| Many parents have a good rapport with their | | | | pregnant are between the ages of 15 and 19. |
| children and feel that they are able to have | | | | In this same group, 1 in every 5 women will |
| open and frank discussions with their | | | | become pregnant as a result. Unintended |
| children. However, when it comes to sexual | | | | pregnancies make up 78% of all accounted teen |
| activity, many teenagers give out more | | | | pregnancies. These teen pregnancies also go |
| information about their own personal sexual | | | | on to make up 25% of all unintended |
| experiences on their MySpace page than they | | | | pregnancies each year. |
| will ever give to their parents. | | | | |
| | | | Every year, almost one million teenagers get |
| So when it comes to understanding the | | | | pregnant. Not surprisingly there are more |
| realities their teenagers' experience, it | | | | than 500,000 births. |
| often turns out to be very different from | | | | |
| what the parents might have expected. For | | | | Due to their age and hormone levels, teenage |
| parents interested in knowing more about the | | | | girls are especially fertile. As a result, |
| type of online environment their teenagers | | | | some experts state that a teenage girl has a |
| actually live in, specifically when it comes | | | | 90% of becoming pregnant within one year - |
| to teen sex, knowing some vital statistics | | | | regardless of the frequency of the sexual |
| can help them become more proactive in their | | | | activity - if she uses no pregnancy or birth |
| attempts to both connect and assist their | | | | control methods. |
| child in overcoming peer pressure. | | | | |
| | | | The other side of the coin is just as dismal |
| Many of the teens that do participate in | | | | when it comes to teenage boys acting as |
| premarital sex are those that have both self | | | | fathers. Statistically, the majority of teen |
| esteem and peer pressure issues. In many | | | | age fathers leave when they find out that |
| cases, teenagers hope these types of | | | | their girlfriend is pregnant. |
| activities will aid them when it comes to | | | | |
| social networking, only to be disappointed | | | | And 78% of teenage pregnancies occur between |
| when their pre-marital activities actually | | | | unmarried couples. When compared to teenage |
| causes even lower self esteem and negative | | | | mothers, the fathers of the babies are in |
| peer approval. | | | | most cases older than the mother by 1-5 |
| | | | years. In fact, 20% of the fathers are 5 |
| Here are some recent statistics that will | | | | years or older when compared to the mother of |
| help to illustrate the prevalence of teen sex | | | | the child. |
| sexual activity among the same age groups. | | | | |
| | | | Between 1990 and 1996, the number of |
| Some teenagers think that oral sex counts as | | | | abortions as a result unplanned pregnancy due |
| sex, while others do not think that | | | | to teenage premarital sexual activity |
| participating in oral sex will count against | | | | declined substantially. This was in part due |
| one's virginity or should count as a valid | | | | to easier access for teens to obtain |
| example of a sexual partner. | | | | prophylactic medication and devices such as |
| | | | birth control pills and condoms. |
| Every year, 10% of all women that become | | | | |