[20200513]IF10877_联邦青少年怀孕预防计划.pdf

https:/crsreports.congress.gov Updated May 13, 2020Federal Teen Pregnancy Prevention ProgramsBackground The U.S. teen birth rateor the number of births per 1,000 females aged 15 to 19 each yearhas steadily declined since the early 1990s. The rate decreased by 72% from the most recent high of 61.8 (in 1991) to the most recent low of 17.4 (in 2018, the most recent data available). Researchers suggest that multiple factors have influenced this decline, and that there is not necessarily a definitive single reason for it. Such factors may include decreasing teen sexual activity, particularly among younger teens, and increasing use of contraceptives among sexually active teens. Despite the downward trend in births among teenagers, Congress continues to be interested in the issue of teen birth because of its high costs. Teen parents tend to have less education and are more likely to live in poverty than peers who are not teen parents. Children of teenage mothers are more likely to have poorer educational and other outcomes than children of mothers who delay childbearing. Teen childbearing can have larger societal impacts, such as costs related to public sector health care and lost tax re