With an estimated birth rate of 43 per 1,000 among women aged 15 to 19, the impact of pregnancy on the U.S. adolescent population is particularly alarming(1). While teen pregnancy and childbearing yield considerable economic costs, negative social consequences, and immediate and long-term health impacts for both the teenage mother and her child, teen mothers are also much more likely to be and remain single parents and drop out of high school(2). Local health departments should continue implementing efforts involving comprehensive approaches to preventing teen pregnancy—ones that focus not only on educating youth about the risks and consequences of their sexual behaviors, but also on building local capacity and evidence-based interventions to promote adolescent reproductive health as a whole.
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