Effects of Teen Pregnancy in the United States Have you experienced a teen pregnancy or know someone who has? Approximately one million teenagers between the ages of 15 and 19 become pregnant in the United States each year. This translates into 40% of women becoming pregnant before reaching age 20 (Newsweek. May 11, 1998: 40). The issue came into its own in society during the 1950s and early 1960s, when rates of early motherhood among teenagers reached historic highs. Faced with a social dilemma, adolescents often prepare early for motherhood. There are many reasons why teenagers between the ages of 15 and 19 get pregnant. Some cases; want to have a baby, the social environment, internal relationships, emotions, inconsistent use of birth control, if at all, and the absence of the father figure are just a few scenarios. Sexually active teenagers tend to get pregnant unintentionally due to lack of education about sexual activity. Some girls believe that society and peer pressure are the result of sex. However, there are many government programs that fund and are committed to helping adolescents receive education about sexual activity and how to protect themselves if sexually active. Most governments focus on abstinence only, so not all schools can teach sex education, which means teens don't receive adequate information about birth control and are more than likely to engage in activities that ultimately lead to early pregnancy. Teens will use birth control to help prevent teen pregnancies, but most of them don't use contraceptives consistently. Teens who wish not to use birth control are at greater risk of teen pregnancy. A sexually active teenager who does not use any birth control has a 90% chance of becoming pregnant within a year (Teen Help, 2014). The reason why birth control is not used consecutively may include lack of birth control education, discomfort or embarrassment in using birth control, or even inability to access a reliable source for birth control. births. Because of cultural differences, Hispanics and blacks have the highest rates of teen pregnancy. The United States has the highest rates of teen pregnancies, births and abortions in the world. Nearly one million teenage girls become pregnant every year. Nearly four in 10 young women become pregnant at least once before turning 20. Each year the federal government alone spends approximately $40 billion to help families who started with teenage births (Flinn, Hauser; 1998).