Facts about teen pregnancies and abstinence (Potential trigger for hard facts)

This thread is basically meant to display real facts from many sources, it is not meant to be a piece against or for teen pregnancy. If this thread triggers you in any way, please feel free to connect with a listener at 7cups.com/BrowseListeners . I'd like to keep this thread free of arguments so please do not post here to argue.

Teen Pregnancy. It can be hard when you get pregnant unplanned as a teenager. It can have serious consequences for girls and guys, including decreased chances of finishing school, a difficult financial future, and health risks for both mother and child. Talking about teen pregnancy isnt easy though as there are stigmas and prejudices against teen mothers. So I think that I can shed some light on a not so very much talked about topic by providing some facts about teen pregnancy. Some of these facts you might already know, and some might be new to you.

Facts about Teen Pregnancy

Fact 1: According to teenage pregnancy statistics, 1 out of every 3 girls in U.S. becomes pregnant before she turns 20. More than 700,000 teens get pregnant every year. Often, a teen mother gets pregnant with her second child within a few years of having the first..

Fact 2: The United States has the highest teen pregnancy rate in the industrialized world—twice as high as in England or Canada and eight times as high as in the Netherlands or Japan.

Fact 3: Two-thirds of teen pregnancies occur among 18- and 19-year-olds, but that doesnt mean that youre immune if you are under 18.

Fact 4: 5 out of every 10 girls say that their first interaction was unwished or involuntary.

Fact 5: Almost eight out of ten pregnancies that occur in the teenage years are unplanned. Most of these also happen before the teens are ready to understand the implication and importance of becoming parents.

Fact 6: Teens had fewer babies in 2010 than in any year since the mid-1940s.

Fact 7: In teen girls who are from a Hispanic ethnicity, the number is higher than the teen girls from a black ethnicity and accounts for about one in three cases.

Fact 8: Teen pregnancy is one of the main reasons why teens drop out of school. More than half of all teen moms dont graduate high school. The lucky ones get help and support from friends and family, as parents of teen moms find it difficult to support the mom and the baby. Alternatively, some schools offer daycare programs, which help teen moms finish their graduation Unfortunately though, most schools dont have such systems.

Fact 9: College isnt an option for most teen moms. If college is an option, its an option for later. Less than 2% of teen moms graduate college by the time they turn 30. Work, school and taking care of a baby is a daunting task and is too much for anyone. Many teen moms work minimum wage jobs to make ends meet.

Fact 10: Statistics show that 8 out of 10 teen dads do not marry the mother of their child and often, the relationship doesnt last until babys first birthday. 20% of these young fathers get into a new relationship within 2 years of ending the previous relationship and become a father again. Over 80% of teens eventually become single mothers, which is not an easy problem.

These are just some of the many facts out there that exist of Teen Pregnancy. As you can see, even though the rates of teenage pregnancy has decreased over time, it is still going strong and several teens find themselves negatively affected. According to the facts, too many cases of teen pregnancies are involuntary, which end up resulting in either an abortion or a miscarriage. However, successful births lead to medical and educational issues.

What we can do is provide teenagers with a safe place where they find that they can ask about sex, because often the lack of knowledge can lead to them exploring for answers and then being unsure or unwilling to talk to someone that can help. Coming up with a plan to be safe is also important. There are many ways to stay protected with sex: condoms, birth control, and abstinence (not having sex at all).

Facts About Abstinence

Fact 1: Not everybody is doing it. Less than half of teens reported having ever had sex as of 2005.
Fact 2: Teens do not think it is embarrassing to say they are virgins. Almost three-quarters of teens dont think its embarrassing to admit being a virgin.
Fact 3: Most teens who have had sex wish they had waited. Almost 70 percent of teens regret having had sex as early as they did.
Fact 4: Teens are eager for a strong abstinence message. Ninety-four percent of teens say they want a strong message to abstain until at least after high school.
Fact 5: Approval of premarital sex among teen boys is declining.
Fact 6: College freshmen are less likely to approve of casual sex. Sixty percent of college freshmen do not think it is okay to hook up with a casual acquaintance.

Sources ( and where you can read more and get involved in)

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