Teen Pregnancy in the U.S.: Causes, Trends, and Solutions

Introduction: Teen Pregnancy as a Public Health Crisis

Teen pregnancy is one of the United States' most significant public health problems. When compared to other similarly industrialized nations with comparable healthcare systems, the United States has an alarmingly high teen pregnancy rate. In fact, if judged solely by that rate, one might assume the United States was a developing country rather than the world's leading superpower. Yet teenage pregnancy remains common in many parts of the world, which can lead people to wonder why it is considered such a significant issue in the United States. Does an anti-teen-pregnancy attitude reflect an age bias rooted more in concerns about emerging female sexuality than in the actual consequences of adolescent childbearing? The risks associated with teenage pregnancy argue against that conclusion and suggest that teen pregnancy is detrimental not only for teenage mothers, but also for their children.

Teen pregnancy is unequivocally negative for the vast majority of teenage mothers. Teen mothers are not only less likely to complete school, but also more likely to become single parents. The combination of these factors makes it unlikely that they will be able to adequately provide for themselves or for their children. Moreover, while adolescent female bodies may be capable of procreation, that does not mean they are physically ideal for it. "Common medical problems among adolescent mothers include poor weight gain, pregnancy-induced hypertension, anemia, sexually transmitted diseases (STDs), and cephalopelvic disproportion. Later in life, adolescent mothers tend to be at greater risk for obesity and hypertension than women who were not teenagers when they had their first child" (Cape Fear Teen Health Council, 2006). Viewed together, this evidence makes it impossible to conclude that teenage pregnancy is beneficial for teenage mothers as a group.

Furthermore, teenage pregnancy can have serious negative consequences for the child. Teenage mothers are far less likely to receive adequate prenatal care than older mothers, which can have a detrimental impact on the baby. Combined with the other health issues that frequently co-exist in teenage mothers, the outlook for the child can be very poor. "Children born to teen mothers suffer from higher rates of low birth weight and related health problems. Low birth weight raises the probabilities of infant death, blindness, deafness, chronic respiratory problems, mental retardation, mental illness, and cerebral palsy" (Cape Fear Teen Health Council, 2006). Moreover, these problems do not end at birth. Due to a lack of maternal resources, the children of teenage mothers often suffer lifelong consequences, including insufficient healthcare, inadequate parenting, child abuse, and neglect (Cape Fear Teen Health Council, 2006). These problems extend beyond the home as well: "children of teens are 50% more likely to repeat a grade; they perform much worse on standardized tests; and ultimately they are less likely to complete high school than if their mothers had delayed childbearing" (Cape Fear Teen Health Council, 2006).

All of society is impacted by teenage pregnancy. Every child who grows up in an inadequate home increases the burden on society. This is a particular problem in the United States, which has teen pregnancy rates far in excess of any other industrialized nation. U.S. teen pregnancy rates are "nearly double Great Britain's, at least four times those of France and Germany, and more than ten times that of Japan" (Cape Fear Teen Health Council, 2006). As a result, a significant amount of U.S. resources must be diverted to addressing the impact of teen pregnancy, placing the country in a weakened position relative to competitor nations. Teen pregnancy literally costs taxpayers billions of dollars each year and, given its cyclical nature, creates an enduring legacy of problems. "There are nearly half a million children born to teen mothers each year. Most of these mothers are unmarried, and many will end up poor and on welfare. Each year the federal government alone spends about $7 billion to help families that began with a teenage birth" (Cape Fear Teen Health Council, 2006).