Teen Pregnancy and Programs that Work Katy Suellentrop and Kristen Tertzakian CityMatch Conference August 28, 2007

2 Our Mission To promote values, behavior, and policies that prevent both teen pregnancy and unplanned pregnancies among single, young adults. Through these efforts, more children will be born to stable, two-parent families who are committed to the demanding task of raising the next generation. Both poverty and stress on families will be reduced; overall societal well-being will be improved; and there will be far less need for abortion. The National Campaign

3 New Goal We celebrated our 10 th anniversary in 2005 and set a new national goal: another 1/3 reduction in the teen pregnancy rate over the coming decade. We also challenged states to set their own goals. 2 in 10 by 2015!

4 Our Strategy Influence cultural values and messages Strengthen state & local programs Tolerance & Bipartisanship Teen Voices Research Unusual Partners The NC

5 Campaign’s unique focus: MOTIVATION There are only 2 ways to reduce teen pregnancy: 1. Abstain from sex 2. Use contraception Both are hard. Both require motivation. Both are happening.

6 Putting What Works To Work Cooperative Agreement funded by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Goal: To enhance the ability of state and local organizations to incorporate science-based approaches into their teen pregnancy prevention efforts.

7 National and State Trends

8 Teen Pregnancy Rate, (number of pregnancies per 1,000 girls aged ) The Alan Guttmacher Institute. (2006). U.S. Teenage Pregnancy Statistics National and State Trends and Trends by Race and Ethnicity. New York, NY: The Alan Guttmacher Institute.

9 Teen Birth Rates, (number of births per 1,000 girls aged 15-19) Ventura, S.J., Mathews, T.J, & Hamilton, B.E. (2001). Births to Teenagers in the United States: National Vital Statistics Reports, 49(10).; Hamilton, B.E., Martin, J.A., & Ventura, S.J. (2006). Preliminary Data for Health E-Stats. Released November 21, 2006.

10 Some Good News… Teen pregnancy, birth, and abortion rates are all down. Sexual activity is down: Percentage of teens who ever had sex declined from 54% to 47% (1991 – 2005) Teens who are sexually active are making better choices: Percentage of teens with four or more partners declined from 19% to 14% (1991 – 2005) Percentage of teens that used condoms increased from 46% to 63% (1991 – 2005). Source: 2005 YRBS

11 …But There is Still Work to Do One in three teens become pregnant by age 20, and one-quarter of teen parents have a second child before they turn 20. Higher teen pregnancy and birth rates than comparable countries. Recent data show declines in teen birth rates are slowing.

12 Teen Pregnancy’s Link to Poverty and Other Social Issues What are the chances of a child growing up in poverty if his/her mother: (1) gave birth as a teen, (2) was unmarried when the child was born, and (3) did not receive a high school diploma or GED? 27% if one of these things happen. 42% if two of these things happen. 64% if three of these things happen. If none of these things happen, a child’s chance of growing up in poverty is 7%. A child born to a teen mother who has not finished high school and is not married is nine times more likely to be poor than a child born to an adult who has finished high school and is married. Source: Why It Matters, National Campaign

13 What Works: Programs Communities have a variety of effective programs from which to choose. Sex and HIV education programs. Service learning programs. Combining youth development with sex education.

14 Teen Outreach Program (TOP) Who: Service learning/youth development program with curriculum for year olds; 14 year olds, year olds, and year olds What: Three program components include: Community service (average 35 hrs/yr), Classroom/Group Discussion, Service Learning. Where: Diverse settings such as school, after-school, community-based. Source: A Good Time, Nat’l Campaign

15 TOP evaluation results When compared to a control group, youth that participated in TOP had: 11% lower rate of course failure in school 14% lower rate of school suspension 33% lower rate of teen pregnancy 60% lower rate of school dropout

16 Resources from the National Campaign Science Says Research Briefs What Works Brochure Research Reports on Science-Based Programs Powerpoint presentations Go to “What Works” section of our website at

17 Thank You! For more information: Katy Suellentrop Kristen Tertzakian (202) (202) Visit our websites: Sign up for e-gram updates!