2. The Information …
The Population:
Teenagers (ages 13-19) in the United States
The Problem(s):
o Teenagers are unaware of the responsibilities associated with
pregnancy and taking care of a child.
o Are teens pressured to have sex?
• School, friends, peer pressure, gossip, etc.
o Teenagers search for most information online and credibility of
the information is unknown
4. Statistics about teen pregnancy…
Less than 2/3 of sexually active teenagers used
protection the last time they had sex.
Due to more sexually active teenagers, STD infections are increasing among
this population. The annual number of new infections is roughly 51% in teen
girls and 49% in teen guys.
The United states has the highest rate of STD infections in the industrialized
world.
Less than 1 in 4 used birth control pills or other forms of
contraceptives.
2009 approximately 722,000 pregnancies to woman
younger than the age of 20.
4 in 5 (82%) of teenage pregnancies are unintended,
and 2 out of every 5 (37%) of unintended teen
pregnancies in 2006 ended in abortion.
5. Statistics continued…
Pregnant teenagers are more likely than women who
delay childbearing to experience maternal illness,
miscarriage, stillbirths and neonatal death.
Teen mothers are less likely to graduate from high
school and more likely than their peers who delay
childbearing to live in poverty and rely on welfare.
Children of teenage mothers are often born at low birth
weight, experience health and developmental problems
and are frequently poor, abused and or neglected.
Teenage pregnancy poses a substantial financial burden
to society; estimated at $10.9 billion annually in lost tax
revenues, public assistance, child health care, foster
care and involvement with the criminal justice system.
6. What has been done so far??
Teen Pregnancy Prevention Initiative (TPPI) 2010-2015
• CDC is partnering with the federal office of the assistant secretary for health to reduce teenage
pregnancy and address disparities in teen pregnancy and birth rates.
Goals
• Reduce the rates of pregnancies and
births to youth.
• Increase youth access to evidence-
based and evidence-informed
programs to prevent teen pregnancy
• Increase linkages between teen
pregnancy prevention programs and
community based clinical services
Outcomes
• Increase the percentage of youth who have
abstained from or delayed sexual intercourse.
• Increase the consistent and correct use of
condoms and other effective methods of
contraception among sexually active youth
• Increase the number and percentage of youth
who receive evidence-based and evidence-
informed programs to prevent teen pregnancy.
• Reduce teen birth rates by 10%
The Office of Adolescent Health
• Responsible for implementing and administering a discretionary grant program of $105 million
to support evidence based teen pregnancy prevention approaches.
• Competitive contracts and grants were made to public and private groups to fund medically
accurate and age appropriate programs that reduce teen pregnancy.
7. What has been done so far??
Sex education classes in schools can help to prevent teenage
pregnancy.
Starting in kindergarten & continues through 12th grade
6.2% of students nationwide report having sex before the age of 13,
43.8% by 10th grade, and 63.1% by 12th grade.
Only 12 states require sexuality education that includes information about
contraception. 9 other states require that IF sex education classes are
provided, it must include information about contraception.
Recent studies show that more teens receive formal sex education on
“how to say no to sex” (87% teen women / 81% teen men) than on
contraception methods ( 70% teen women / 62% teen men)
Other countries demonstrate great success with sex education and
decreased teenage pregnancy rate.
In the Netherlands: sex education begins in preschool, holds the lowest
teen birthrate in the world: 5.3 per 1,000 women aged 15-19. This rate is
6 ½ times lower than the United States.
Germany teenage birthrate is 3 ½ times lower than the United States, its
abortion rate is 5 times lower and its HIV prevalence is 6 times lower.
France has a nationally mandated sex education program that begins at
age 13. Parents are prohibited from withdrawing their children from the
program. France’s teenage birthrate is 3 times lower than the United
States and HIV prevalence rate is 1 ½ times lower than the United States.
8. The Reality … Surprise!!!!
Between 2011-2012 the overall teen birth rate has decreased
6% and has fallen by 52% since peaking in 1991.
