Why should states and localities consider implementing pregnancy prevention programs?
Out-of-wedlock childbearing has many negative economic and social impacts, particularly for teenagers and their children. For example, there is a strong connection between nonmarital childbearing and child well-being. Mothers who bear children early are less likely to finish high school, which contributes substantially to diminished employment prospects, and are more likely to receive government assistance. Their children are also more likely to be in poor health, to experience less success in school, and to have more behavioral problems (National Campaign to Prevent Teen Pregnancy, 2001). States can intervene to delay initial pregnancies and discourage subsequent pregnancies among unwed mothers. However, different programs are required to address these two types of pregnancies. A large proportion of all out-of-wedlock births are not to teenagers, but more than half of first out-of-wedlock births are to teens and 80 percent of births to teenagers are out of wedlock. Although the overal
