Teen pregnancy

May 13, 2009 -- The proportion of births to unmarried mothers in the United States has risen steeply over the past few decades, consistent with patterns in other countries, a report from CDC’s National Center for Health Statistics shows.

In March, CDC reported that about 4 in 10 births in the United States in 2007 were to unmarried mothers. While a great deal of focus has been placed on births to unmarried teens, 6 out of 10 births to women between the ages of 20 and 24 were among unmarried women in 2007.    » read more »

March 24, 2009 -- Planned Parenthood Federation of America (PPFA) applauded today’s ruling by the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of New York ordering the Federal Drug Administration (FDA) to expand access to emergency contraception (EC), also known as Plan B.

“Today’s federal court ruling puts women’s health ahead of politics,” said Cecile Richards, president of Planned Parenthood Federation of America. “We must do everything we can to reduce the number of unintended pregnancies and protect the health and safety of all women.”    » read more »

By Cecile Richards, President Of Planned Parenthood Federation Of America

March 19, 2009 -- “With nearly 750,000 teens getting pregnant every year, the United States is facing a teen pregnancy health care crisis. When something is broken, our country works to fix it. We must work together to fix this crisis and reduce unintended pregnancies.    » read more »

March 19, 2009 -- The birth rate for U.S. teens aged 15 to 19 increased by about 1 percent in 2007, from 41.9 births per 1,000 in 2006 to 42.5 in 2007, according to a report Printable PDF released today by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. This is the second year in a row that teen births have gone up. They increased 3 percent in 2006 following a 14-year decline.

Birth rates also increased for women in their 20s, 30s and early 40s, but remained unchanged for younger teens and pre-teens aged 10-14. Only Hispanic teens noted a decline in the birth rate, which fell 2 percent in 2007 to 81.7 births per 1,000.    » read more »

Lauds Appointment of Longtime Women’s Advocates Jarrett and Tchen

Washington, DC — Planned Parenthood Federation of America applauded President Barack Obama for signing an executive order today establishing a White House Council on Women and Girls under the leadership of longtime women’s advocates Valerie Jarrett and Tina Tchen.    » read more »

Washington, DC — Planned Parenthood Federation of America today applauded the passage of legislation to make birth control affordable again for millions of women who obtain contraceptives at community health centers and college clinics. The provision was included in the 2009 omnibus appropriations bill that passed the U.S. Senate today and the House of Representatives two weeks ago.

In 2005, Congress passed the Deficit Reduction Act, which tightened eligibility for nominally priced drugs. In doing so, Congress inadvertently cut off safety-net providers and every college and university health center from obtaining contraception at a low cost, and passing on those savings to their patients. As a result, women have been paying up to 10 times more each month for basic contraception.    » read more »

Includes Expanding Medicaid Family Planning Programs To Prevent Unintended Pregnancies and Strengthen Women's Health Care

Feb. 26, 2009 -- Planned Parenthood Federation of America (PPFA) applauds President Barack Obama for living up to his commitment to supporting women’s health and investing in commonsense proposals to expand family planning programs. President Obama’s 2010 budget includes a provision to expand family planning under Medicaid, which would help extend basic health care to millions more women. In addition, the president’s budget promotes “evidence-based” teen pregnancy prevention programs.    » read more »

September 1, 2008 -- ARLINGTON, VA -- Today, Sarah and Todd Palin issued the following statement regarding today's Reuters story:

"We have been blessed with five wonderful children who we love with all our heart and mean everything to us. Our beautiful daughter Bristol came to us with news that as parents we knew would make her grow up faster than we had ever planned. We're proud of Bristol's decision to have her baby and even prouder to become grandparents. As Bristol faces the responsibilities of adulthood, she knows she has our unconditional love and support.    » read more »

April 14, 2008 -- Pregnancy rates for females under age 25, including teenagers, in the United States declined in 2004 compared to 1990, according to a report released today by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

The report says nearly 38 percent of pregnancies in 2004 were to women under age 25, down from nearly 43 percent in 1990.

Pregnancy: Photo by mahalie (CC)

The proportion of pregnancies among teens under age 20 dropped from 15 percent in 1990 to 12 percent in 2004.    » read more »

December 19, 2007 -- New data showing a significant increase in the Montana teen birth rate for 2006 has drawn the attention of officials with the Montana Department of Public Health and Human Services (DPHHS).

The state birth rate increased 9 percent last year marking the biggest single year increase since 1990, Colleen Lindsay, supervisor for the Women’s and Men’s Health Section for DPHHS, said Wednesday. The previous high was a 3.4 percent increase in 2004. The 2007 figures won’t be available until next year.    » read more »

12/6/2007 -- "Today, the CDC National Center for Health Statistics announced that the teen birth rate has risen for the first time since 1991. Over the fourteen years preceding, the teen birth rate fell by 34 percent.    » read more »

A New Service Learning Program To Combat Teen Pregnancy And Increase Civic Engagement

December 6, 2007 -- Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg and Department of Youth and Community Development Commissioner Jeanne B. Mullgrav today announced the launch of Teen ACTION (Achieving Change Together In Our Neighborhoods), a new Center for Economic Opportunity (CEO) initiative aimed at reducing rates of teen pregnancy and other high-risk behavior among the City's low-income young adults.    » read more »