Teen Pregnancy may be one of the biggest social injustices of our time.

By the Numbers: The Public Costs of Teen Childbearing, a report by Dr. Saul Hoffman, Ph.D. published by the National Campaign to Prevent Teen Pregnancy indicates that teen childbearing in the U.S. costs taxpayers (federal, state, and local) at least $9.1 billion.  Most of the costs are associated with negative consequences for the children of teen mothers, including increased costs for health care, foster care, and incarceration. 

Additional reports from the National Campaign indicate that a child born to a teen mother has a 27 percent chance of growing up in poverty.  If the teen mother is not married at the time of the child’s birth, the chances of that child growing up in poverty increase to 42 percent.  In addition to these two things, if the mother does not earn a high school diploma or GED, the child will likely spend 64 percent of his life in poverty. In contrast, if none of these things happen, a child’s chance of growing up in poverty is only seven percent.  A child born to a teen mother who has not finished high school and is not married is nine times more likely to be poor than a child born to a married adult who has finished high school.

Consider these statistics:

• 66 percent of pregnant teens report histories of dating abuse.
• Only 30 percent of teen fathers pay child support.
• More than two-thirds of all teen moms do not graduate from high school.
• Eight out of 10 teen fathers do not marry the mother of their child.
• One in three teens becomes pregnant by age 20.

Research indicates that the United States has the highest teen pregnancy and birth rates in the industrialized world. The teen pregnancy rate in the U.S. is two to six times higher than those in most of Western Europe.

Teen childbearing also has negative consequences for the community at large.  Children of teen mothers are more likely to have decreased educational attainment, suffer high rates of child abuse and neglect, enter the child-welfare system, be incarcerated and become teen mothers themselves.

What can we do?
Sarah Brown, CEO of the National Campaign, makes the point that families spend a lot of time talking about things like what’s for supper or the March Madness brackets, but what could be more important than talking about when to become a parent, with whom and under what circumstances? 

Here are a few conversation starters:

• Babies need adult parents.
• “If it happens, it happens” is no way to start a family.  And, “I just never really thought about it” isn’t either.
• Babies don’t cement relationships; they often put great stress on them.  Be sure you are in a solid relationship before you begin a family.
• Sex has meaning, risks and consequences.  It’s not a casual activity.  Take it seriously.
• Children do best when they are raised by parents who are committed to each other and to years of devoted parenting.

    “Personal responsibility and parental responsibility mean it’s not just about “me” the adult – it’s also about what’s in the best interest of children, communities and future generations,” said Ms. Brown.