public assistance at some point in their lives, and only about
one-third of teen mothers obtain a high school diploma; and
WHEREAS, Children of teenage mothers are more likely to
suffer health, social and emotional problems, to drop out of
high school and to end up in jail than children of adult
mothers; and
WHEREAS, Teenage fathers experience increased rates of
alcohol abuse and substance abuse, lower educational attainment
and reduced earning potential; and
WHEREAS, The annual national cost of teenage pregnancies has
been estimated to be as much as $28 billion per year, taking
into account public assistance payments, lost tax revenue and
expenditures for public health care, foster care and criminal
justice services; and
WHEREAS, The teenage pregnancy rate in the United States has
declined continuously from a peak of 61.8 births for every 1,000
adolescent females in 1991 to 26.5 births in 2013, but continues
to remain one of the highest rates in the developed world; and
WHEREAS, One in six births to teenage mothers in 2013 were to
teenagers who already had one or more children; and
WHEREAS, Approximately 26% of teenage pregnancies ended in
abortion in 2013, and about 5% of all abortions involved teenage
pregnancy; and
WHEREAS, Numerous individual, family and community factors
have been linked to teen pregnancy rates, including whether the
teenager is involved in school and after-school activities and
whether the teenager has a mother who gave birth as a teenager;
and
WHEREAS, Teenagers have been shown to be less likely to get
someone pregnant or to become pregnant if they have:
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