In 2009, the number of births to teen mothers was 409,840, which totals to a birth rate of 39.1 per 1,000 women aged 15 to 19 years old. Within that statistic, nearly two-thirds of births to females younger than age 18 and more than half of those among females aged 18–19 years are considered unintended pregnancies.
The relatively high social and economic costs of teen pregnancy and childbearing can be both immediate and long-term for teenage parents and their children. Children who are born to teen mothers also experience a wide range of problems; they are more likely to have behavioral problems and chronic medical conditions, rely more heavily on publicly funded health care, drop out of high school, give birth as a teenager, and be unemployed or underemployed as a young adult.
CDC has identified teen pregnancy prevention as a
Winnable Battle. Promoting evidence-based programs and cost-effective strategies as prevention tactics will both have significant impacts on the nation's health considering this current issue.