FAQ - Teen Pregnancy Fact Sheet

What is the challenge in California?

• In 2001, more than 53,000 babies were born to teenage mothers in California. i
• Teenage pregnancy crosses all racial, cultural and socio-economic lines. In 2001, 67 percent of all teen births in California were to Hispanic teens, 18 percent to Caucasians, 9 percent to African Americans, 4 percent to Asian/Pacific Islanders and 1 percent to American Indians/Aleuts and Eskimos .i
• A baby is born to a teen in California every 10 minutes. i

What is the challenge in the United States?

• In the United States, four out of 10 girls get pregnant at least once before age 20. The U.S. has the highest teen pregnancy and birth rate than any other industrialized country. In fact, every U.S. state has a birth rate that is higher than that of the United Kingdom. ii
• Nearly 500,000 teens give birth each year. ii

How sexually active are teens?

• About half of all high school students have had sex at least once. iii
• Between 1990 and 1997, the proportion of high schoolers who were sexually experienced declined from 54 percent to 48 percent. iii

How does it affect the family, community and society?

• Teen births cost American taxpayers approximately $7 billion in state and federal money each year in public assistance services. iii
• Nearly 80 percent of all unmarried teen mothers receive public assistance services within five years of the birth of their first child. In fact, some 55 percent of all mothers on public assistance were teenagers at the time their first child was born. iii
• Each family that begins with a birth to a teenager is expected to cost the public an average of about $17,000 a year in some form of support for 20 years. iii

What are the consequences to teen pregnancy?

• One-fourth of all new human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) cases each year occur in people ages 13 to 21. Half are among people under age 25. A majority of these infections are transmitted sexually. iii
• Two out of three teen moms never finish high school. ii

How are children affected?

• Children born to teenage mothers are more likely to suffer severe health problems and are less likely to receive proper health care. iii
• Children born to teen mothers are more likely to drop out of high school. They have lower grade point averages, poor school attendance and are less likely to go to college. iii
• The sons of teen mothers are more likely to end up in jail. iii

Are teens using contraception?

• Contraceptive use among sexually active teens has increased but remains inconsistent. Three quarters of teens use some method of contraception (usually a condom) the first time they have sex. ii
• A sexually active teen that doesn't use contraception has a 90 percent chance of pregnancy within one year.ii

What do teens think about abstinence?

• Eight out of 10 teenage girls who have had sex wish they hadn't. ii
• Six out of ten boys wish they had waited until they were older to have sex. ii

What can parents and the community do to alleviate the problem?

It's up to Californians to support the state's efforts to reduce teen pregnancy. Below are a few examples of what you can do.

If you are a parent:

• Talk to your children early and often. One out of every three girls has had sex by age 16, and two out of three by age 18. Two out of three boys have had sex by age 18.ii
• When asked why they got pregnant, 78 percent of Caucasian and 70 percent of African American teenage girls reported that lack of communication between them and their parents was the principal factor. iii
• Be supportive and be interested in what interests them. Attend their sports events and other extracurricular activities, learn about their hobbies, be enthusiastic about their achievements and ask them questions that show you care and want to know what's going on in their lives.
• One in two teens say they "trust" their parents most for reliable and complete information about birth control, only 12 percent say a friend. ii
• Talk to youth about the importance of abstaining from sex or being responsible if sexually active.
• Show teens how to make responsible choices.
• Provide teens solid information about abstinence and how to prevent unplanned pregnancy.
• Listen to your children and their friends.
• Encourage other adults and parents to be a part of the solution.
• Serve as a role model by exemplifying the type of behavior you want young people to exhibit.

As a member of the community:

• Join Governor Gray Davis in his effort to reduce teenage pregnancy in California.
• Discuss the issue with your churches, community organizations, etc.
• Call the toll-free hotline, 1-888-50-UP TO ME or 1-888-UNA VIDA, to get more information about teen pregnancy prevention, and find out how to get involved with community-based organizations working to reduce teen pregnancy.
• Visit our campaign Web site at www.itsuptome.org.

          i.            California Department of Health Services, Birth Rates, 2001.

         ii.            National Campaign to Prevent Teen Pregnancy, 2000.

The Annie E. Casey Foundation, When Kids Have Sex: Issues and Trends, A KIDS COUNT Report, 2000.