|
The vast majority of teen pregnancies (at least 85 percent) are unintended. Young people of color are disproportionately affected by teen pregnancy. Most teenage mothers come from socially and/or economically disadvantaged backgrounds and adolescent motherhood often compounds this disadvantage - creating barriers to achieving educational goals and life aspirations. But research has shown that science-based, comprehensive sexuality education, contraceptive access and youth development programs can help young people make choices that can protect them from pregnancy.
If you are conducting research on adolescent pregnancy, check out Advocates’ Adolescent Pregnancy Research Guide for the most recent news, scholarly research, and publications from a variety of sources.
General Facts
Youth in Low- and Middle-Income Countries
In low- and middle-income countries, pregnancy (including complications from childbirth and unsafe abortion) is the leading cause of death for young women ages 15-19; half a million women worldwide die from complications of pregnancy and childbirth. Teens are twice as likely to die in childbirth as women over twenty.
Redressing Disparities in Teen Pregnancy
Teen pregnancy continues to affect youth of color disproportionately, with rates for African American women and Latina women ages 15-19 that are more than double the rate for young white women. In addition, one study has shown that young lesbian women are more likely to experience pregnancy than their heterosexual counterparts.
|
