Why Are More U.S. Teens Becoming Pregnant?

Teen pregnancy is both a local and global issue. The benefits of reducing the rate of teen pregnancy around the globe are numerous. Teens who delay childbearing have the opportunity to finish their education and pursue their career goals so that they may establish themselves as financially stable and independent. Children born into stable, two-parent families will often grow up in environments with greater access to resources, such as quality health care, early childhood education, and community support systems, due to the financial planning of their parents. From birth, this access to resources plays an important role to children's early brain development and future academic success.

Despite the fact that the United States has successfully reduced its teen pregnancy rate by 38% over the past ten years (The National Campaign to Prevent Teen and Unplanned Pregnancy, 2008), we continue to have the highest rate of teen pregnancy among industrialized nations. In fact, 10% of all US births are to mothers younger than 19 (Guttmacher Institute, January 2011).  Currently, the United States’ teen birth rate is 39.1 births per 1000 teenage girls between the ages of 15-19 (Hamilton, Martin, & Ventura, 2010). Compared to Switzerland, which has the lowest teen pregnancy rate in Europe at 4.3 births per 1000 teens between 15-19, the United States’ numbers seem striking (The National Campaign to Prevent Teen and Unplanned Pregnancy, December 2010).

While there is no comprehensive data suggesting the reasons why such disparities in rates of teen pregnancy exist among nations despite similar economic circumstances, researchers believe a combination of the following factors contribute to differences: “norms of contraceptive use, presence and content of sexual education, existence of adolescent health services, and national policies that affect the accessibility of contraception” (Santelli, Sandfort, & Orr, 2008, p.93 as cited in Darroch, Singh, & Frost, 2001). Other contributors to the cross-national differences in teen pregnancy include social norms and values surrounding sexuality and religious observance (Santelli et al., 2008).

A 2001 study compared the differences in contraceptive use among teens in the United States, France, Sweden, Canada, and Great Britain (Darroch et al., 2001).  Evidence supports the following possible contributing factors as the key to differences in rates of teen pregnancy. United States’ teens were more likely than their international counterparts to not use contraceptives (and even more unlikely to use more than one method of contraception). In Memphis, 40.5% of high school students and 22.7% of middle school students who were sexually active did not use a condom the last time they had intercourse.  Similarly, 83.4% of Shelby County high school students did not use the birth control pill before their last instance of intercourse.  The study researchers also suggest that while US teens often receive formal sexual education about such issues as HIV, sexually transmitted infections, and abstinence, few teens receive information about contraceptive use. Large percentages of US teens have limited knowledge of condoms or the birth control pill (Guttmacher Institute, February 2011).  Additionally, the stigma associated with teen sexuality prevents US teens from easily and inexpensively obtaining these alternative methods of contraception unlike their international counterparts.

As a result, it has been assumed that a focus on educating teens in the appropriate use of contraceptives will be the most effective way to prevent unplanned teen pregnancy. National and local efforts to prevent teen pregnancy promote the informed use of contraceptives and the courage to say, “No.”

THE TAKE AWAY: The United States’ rate of teen pregnancy, although much reduced, is much higher than the rates of teen pregnancy for other industrialized nations. Research suggests that a multitude of factors contribute to the discrepancy in rates cross-nationally, with the most evidence recommending initiatives to increase teens’ knowledge about and use of contraceptives. Furthermore, Shelby county teens are at high risk for unintended pregnancy as large numbers used neither a condom nor birth control pill at the instance of last intercourse.