Supporting Teens in
Reproductive Health & Wellness

The U.S. teen birth rate (births per 1,000 females aged 15-19) declined by 78% from 1991 to 2021, reaching a record low of 14 births per 1,000 females in 2021; however, teen birth rates vary significantly by state; in 2008, states like Mississippi and Arkansas reported rates exceeding 60 births per 1,000 females aged 15-19, while states like New Hampshire and Massachusetts had rates below 25. Higher teen birth rates are associated with communities experiencing high unemployment, low education, and low income levels. Among teens with a history of poverty, 16.8% had been pregnant at least once by age 17. This rate increased to 28.9% for teens with histories of both poverty and reported child abuse or neglect. Possible reasons for these alarming correlations include low-income communities often having fewer healthcare facilities and providers, making access to contraception and reproductive health education more challenging; and a lack of insurance or easy access to birth control for teens, increasing the likelihood of unprotected sex. Abstinence-only education policies, which are more common in low-income school districts, have been linked to higher teen pregnancy rates. Restrictions on reproductive health services (e.g., parental consent laws for birth control or abortion) disproportionately affect low-income and non-white teens.