1999-2000 Comprehensive
Community Assessment
Issue Area
Factual Data
Issue:
“Teenage Sex,
Pregnancy and Parenthood”
1.
Sexual
behavior among teens:
· The table to the left [1] shows the level of sexual activity among teens at various ages. Sex is still rare among young teenagers, but common in later teen years.
2.
Contraception use:
· US teens have same rate of sexual behavior as European and Japanese youth, but we have highest rates of teen births. Most of difference accounted for by lower rates of effective birth control usage. [2]
· Teenagers are less likely than older women to practice contraception without interruption over the course of a year, and more likely to practice contraception sporadically or not all. [3]
· Among unmarried teenagers, almost 90 percent of pregnancies are unintended. [4]
3.
Alcohol and drug use and teen sexual behavior:
· Nationwide, among students who were currently sexually active, 24.7% had used alcohol or drugs at last sexual intercourse; males at a higher rate (30.5%) than females (18.5%);
4.
Teen Births:[5]
|
U.S. birth
rate per 1000 female Teens |
1980 |
1991 |
1997 |
% Change since
1991 |
|
15-17 yr olds |
32.5 |
38.7 |
32.6 |
15.7% |
· However, the Vanderburgh County teen (15-17 year old) birth rate was 48.1 in 1997 (47% higher than national rate).
· Vanderburgh County teenage births have remained relatively constant, with 60% of all teen births accounted for by 18-19 year olds: [6]
|
|
1994 |
1995 |
1996 |
1997 |
Ages 10-17 |
132 |
145 |
148 |
151 |
|
Ages 18-19 |
213 |
226 |
198 |
219 |
5.
Teen pregnancy
outcomes:
· 85% of teen pregnancies are unplanned. [7]
· In 1996, 14% of all U.S. teen pregnancies ended in miscarriage, 30% abortion, and 56% births. [8]
6. Poverty
Relationship:
· Poor and low-income females account for 73% of pregnancies among15-19 year olds; [9]
· Other poverty indicators: [10]
|
Teens (15-19 yrs.) |
Poor (below poverty) |
Low-Income (100-199%) |
Higher Income (200% +) |
|
Sexual behavior |
60% |
53% |
50% |
|
Contraception use |
60% |
60% |
75% |
|
Abortions |
39% |
54% |
70% |
Thus, poor and low-income females account for 83% of all teen parents.
7.
Amount of poverty among teen parents:
· In 1996, almost 50% of all welfare recipients were unmarried teen mothers – now or at time of first birth. [11]
8.
Age of Fathers:
· 20% of babies born to unmarried minors are fathered by men 5 or more years older than the mother. [12]
9.
Marital Status of Teen Mothers:
· 78% of teen mothers are unmarried. [13]
10.
Pressure to Have Sex:
· Surveys in the 1980s consistently found 25-30% of teens felt pressure to have sex (70-75% did not). [14]
11.
Future aspirations/hope among teens:
· Adolescents who express low career aspirations have consistently been found to have an earlier mean age at first intercourse than peers with higher aspirations. [15]
12.
Family dynamics:
· Teenagers who have strong emotional attachments to their parents are much less likely to become sexually active at an early age. [16]
· 61% of teen mothers reported being sexually abused as children. [17]
· Teens who have been raised by both parents (biological or adoptive) from birth, have lower probabilities of having sex than teens who grew up in any other family situation. At age 16, 22% of girls from intact families and 44% of other girls have had sex at least once. [18]
13.
Sex and pregnancy to fill love void; desire for
pregnancy:
· Anecdotal research discusses clear relationship, little reliable quantifiable data.
14.
Responsible teen fathers:
·
One
of the first comprehensive studies of teen fathers (Canada) says that despite
their reputation as irresponsible, young dads actually want to be involved with
their children but face impediments to fulfilling the responsibilities of
fatherhood. [19]
·
Most
teen fathers plan on providing financial support, sustaining contact with the
mother and developing a relationship with the baby. [20]