Overview
Teen Pregnancy
KNOW THE FACTS
Teen pregnancy can have serious consequences for girls and guys, including decreased chances of finishing school, a rocky financial future, and health risks for both the mother and the child. If you are thinking about having sex, it is important to know that the effects can last a lifetime.
- 2009 Map and County Specific
- Teen Pregnancy Age and Race
Does it sometimes seem like everyone your age is having sex? Do you know anyone at your school who is pregnant or has a baby? The United States still has the highest teen pregnancy rate of any western industrialized country.
So what does this mean for you? It means that, if you're a girl in this country, you have a 34% chance of becoming pregnant by the time you're 20.
You hear about teen pregnancy in movies, in the news, at school, and from your parents. You know it's not a good idea to have a baby when you're still a kid yourself, so why are so many teens still getting pregnant every year? And what can you do about it?
Sexually Transmitted Diseases and HIV/AIDS
Every year in South Carolina 1 in 4 sexually active teens acquires an STI (STD)
Teens under 19 accounted for
40% of the Chlamydia cases
27% of gonorrhea cases
4% of the HIV/AIDS cases reported in SC
In 2006 Aiken had:
552 new cases of Chlamydia
238 new cases of Gonorrhea
18 new cases of HIV
10 new cases of Syphilis
- 2008 South Carolina STD/HIV update
An interactive website created by the Kaiser Family Foundation offers teenagers information on pregnancy, contraception, and sexually transmitted diseases (STDs). It also offers tips on talking to partners or parents about sex. The STD section provides descriptions of HIV, chlamydia, and syphilis, listing the signs, symptoms and treatment possibilities.
