NCJ Number
150888
Editor(s)
C D Hayes
Date Published
1987
Length
449 pages
Annotation
Adolescent pregnancy is widely recognized as a complex and serious problem; more than 1 million teenage girls in the United States become pregnant each year, over 400,000 teenagers obtain abortions, and nearly 470,000 give birth.
Abstract
Most of the 470,000 births are to unmarried mothers, nearly half of whom have not reached their 18th birthday. For teenage parents and their children, prospects for a healthy and independent life are significantly reduced. In the absence of adequate nutrition and appropriate prenatal care, young mothers are at a heightened risk of pregnancy complications and poor birth outcomes. They are also more likely to become pregnant again while still in their teens. Further, infants of teenage mothers face health and developmental risks. Despite declining birth rates since 1970, adolescent pregnancy, abortion, and childbearing have remained considerably higher in the United States than in other developed countries. Teenage families with children are disproportionately fatherless, and most are poor. When they occur, teenage marriages are characterized by instability. In addition, teenage parents are more likely than those who delay childbearing to experience chronic unemployment and inadequate income. Teenagers become parents for two basic reasons: (1) lack of individual responsibility, maturity, knowledge, and values; (2) pervasive problems associated with poverty, including limited education and employment opportunities. There is widespread disagreement among political, educational, and religious leaders and parents about the problems of adolescent pregnancy and what to do about them. Nonetheless, preventing adolescent pregnancy should be a high priority. Sexually active teenagers need the ability and motivation to avoid pregnancy, and society should not treat adolescent sexuality as a problem peculiar to teenage girls. Responsibility for addressing the problems of adolescent pregnancy and childbearing should be shared by individuals, families, voluntary organizations, communities, and governments. Policy and program priorities are identified that focus on reducing the rate and incidence of unintended pregnancy among adolescents, providing alternatives to adolescent childbearing and parenting, and promoting positive outcomes for adolescent parents and their children. References, tables, and figures