Teen Pregnancies

Rebeca Guizar
Dr.Alvarado
Sociology 001
Overview

There was a decline of 52% within teen pregnancy in comparison to the

1950s, but teen pregnancy is still a problem in our society.
2012, 29.4 births within every 1,000 females ages 15-19
89% of births were to single teen moms
of births where to 15-19 yr old mothers who had one or more children
U.S. Pregnancy Rates vs. Other Countries

In comparison to other countries the United

States has a higher teen birth/ abortion rate.
Teen Pregnancy Rates Within Ethnicities

Hispanic teens ages 15-19

have the highest birth rate in
comparison to other
ethnicities
Asian/Pacific Islander teens
ages 15-19 have the lowest
birth rate compared to other
ethnicities
Teen Pregnancies (Societys Views 1950s)

Childbearing was a skill that was developed due to shorter life expectancies.
High teen birth rates took place in the late 1950s
96/1,000 births were to girls ages 15-19 years
87% of teen births in the 1950s were to married teens. This due to the
shotgun marriage, which meant pregnant teens were married before
their baby was born.
Most teen pregnancies in the 1950s were to females who married at an early
age.
Teen Pregnancies (Todays Society)

Teen Pregnancy is viewed as an outbreak that is slowly reducing

Theres been progress within all 50 states since the early 1990s
Many teens are still becoming mothers at an early age within minority
populations
Teen mothers are more likely to live in poverty, and depend on
financial assistance
The public cost to society due to teen childbearing is almost $9.4 billion
annually.
Functionalist Views (Teen Pregnancies 1950s)

Getting pregnant at an early age may seem odd in todays society, but early teen
pregnancies allow for society to maintain stability.

The life expectancy of the population in the 1950s was shorter; teen
pregnancies had a positive outcome on society.
Reproduction at an early age = maintenance in civilization
Society progressed toward greater order as it came to terms with teen
pregnancies
Conflict Theory (Due to Current Teen Pregnancy
Trends)

Current teen pregnancy trends can be understood by observing struggles

within ethnic groups
Hispanic Teens have a much higher birth rate compared to non-Hispanic.
Lack of sexual education between parents and teenagers of ethnic
minorities
Ethnic minority rely on the sexual education curriculum at schools due to the lack of
knowledge
Some students head towards a path of dropping out of high school prior to
becoming pregnant
Lack of motivation to excel academically based upon lack of education from parents
Conclusion

The majority of teen moms in the US drop out of high school or take longer
to obtain a college diploma.
Less than 2% of teen moms attain a college degree by the age of 30
Past years, teen pregnancies were a necessity because of shorter life
expectancies. Teens married and began a family at an early age.
Teens in todays society are more likely to remain single
In todays society, teen pregnancy rates are reducing but they are reducing
at a slower rate among the Hispanic population.
Works Cited
Rocca, Corinne H, Irene Doherty, Nancy S. Padian, Alan E. Hubbard, and Alexandra M. Minnis.
Pregnancy Intentions and Teenage Pregnancy Among Latinas: a Mediation Analysis. Perspectives on
Seual and Reproductive Health. 42.3 (2010): 186-196. Print.
U.S. National Center for Health Statistics,National Vital Statistics Reports,vol. 56, no. 7, Dec. 5, 2007.
Ventura SJ, Mathews TJ, Hamilton BE. Births to teenagers in the United States, 1940 2000. National
vital statistics reports; vol 49 no 10.
Hyattsville, MD: National Center for Health Statistics. 2001.
Grove RD, Hetzel AM. Vital statistics rates in the United States, 1940 1960. Volume 58 (10). U.S. 2010.
Web. April 23, 2014. http://www.cdc.gov/nchs/data/hus/2010/022.pdf
Trends in Teen Pregnancy and Childbearing. Office of Adolescent Health. Web. 16 April 2014.
http://www.hhs.gov/ash/oah/adolescent-health-topics/reproductive-health/teen-pregnancy/trends.ht
ml
Can More Progress be Made? Alan Guttmacher Institute. Web. 20 April 2014.
http://www.guttmacher.org/pubs/summaries/euroteens_summ.pdf