Why is teen pregnancy a problem?
(Adapted from an article appearing on the National Campaign to Reduce Teen Pregnancy website) Reducing the rate of teen pregnancy is one of the most strategic and direct means available to improve overall child well-being and to reduce persistent child poverty. Teen pregnancy has serious consequences for the teen mother, the child, and to society in general. Despite the recently declining teen pregnancy rates, 34% of teenage girls get pregnant at least once before they reach age 20, resulting in more than 820,000 teen pregnancies a year. At this level, the United States has the highest rate of teen pregnancy in the fully industrialized world.Teen pregnancy is bad for the mother… Teen mothers are less likely to complete school and more likely to be single parents. Less than one-third of teens who begin their families before age 18 ever earn a high school diploma. Only 1.5% earn a college degree by the age of 30. There are serious health risks for adolescents who have babies. Common me
