Unintended Pregnancy Among Young People in the United States

Largely due to increased contraceptive use, teen pregnancy and birth rates have declined since their peak in 1990. But 750,000 teens become pregnant each year – the vast majority (82 percent) of these pregnancies unintended. Teens need youth-friendly services and complete, accurate information about abstinence, condoms, and contraception in order to protect themselves from unintended pregnancy. But they also need to be able to envision a positive future for themselves: one in which education, employment, and healthy relationships are possible. Helping young people prevent unintended pregnancy is a challenge that teens, parents, youth serving professionals, policy makers, and society as a whole must face