Boys and Girls Club 2008 Teen Pregnancy Prevention Application

Fresno Barrios Unidos 2008 Teen Pregnancy Prevention Application

2010 Teen Births Report

This research is an annual update the teen birth rates in California. 

• Although teen mothers who stay in school are just as likely to graduate as non-mothers, those who drop out before or shortly after childbirth are only half as likely to return to school and graduate as are non-mother dropouts. (p.2)
• Pregnant teens are most likely to smoke during pregnancy. Smoking among pregnant and parenting teens appears to be highly related to pregnancy and early parenting related stress, and it is especially resistant to successful cessation. Even teen mothers who successfully quit smoking during pregnancy tend to relapse immediately or shortly after birth. (p. 3)
• [In 2008], the current annual net costs to taxpayers of births to teen mothers in California are estimated to be $1.7 billion, and current annual total net costs to society run $3.8 billion. (p. 3)

The Fog Zone

This research is based on a nationally representative survey of 1,800 unmarried young adults aged 18-29 and is the first of its kind to focus in-depth on the attitudes and behavior of unmarried young adults—both men and women— regarding pregnancy planning, contraception, and related issues. 

The findings are contained in this report and include 20-somethings':

• basic knowledge about and attitudes toward contraception,
• motivation to use contraception carefully and consistently, and
• attitudes and aspirations about relationships and forming families.

Teen Births in California

The Maternal, Child and Adolescent Health program, the Office of Family Planning, and the University of California at San Francisco are pleased to announce the release of Teen Births in California: A Resource for Planning and Policy. The resource shows California teen birth rates, differences by race and ethnicity, and comparisons at the Medical Service Study Area (MSSA) level. MSSAs, are subcounty areas comprised of contiguous census tracts that do not cross county boundaries. The main purpose of this resource is to identify locations in California with higher or lower teen birth rates based on births in 2004/2005 as well as comparing changes in teen birth rates from 2000/2001 to 2004/2005. Included are maps by county and MSSA displaying overall teen birth rates and rates by race and ethnicity. Also included are tables organized alphabetically by county and MSSA community/place name and number. Presenting the data geographically by race and ethnicity, and in table form, will assist the targeting of teen pregnancy-related and teen birth-related programs. Major funding for this effort was provided by Title V Maternal and Child Health Block Grant.

Adolescent Pregnancy and Childbearing in California

• Poor and low-income teens account for 83% of teens who give birth and 85% of those who become an unmarried parent. (p. 10)
• An estimated 50% to 60% of parenting teens have been sexually abused, compared to 25% to 30% national rate for never-pregnant teens. ( p. 16)
• Children of parents with low educational attainment, occupation, and income are more likely to have sex at an early age, not use contraception consistently, and become pregnant or cause a pregnancy. (p. 17)
• A second pregnancy is more likely for teens living apart from their parents, being below grade level, having dropped out of school, or growing up in a disadvantaged neighborhood where early parenting gives adult status rather than lost opportunity. (p. 23)
• Nearly 80% of fathers of children born to teen mothers do not marry the mothers and only one out of five teen mothers receive any financial support from their child's father. (pp. 23-26)

Maternity Before Maturity: Teen Birth Rates in California

• Fathers of children born to teens are on average almost four years older than the mothers, and a majority is over the age of 21. (p. 5)
• In 1997, one of every four children born to a teen mother had a father who met one of three criminal categories for statutory rape. (p. 5)

Other Resources

State Innovation in Medicaid FP Expansions
California School Age Families Education Program Report to the Legislature
California Department of Public Health Teen Pregnancy Prevention
Teen Pregnancy & Sexually Transmitted Infections

Contact

Organizations interested in teen pregnancy prevention are encouraged to become a part of the Regional Collaborative as they are an excellent resource for experienced practitioners and local, state and national information. Please contact Deborah Wigely, Representative for the Central Valley Regional TPP Collaborative.