Abstinence is saying yes to the rest of your life.

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Teen-Aid, Inc.

723 E. Jackson
Spokane, WA 99207
509-482-2868

Out of Wedlock Teen Pregnancy

How can parents prevent teen pregnancy?

• Connect with your kids – spend time together and get to know them

• Supervise – know where your kids are, who they are with, and what they are doing

• Communicate – you might not think they are listening, but they hear what you say

• Discuss your expectations regarding sexual abstinence

Teen pregnancy CAN be prevented by setting expectations for your children and communicating them clearly. Encourage and support youth in being sexually abstinent.

Youth who are unsupervised ≤ 5 hrs/week are far less likely than their counterpart’s unsupervised ≥ 30 hrs/week to be sexually active.[1] Teens report that their parents are more important than their peers in influencing decisions to become sexually active.[2]Enhancing the connections of teens to family, home, school, and community is essential to protecting them from high-risk behaviors like sexual activity. [3]High conflict families are associated with early sexual debut.[4]

 

Who is at risk for teen pregnancy?

• Children who start to date at a young age

• Girls with older boyfriends

• Children with more unsupervised time

• Children who use alcohol or drugs

• Children living in a high conflict environment

• Siblings of a child with a teen pregnancy

• Children who have a history of abuse

• Children who get in trouble with the law

Girls who have family members and peers who have a teen pregnancy are more likely to become pregnant as a teen.[5]

Teen girls with boyfriends 3 years or older than them are more likely to have sex and become pregnant.[6]

Youth who are unsupervised ≤ 5 hrs/week are far less likely than their counterparts unsupervised ≥ 30 hrs/week to be sexually active.[7]

Family instability and changes in parental marital status increase risk of teenage pregnancy.[8]

[1] Cohen DA, Farley TA, Taylor SN, Martin DH, Schuster MA. When and where do youths have sex? The

potential role of adult supervision. Pediatrics 2002;110(6):e66.

[2] Albert B. With One Voice 2007: America's Adults and Teens Sound Off About Teen Pregnancy: A Periodic National Survey. Washington, DC: National Campaign to Prevent Teen Pregnancy; 2007:9.

[3] Resnick MD, Bearman PS, Blum RW, et al. Protecting adolescents from harm. Findings from the National

Longitudinal Study on Adolescent Health. JAMA: the Journal of the American Medical Association. 1997;278(10):823-832.

[4] McBride CK, Paikoff RL, Holmbeck GN. Individual and familial influences on the onset of sexual intercourse

among urban African American adolescents. Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology. 2003;71(1):159-

167.

[5] Kirby D. Emerging Answers 2007: Research Findings on Programs to Reduce Teen Pregnancy and

Sexually Transmitted Diseases. Washington, DC: National Campaign to Prevent Teen and Unplanned

Pregnancy; 2007: 57-61. Available from: https://www.teenpregnancy.org/product/pdf/6_11_2007_13_14_8Fullreport_EmergingAnswers2007.pdf.

[6] Darroch JE, Landry DJ, Oslak S. Age differences between sexual partners in the United States. Family Planning Perspective 1999;31(4),160-167.

[7] Cohen DA, Farley TA, Taylor SN, Martin DH, Schuster MA. When and where do youths have sex? The potential role of adult supervision. Pediatrics 2002;110(6):e66.

[8] Manlove J. The influence of high school dropout and school disengagement on the risk of school-age pregnancy. Journal of Research on Adolescence. 1998;8(2):187-220.