Use of Contraceptives by Teens
U.S. teens are less effective users of contraception
than their European, Scandinavian, and Canadian
peers despite similar ages at onset of sexual intercourse,
1
as evidenced by the fact that the United States
has the highest teen pregnancy rate of any developed
country.
2
Teen pregnancy usually has unfortunate
consequences for society, teenage mothers, and the
children born to them. Teenage mothers usually do
not complete high school, have poor earnings, and
have increased dependency on the welfare system.
The child born to a teen is more likely to have low
birthweight, have health problems, suffer abuse, live
in an inferior home, and be poor, and is less likely to
succeed in school and become a teenage parent himself
or herself.
2