If you’re a pregnant teenager, you might think that you’re alone, that outside of TV shows, this doesn’t happen very often IRL.
The truth is you are not the only teenager to ever get pregnant. In Texas, tens of thousands of women have unplanned pregnancies each year. In fact, a baby was born to a teen mom every 18 minutes in 2016.
You might wonder why you should care about other pregnant teenagers; they don’t have your parents or live your life. This is true, but you’ll likely find that you have something in common with other pregnant teens. And, since teen pregnancy is pretty common, there’s already a great system in place to help you on your journey.
Read on to learn more about the Texas teen pregnancy rate and other important statistics.
Texas Has One of the Highest Teen Birth Rates in the Nation
The teen birth rate signifies the number of teens who give birth each year. According to the CDC, Texas has a teen birth rate of 25.3. In other words, for every 1,000 girls aged 15-19 in Texas, 25.3 will give birth. This places Texas at number seven among the top 10 states with the highest teen birth rates.
On top of this, Texas ranked number one for repeat births among teens in 2016. This means that among women aged 15-19 giving birth, more than 19% already have at least one child.
Texas Teens Are More Sexually Active Than Other Teens
The high texas teen pregnancy rate is due to the fact that teens in Texas tend to be more sexually active on average than teens in many other states.
The 2019 Youth Risk Behavior Survey found that 42.7% of Texas teens had engaged in sexual intercourse at least once. In addition to this, 29.3% of teens in Texas reported being currently sexually active. While many teens are sexually active, not many utilize proper birth control. Over 50% of teens that are sexually active report not using a condom the last time they had sex.
The high levels of sexual activity among young people and the lack of proper birth control plays a role in the number of unexpected pregnancies in the state.
Lack of Proper Education Leads to High Texas Teen Pregnancy Rates
Another contributor to teen pregnancy in Texas is the lack of knowledge that teens have around sexual intercourse and the possible consequences. In Texas, more than 50% of high schools teach abstinence-only sex education. That means that they tell you that the best way to avoid pregnancy is not to have sex.
Another 25% of schools don’t teach sex education at all. According to a recent study, approximately 75% of teen pregnancies are unintended. You should understand that, if your pregnancy is unplanned, you are not alone and that there are resources available to figure out if parenting is right for you.
Teen Pregnancy Is More Common Among Minorities
It’s common for parents to believe that certain issues don’t affect their culture or community. The truth is that teenagers throughout Texas become pregnant every year.
The largest percentage of Texas teens to get pregnant each year are Hispanic (34.4%) and come from places near the Mexico border. African American girls represent 26.7% of teen pregnancies and whites comprise 14.6%. These figures are rounded out by Native Americans at 12.6% and Asians at 3%.
Teenagers living in rural areas, those in foster care and those living in poverty are more likely to become pregnant as teens. But it’s important to remember that pregnancy doesn’t understand differences in ethnicity, education, culture, etc.
You are Not a Statistic
No matter where you are on your pregnancy journey, Texas Adoption Center can help you.
Our caring counselors will support you as you make the best decisions for you and the child growing inside you. Though this may be the first time you have faced this challenging situation, Texas Adoption Center has helped thousands of teens that have been in your position.
Find out more about the Texas Adoption Center and get in touch with a specialist here. Get the help and support you need today.
