Get Informed

Get informed about topics important to you as a teen.

Learn about important topics to open up a discussion with your teen.

Not So Fun Facts

Seventy-five percent of teen pregnancies are unplanned; they account for about one-fifth of all unintended pregnancies annually. (1)
The teen pregnancy rate has been dropping over the years, reaching a historic low in 2016 of 20.3 per 1,000 women aged 15–19. (2)
~6% of all births in the US are to teenage mothers. (1)
Nearly 1 in 4 female teens at risk for unintended pregnancy (18%) were not using any contraceptive method at last intercourse (1)
In 2010, 60% of pregnancies among 15–19-year-olds ended in a birth, 26% in abortion, and the rest end in miscarriage. The most common reasons given for having an abortion were (1):
- -fear of how a baby would change their life
- -inability to afford a baby
- -feeling too immature to raise a child
Teenage mothers are less likely to finish high school and are more likely to live in poverty, depend on public assistance, and be in poor health than slightly older mothers. (3)
A sexually active teen who does not use contraceptives has a 90% chance of becoming pregnant within a year.
Although 15–24-year-olds represent only one-quarter of the sexually active population, they account for nearly half (9.7 million) of the new cases of sexually transmitted infections each year.(4)

Alcohol contributes to 100,000 deaths/year, including nearly 2 out of 5 traffic deaths. (5)
63.2% of of high-school students had had at least one drink of alcohol on at least 1 day during their life and 32.8% have used alcohol in the last 30 days. (6)
23.8% of students had drunk alcohol (other than a few sips) for the first time before age 13 years. (6)
According to a national survey, nearly 17.7% of all high school students reported hazardous drinking (5+ drinks in one setting). (6)
Girls are as likely as boys their age to drink alcohol
35.6% of high-school students have used marijuana one or more times during their life. (6)
6.8% of students had tried marijuana for the first time before age 13 years. (6)
6.2% of students had sniffed glue, breathed the contents of aerosol spray cans, or inhaled any paints or sprays to get high one or more times during their life. (6)

15% women will be stalked during her lifetime (7)
15.2% of girls and 4.3% of boys were forced to do sexual things they did not want to do at some time in the last 12 month.(8)
22% of female and 15% of male victims experienced intimate partner violence before age 18. (9)

14.8% of high school students are overweight. (10)
15.4% students do not participate in at least 60 minutes of physical activity on any day (10)

One in 5 teens have engaged in sexting (11)
In a study of persons under 18 noted 14.8 percent had sent sexts, 27.4 percent had received them, 12 percent had forwarded a sext without consent, and 8.4 percent had had it happen to them. (12)
59% of U.S. teens have been bullied or harassed online (13)