According to the latest available data, the District of Columbia the highest teenage pregnancy rate in the U.S., followed by Arkansas and Mississippi.
Teenage pregnancy
Teenage pregnancy rates in the United States have decreased in recent years. In 2017, there were around 31 teenage pregnancies per 1,000 women aged 15 to 19 years. This number was almost 118 per 1,000 women in the year 1990. It is believed that the causes of this decrease include more teens abstaining from sex and increased use of birth control among those teens who are sexually active.
Contraception use
The use of contraception among sexually active teens is vital in reducing the rates of teen pregnancy. However, in 2019, only 54 percent of sexually active teens reported they used a condom during their last sexual intercourse. Furthermore, only 35 percent of sexually active female high school students used a prescription contraceptive method during their last sexual intercourse. Access to contraception and taboos surrounding teen sexual activity remain barriers to contraceptive use among teens in many areas of the United States.
U.S. states with the highest teenage pregnancy rates in 2017
(per 1,000 women)
All rates are the number of events per 1,000 women aged 15–19; pregnancy rate includes estimated number of pregnancies ending in miscarriage or stillbirth.
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Guttmacher Institute. (March 2, 2021). U.S. states with the highest teenage pregnancy rates in 2017 (per 1,000 women) [Graph]. In Statista. Retrieved July 22, 2024, from https://www.statista.com/statistics/295891/pregnancy-rates-among-us-teenagers/
Guttmacher Institute. "U.S. states with the highest teenage pregnancy rates in 2017 (per 1,000 women)." Chart. March 2, 2021. Statista. Accessed July 22, 2024. https://www.statista.com/statistics/295891/pregnancy-rates-among-us-teenagers/
Guttmacher Institute. (2021). U.S. states with the highest teenage pregnancy rates in 2017 (per 1,000 women). Statista. Statista Inc.. Accessed: July 22, 2024. https://www.statista.com/statistics/295891/pregnancy-rates-among-us-teenagers/
Guttmacher Institute. "U.S. States with The Highest Teenage Pregnancy Rates in 2017 (per 1,000 Women)." Statista, Statista Inc., 2 Mar 2021, https://www.statista.com/statistics/295891/pregnancy-rates-among-us-teenagers/
Guttmacher Institute, U.S. states with the highest teenage pregnancy rates in 2017 (per 1,000 women) Statista, https://www.statista.com/statistics/295891/pregnancy-rates-among-us-teenagers/ (last visited July 22, 2024)
U.S. states with the highest teenage pregnancy rates in 2017 (per 1,000 women) [Graph], Guttmacher Institute, March 2, 2021. [Online]. Available: https://www.statista.com/statistics/295891/pregnancy-rates-among-us-teenagers/