"Mom, Dad, I"m pregnant," the words that ALL parents hate to hear come out of their children's mouth. Although no one wants to believe it, one little mistake can change a person's life forever. Teen pregnancy in the United States is going down, and that's a good thing, it is still here. In the United States, four out of ten girls get pregnant at least once before the age of 20. Eight in ten of these pregnancies are unintended and 79 percent are to unmarried teens. The U.S. has the highest teen pregnancy and birth rate than any other industrialized country. In fact, every state has a birth rate that is higher than that of the United Kingdom. Out of all the teens in the U.S., nearly 500,000 give birth each year. Nearly eighty percent of all teen births are first births, eighteen percent are second births, and three percent are to teens that already have two children. Teen pregnancy costs the U.S. at least seven billion dollars annually. About half of all high school students have had sex at least once. In 1999, more than eight percent of teens reported having sex before the age of thirteen-a fifteen percent increase since 1997. The effects of teens getting pregnant are not good. Teen mothers are less likely to complete high school and will most likely end up on welfare. The children of teen mothers have a lower birth weight, are more likely to perform poorly in school, and are at a greater risk of abuse or neglect. The sons of teen mothers are thirteen percent more likely to end up in prison while teen daughters are twenty-two percent more likely to become teen mothers themselves. Teen fathers are more likely to engage in delinquent behaviors and use alcohol routinely, deal drugs or quit school. Children of teen mothers are more likely to suffer severe health problems and are less likely to receive proper health care. Teen parents are less likely to give their proper nutrition, health care, social stimulation, and old fashioned nurturing-the things ALL kids need to get a good start in life.
