Teen Pregnancy Celebration, Caution, Commitment Bill Albert / /

Teen Pregnancy: The Latest

Teen Pregnancy Down 38% Teen Births Down 37%

Teen Pregnancy: The Latest Sex: Down from 54% (‘91) to 46% (‘09) Contraceptive Use: No method: 16% (‘91) to 12% (‘09)

Teen Pregnancy: The Latest Progress is wide.. Down in all 50 states …and deep Down among all racial/ethnic groups

Still work to do… Progress is slowing 3 in 10 get pregnant by age 20 (5 in 10 for Hispanic and African- American teens.

Still work to do… Progress is slowing 4% of teens give birth each year One-quarter of teen parents have a second child before they turn 20

Still work to do… Progress is slowing U.S. has a poor international ranking

Why Care Only 40% of mothers who have children before 18 graduate from high school.

Why Care Pregnancy and parenthood is a leading cause of school dropout among teen girls.

Why Care? Less than 2% of mothers who have children before age 18 have a college degree by age 30.

Why Care 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.

Parent Power Parents most influence teens’ decisions about sex: 46% teens 41% adults What about friends? 20% teens 32% adults

Parent Power All teens say parents are most influential 55% Hispanic 50% non-Hispanic black 42% non-Hispanic white

Parent Power It would be much easier for teens to delay sexual activity and avoid teen pregnancy if they were able to have more open, honest conversations about these topics with their parents. 80% of teens agree 91% of adults agree

Don’t Ignore the Majority! The vast majority of teen pregnancies occur to those 18 and 19.

Effective Programs Exist The list of proven, research-based interventions is growing Communities have a wider variety of types of interventions to choose from

Embrace a Messy Portfolio Very divergent views and values about teen relationships, sex, contraception, etc. Agreement on overall strategy is nice but not necessary

What Else….? Focus on vulnerable youth with high rates Don’t forget the boys Compute local cost estimates Showcase teens themselves

Abstinence/Contraception Debate Abstinence? Birth control? Both? Both: 46% teens Both: 73% adults Don’t know: 27% teens

A Few Thoughts Babies need adult parents. Babies don’t cement relationships, they stress them. Babies don’t give unconditional love; they demand it.

A Few Thoughts To girls: Sex won’t make him yours and a baby won’t make him stay To boys: making a baby doesn’t make you a man; being a devoted husband and father might

A Few Thoughts “If it happens, it happens” is no way to start a family. And “I just never really thought about it” isn’t either.