Teen pregnancy costs U.S. taxpayers over $9 billion per year and perpetuates the cycle of poverty. About 750,000 girls aged 15-19 become pregnant each year in the U.S., with two-thirds being unintended. Teen mothers are less likely to complete high school and more likely to have low-paying jobs and be dependent on family or society. Their children also face health and social challenges. While the U.S. teen birth rate has declined, it remains one of the highest among industrialized countries. Evidence-based programs that increase access to effective contraception and support both abstinent and sexually active teens can help further reduce rates.

1. CDC Winnable Battles
Teen Pregnancy
U.S. Department of Health and Human Services
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

2. Teen pregnancy costs taxpayers more than $9
billion/year and perpetuates the cycle of poverty
 Each year, about 750,000 girls age 15–19 become
pregnant in the U.S. – 2/3 unintended
 Public cost to U.S. taxpayers/year:
>$9 billion
 Estimated national costs saved by
taxpayers in 2004 due to 1/3
decline in teen birth rate between
1991 and 2004: $6.7 billion
 Highest savings: >$1 billion in California
 Perpetuating inequality
Source: The National Campaign to Prevent Teen Pregnancy

3. Teen pregnancy has heavy social, economic, and
personal costs
 Teen mothers are
 Less likely to complete high school
 More likely to have low-paying jobs
 More likely to be financially dependent on family/society
 Children of teen mothers are more likely to
 Be born prematurely and die in infancy
 Have low school achievement
 Drop out of high school
 Have health problems
 Be incarcerated or give birth as teens
 Face unemployment as young adults

4. U.S. teen birth rate one of highest among
industrialized countries
Bulgaria 43
U.S. 39
Romania 39
U.K. 27
Ireland 17
Israel 14
Canada 14
Germany 10
France 10
Norway 9
Italy 7
Sweden 6
Denmark 6
Netherla… 5
Switzerland 4
Teen birth rates internationally, per 1,000 girls aged 15-19 years, 2008 and 2009
SOURCE: UN Demographic Yearbook (all data for 2008, except US 2009 preliminary data).

5. Rates are far lower and are decreasing much
faster in other countries
80
1970 2006
70
39%
60
50
80%
40
68% 82%
30 81%
20
80%
10
0
U.S. Norway France Denmark Switzerland Sweden

6. Birth rates, girls ages 15-19
AK
2009, by state
WA
Lowest: 16
MT ND ME
OR MN VT
ID NH
SD WI NY MA
WY MI
RI
IA PA CT
NV NE
OH NJ
UT IL IN DE
CA CO
WV MD
KS MO VA DC
KY
HI
NC
TN
AZ OK
NM AR SC
MS AL GA
Highest: 64
TX LA
FL
Birth rate per 1,000 girls 15-19 10 highest rates (51-64)
• U.S. rate: 39 Significantly higher than US rate (42-50)
Not significantly different from US rate (38- 41)
• Europe: 4 (lowest)-24 (highest) Significantly lower than US rate (29-37)
10 lowest rates (16-28)
Source: National Center for Health Statistics, CDC, 2009.

7. U.S. teen birth rates are down in all groups, but
wide disparities persist
140
Hispanic
Black
120 118
American Indian/Alaska Native
Rate per 1,000 girls in specified age group
White
105
Asian/Pacific Islander
100
84
80
70
60 59
56
43
40
27
26
20
15
0
1991 1992 1993 1994 1995 1996 1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009
U.S. birth trends by race/ethnicity, girls ages 15-19, 1991-2009
Source: National Center for Health Statistics

8. What we can do to prevent
teen pregnancy
 Support evidence-based prevention programs
and policies that address needs of teens who are
abstinent as well as teens who are sexually active
 Increase access to youth-friendly family
planning services
 Increase access to and use of the most effective
contraceptives by sexually active teens

9. Evidence-based prevention programs and
policies should support all teens –
those who are abstinent and those who are
sexually active
 Target implementation of evidence-based
programs at the community level
 Promote coordinated programs that leverage
service and prevention systems
• Enhance community partnerships
• Educate stakeholders about teen pregnancy prevention
issues and strategies
• Improve access to education and youth-friendly services
• Target efforts to reach those at greatest risk, including
African American and Latina youth

10. Efforts should focus on increasing access to
family planning services
 Medicaid family planning expansions are proven to
increase access to contraceptive services, prevent
unintended pregnancies and save money for state and
federal government
• Contraceptive services provided to low and no-income women
• Medicaid provides states with an enhanced matching rate
(90%) for family planning services
• A good investment: For every public dollar spent on family
planning services, nearly $4 in public expenditures is saved
 28 states have implemented a Medicaid family planning
expansion
 Affordable Care Act includes streamlined option for states
to expand Medicaid family planning programs

11. Efforts should focus on better access to the
most effective contraceptive methods
 Improve access to and use of the most effective
contraceptives by teens
 Address barriers to use of Long Acting Reversible
Contraceptives (LARC)
• Educate providers: Ensure wide dissemination of the
2010 Medical Eligibility Criteria
 Recommendation that young women and women who have
not given birth may be eligible to use all LARC methods
• Increase interest and acceptance among young women
through education and social marketing
• Address cost barriers to ensure that publicly funded
services include LARC

12. “Teen pregnancy and childbirth continue
existing cycles of social, economic and
educational disadvantages in our nation’s
communities. This is why CDC has identified
Teen Pregnancy Prevention as a Winnable
Battle for public health programs. Together
with our partners, we can reduce teen
pregnancy and childbirth rates in this country.”
– Thomas R. Frieden, MD, MPH
Director, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
Administrator, Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry

13. www.cdc.gov/winnablebattles
For more information please contact Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
1600 Clifton Road NE, Atlanta, GA 30333
Telephone, 1-800-CDC-INFO (232-4636)/TTY: 1-888-232-6348
E-mail: cdcinfo@cdc.gov Web: www.cdc.gov
The findings and conclusions in this report are those of the authors and do not necessarily represent the official
position of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
U.S. Department of Health and Human Services
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention