Adolescant Pregnancy

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AFRICAN AMERICAN WOMEN AND ADOLESCENT PREGNANCY

Adolescent pregnancy is a chronic concern in the African American community. Early childbearing compromises a young female’s opportunity to attain a high level of education and employment. Teen mothers are more likely to live in poverty and the overall quality of a young mother’s life is impacted.

Although teen pregnancy rates have declined, young Black females are still two to three times more likely than White females to conceive during their adolescent years. It is still evident that while some progress has been made, a continued focus on the reproductive and overall health needs of young women is necessary. The Project supports efforts that are targeted towards the reduction of teen pregnancy as well as the promotion of health behaviors.

Facts About Adolescent Pregnancy

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Twenty-three percent of 14 year olds and 30% of all 15 year olds have had sexual intercourse.

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Approximately one million teenagers become pregnant each year in the United States, accounting for 13% of all U.S. births.

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Adolescent pregnancies account for approximately 80% of unplanned pregnancies. Nearly 45% of teen pregnancies end in abortion.

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Approximately 9% of African American teenagers gave birth in 1996 – the lowest number since the government began keeping this statistic.

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The percentage of sexually active teens using condoms has increased. Teenagers who have sex are more likely to use contraceptives than in the past.

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Babies born to young mothers are more likely to be low birth weight, to have childhood health problems and to be hospitalized than are those born to older mothers. Over 1/3 of pregnant teens receive inadequate prenatal care.

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Morbidity and mortality rates are higher for babies born to young mothers.

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Approximately half of mothers receiving Temporary Assistance to Needy Families (TANF) were less than 17years old when they had their first child.

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Nearly 25% of adolescent mothers have a second child within 24 months of their first child. Black women are 1.6 times more likely than White women to have a time span of less than 18 months between deliveries. This is important as current research suggests a connection between deliveries that are close in time and poor pregnancy outcomes such as low birth weight and preterm delivery.

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Teenagers with disabilities (developmental, learning, physical) are at an increased risk for early pregnancy.

Factors Impacting Teen Pregnancy

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Two-thirds of teen mothers have a history of sexual abuse. One-quarter of young women report that their first sexual experience was unwanted. In addition, the younger the women are when they have their first experience, the more likely they are to have had unwanted or non-voluntary sex. Seven in ten females who have had sex before age 13 are in this category.

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Three-quarters of all unintended teen pregnancies occur to adolescents using no birth control.

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Research indicates that those individuals who have received sex education are more likely to have their first sexual experience at a later age and use birth control.

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School failure often precedes early pregnancy and childbearing.

References:

Advocates for Youth, Teen Pregnancy Prevention Initiative (Statistics), 1998.

Alan Guttmacher Institute, 1994. Sex and America’s Teenagers. New York: The Alan Guttmacher Institute.

Henshaw, Stanley, “Unintended Pregnancy in the United States.” Family Planning Perspectives 30 (1998) 24-46.

National Campaign to Prevent Teen Pregnancy, National Center for Health Statistics, April 1998.

State-Specific Adolescent Pregnancy Rates, United States, 1992-1995, Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report, 1998.

U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, 1997. A National Strategy to Prevent Teen Pregnancy. Washington, DC: U.S. Government Printing Office

Women’s and Children’s Health Policy Center, Perinatal and Women’s Health Issue Summary: Pregnancy Planning and Unintended Pregnancy, 1998.

 

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Philadelphia Black Women's Health Project © 2002