47.8% of high school aged teenagers are sexually active¹⁸ and 3 in 10 girls are estimated to get pregnant at least once before they are 20.¹ Although the teen pregnancy and birth rates  dropped by about 30% between 1991 and 2002, a report issued by the Center for Disease Control shows that teen birth rates rose by about 3% in 2006, from 40.5 births to 41.9 births per 1,000 women aged 15-19²,  the first time there had been an increase in 15 years. Likewise, there was a 3% increase in the teen pregnancy rate between 2005 and 2006.¹⁹ It is important to note that an estimated 75% of the recent increase in the teen birth rate is among 18-19 year olds.²⁰ 

Births to teens account for 10% of all births in the United States.⁷ Over 80% of teenage births in the United States are to unmarried teenagers. Teenage pregnancy is more likely to result in negative effects on the child's health and is linked to a variety of other social justice and life issues such as poverty, violence, family instability, foster care, limited educational and occupational opportunities, abortion and early sexual activity. Although teen pregnancy rates in the United States have decreased by 33% since 1990, they are still one of the highest among developed nations around the world. Find out more about this important issue by exploring the links and learn ways for parents and teenagers to prevent teenage pregnancy.

• 53% of Latina teens and 51% of African American teens will become pregnant at least once before the age of 20. 19% of non-Hispanic white teenage girls will get pregnant before they are 20.³
• Studies show that younger siblings of teen parents are 2 to 6 times more likely to become pregnant as teens than younger siblings of teens who are not parents.⁵
• Almost 25% of teen mothers have a second birth before they are 20.⁶