are more likely to not finish high school and have their future plans interrupted. This leads to less income and more people in poverty. Also, babies born to teenager moms have a more likely chance of having a low birth weight and this can lead to all sorts of medical problems later in life. And if these children grow up in homes where their families have a hard time supporting them, they grow up in poverty and do not always have access to good and sometimes any healthcare.

Teaching teenagers about safe teen sex and the problems associated with pregnancy can go a long way in helping the teenager birth rate to continue to drop. Some scholars point out that more readily available contraception can help teenagers make safe sex decisions while still others feel this will only aggravate the problem. The only true way to avoid sexually-transmitted diseases and pregnancy is abstinence. However not everyone values abstinence so pregnancy prevention programs also promote safe sex practices.

Teenage Birth Rates Sources:

• Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, National Center for Health Statistics, Fastats, “Teen Births” [online].
• Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, National Center for Health Statistics, “Teenage Births in the United States: State Trends, 1991-2000, an Update” [online].
• Cool Nurse.com, by Victor C. Strasburger, “Teen Pregnancy Rates in the USA” [online].
• TeenPregnancy.org, The National Campaign to Prevent Teen Pregnancies, “Teen Birth Rates in the United States, 1940-2004” [pdf online].
• TeenPregnancy.org, “Preventing Teen Pregnancy: Why it Matters” [pdf online].

The United States has the highest rates of teenage pregnancy and teen births in the western industrialized world. Teen pregnancy costs the United States at least $7 billion annually. Keep reading for more interesting facts on teen pregnancy statistics.

The fact that just under 1/3 of all girls in the United States will get pregnant in their teenage years is a sobering thought. Obviously, teen pregnancy is a problem in the United States. And the following teen pregnancy statistics back that up: 

• Every year around 750,000 teenagers will get pregnant. 
• Depending on the state, teenage birth rates are incredibly different. Nevada has the highest rate: 113 per 1000 and North Dakota the lowest 42 per 1000. 
• Unmarried teenagers having children account for 24 percent of all unmarried expectant mothers. 
• More than 2/3 of all teenagers who have a baby will not graduate from high school, hence the correlation with teenage pregnancy and education. 
• Billions of dollars are spent taking care of teenage mothers and their children and they are more likely to be in the poverty bracket. On the flip side, millions of dollars are spent in prevention programs.

The good news is that teen birth rates have dropped by almost a third since the beginning of the 1990s. With pregnancy prevention programs and more understanding and teaching about safe teen sex, this number will hopefully drop even more. Here are a few other statistics that hopefully point to even better prevention rates in the years to come: 

• In 2002 the abortion rate among teenager mother was 50 percent lower than its high point in 1988. 
• Among black teenagers, the pregnancy rate dropped around 40 percent since 1990. 
• Among Hispanic teenagers the pregnancy rate dropped around 19 percent since 1990. 
• Among white teenagers, the pregnancy rate dropped around 34 percent since 1990.

So while teenager pregnancies are dropping, it is still a constant problem as there are more and more kids who enter their teenager years each year. Teenager pregnancy programs are important to as the above statistics are showing that these programs yield good results. These programs should be continually studied to make sure they are up-to-date and working in the education of teenagers on the problems of teenager pregnancy.

One way of making sure to keep the programs fresh is to talk with the teenagers themselves, asking what they think about sex and how it is portrayed in their school life, by their friends, in their families, and in the media. How much do each of these contribute to how a teenager views sex? Parents and educators are in a position to somewhat monitor how sex and especially unsafe or unprotected sex is being digested by the teenagers today. As more questions are answered and prevention programs initiated and/or updated, hopefully these statistics can continually to fall.

As mentioned above, billions of dollars are spent taking care of teenage mothers and their children while only millions are needed to provide good prevention program. For more information on teenage pregnancy prevention, see the Preventing Teenage Pregnancy article on this site.

Teen Pregnancy Statistics Sources:

• Department of Health and Human Services: Office of Public Health and Services, “Office of Adolescent Pregnancy Programs” [online].
• Guttmacher Institute, “U.S. Teenage Pregnancy Statistics National and State Trends and Trends by Race and Ethnicity” [pdf online].
• National Center for Health Statistics, “National Vital Statistics Reports, Volume 55, Number 1” [pdf online]. 
• TeenPregnancy.org, “Preventing Teen Pregnancy: Why it Matters” [pdf online].
• TeenPregnancy.org, “So What?” [online].