Teen Birth Rate is on the Rise

For the first time in more than a decade, the rate of teenagers giving birth is on the rise.

After fifteen years of substantial decline, teen birth rates are on the rise. According to data released by the Centers for Disease Control in 2007, the rate of 15- to 19-year-old girls giving birth is increasing (i). Unfortunately, it takes celebrity teen pregnancy scandals to draw attention to unplanned pregnancies and the unrelenting pressure girls experience to grow up too quickly.

Girls Inc. is committed to encouraging all girls to envision their futures without limits, but an unplanned pregnancy is a serious threat to a girl’s progress in life. Most girls who give birth are unmarried (ii) and will take on the primary or sole responsibility for their children’s care. Finishing high school is more of a challenge (iii) for teen mothers, and women who do not graduate from high school are more likely than women with a high school diploma to live in poverty (iv). 

Girls should be thinking about their education, planning for their future, and celebrating their girlhood rather than worrying about taking care of and supporting a child.   

At Girls Inc., we recognize that the family is the primary source of information about sex and help girls and young women communicate with their families about sexuality.  We also embrace the opportunity to work in partnership with girls to deliver research-based, age-appropriate programs that convey the skills, resources, and support girls need to take charge of their sexuality and have healthy relationships throughout their lives. Fostering healthy sexuality requires a long-term effort involving families, educators, and policy makers and needs attention and commitment over time—not only when a high-profile teen celebrity and her “baby bump” are making headlines.  

Sexuality is a natural and normal part of human development. As young people grow up, it is natural that they become curious about their bodies and relationships and seek information on how to handle their sexual feelings. It is our mission to empower girls to understand the importance of making healthy decisions in all aspects of their lives, including their sexuality.

Girls Inc. believes in:

Truth: Girls have a right to accurate and timely information when they want it and in language they can understand;

Trust: Girls are entitled to support and respect from caring adults who believe girls can make good decisions; and,

Technology: Girls deserve the skills and resources to make good decisions and avoid early pregnancy (including contraception, disease prevention, and general reproductive health services) whether they are sexually active now, or will be later in life (v). 

Girls Inc. motivates girls to avoid risky behavior and to make informed, responsible choices for their health, their families, and their futures.  Every girl deserves a chance to discover all she can be in life and support from adults to help her along the way.  Only by working together with parents, educators, and communities to decrease the number of girls who face unplanned pregnancies can we achieve this goal.

Girls Incorporated believes that for young people abstinence should be the first choice. To make responsible decisions about sexuality, pregnancy, and parenthood, girls need and have a right to sensitive, comprehensive sexuality education; convenient, affordable access to safe, effective methods of contraception and protection from disease, medical privacy; and referral to information, counseling, clinical, and other services that support their responsible decisions.

            —Girls Incorporated Advocacy Statement on Sexuality