Reducing the Teen Birth Rate. KIDS COUNT Indicator Brief

• Published in: Annie E. Casey Foundation
• Main Authors: Shore, Rima, Shore, Barbara
• Format: Report
• Language: English
• Published: Annie E 01.07.2009
• Subjects: Birth Rate; Contraception; Cultural Differences; Early Parenthood; Health Services; Instructional Effectiveness; Parents as Teachers; Prevention; Sex Education; Sexual Abuse; Youth Programs

Teen childbearing affects young people at both ends of childhood. When teens have children, their own health may be jeopardized and their chances to build productive lives are often diminished. Compared to women who postpone childbearing until they are older, teenage mothers are more likely to drop out of school and to live in poverty. At the same time, their babies are more likely than other children to be born at a low birth weight, face health problems and developmental delays, perform poorly in school, and experience abuse or neglect. As they grow older, these children are more likely to drop out of school, become teen parents themselves, and experience homelessness, juvenile delinquency, and incarceration (Healthy Teen Network, 2009; East et al., 2007). In all of these ways, teenage childbearing exacts a high cost from both individuals and society at large. This "KIDS COUNT Indicator Brief" describes six strategies that can contribute to preventing teen pregnancy. Many of the ideas outlined in this paper have been adapted from the strategies endorsed by the National Campaign to Prevent Teen and Unplanned Pregnancy. These ideas are: (1) Reinvigorating prevention efforts, intensifying the focus on underlying causes; (2) Helping parents succeed in their role as sex educators; (3) Broadening the scope of pregnancy prevention efforts and addressing shifting social norms about pregnancy and parenting among unmarried women; (4) Helping adults provide accurate, clear and consistent information about how to reduce risk-taking behaviors; (5) Creating community-wide action plans for teen pregnancy prevention, including adolescent health services; and (6) Giving young people a credible vision of a positive future that takes into account current economic realities. (Contains 6 online resources.)