Over one-third of young women get pregnant at least once before they turn 20. According the National Campaign to Prevent Teen Pregnancy, 750,000 teen girls get pregnant in the United States each year, giving the U.S. one of the highest rates of teen pregnancy in the western industrialized world.
Who suffers the consequences?
Teen mothers are less likely to complete high school and more likely to end up on welfare.
The children of teenage mothers have lower birth weights, are more likely to perform poorly in school, and are at greater risk of abuse and neglect.
The sons of teen mothers are 13 percent more likely to end up in prison while teen daughters are 22 percent more likely to become teen mothers themselves.
What prevents teen pregnancy?
Abstinence is the only 100% effective way to avoid an unwanted pregnancy or sexually transmitted diseases. Abstinence is a personal decision to refrain from all sexual intercourse: vaginal, anal, or oral. You may think that everyone is having sex, but that is not true. Fewer than one-half of high school students have had sex, according to the National Campaign to Prevent Teen Pregnancy.
The decision about whether to have sex is a very important one and can often be quite difficult to make. It may surprise you to know that, when it comes to sex, most teens and parents agree that the first priority for teens is to wait to have sex in order to protect their physical and emotional health.
But it is also true that the majority of teens and parents feel that if a young person is going to be sexually active, using contraception - "protection'" - is a must.
How do I protect myself?
Whether you call it contraception, birth control, or protection, it's all the same thing. If you have decided to have sex, you need to know the facts about protecting yourself from pregnancy and sexually transmitted diseases. Sex has consequences. A sexually active teen who does not use contraception has a 90 percent chance of pregnancy within one year.
Family Planning Centers located throughout Pennsylvania provide services that are always confidential and non-judgmental, and free to teens under age 18, including:
Education on the various methods of birth control, including abstinence
Free or low cost contraceptive products
Access to Emergency Contraception (the morning after pill)
Testing and treatment for sexually transmitted diseases (STDs)
Partner treatment
Pregnancy testing
Complete gynecological exams
Breast and cervical cancer screening
Human sexuality education
Referrals to other healthcare professionals
How do I find a Family Planning Center?
click here for an interactive map to find the Family Planning Center nearest you, or call 1-866-SAFETEENS to get the address, phone number and hours of operation of your local Family Planning Center.