April 1997

Is Teen Pregnancy an Important Problem?

Most Americans believe that teenage pregnancy is both a serious problem and a symptom of greater societal ills. A 1995 survey by the firm DYG SCAN found that 87 percent of the public fear that something is fundamentally wrong with America's moral condition (up from 76 percent a year ago). When asked what signs of moral decline trouble them the most, the threat to family cohesiveness is named above all others (90 percent). The number one symptom of erosion in family cohesiveness is the spread of teenage pregnancy (79 percent), followed by the growing number of children born out-of-wedlock. In other words, many more people are troubled by teenage pregnancy than by the spread of illegitimacy per se.(1)

Reflecting these beliefs, 52 percent of adults in a 1996 Time/CNN/Yankelovich Partners Poll said they thought providing information and assistance to teens about how to prevent unwanted pregnancies should be one of the highest priorities for government programs designed to help the nation's children.(2)

Data from the middle to late 1980s also indicate that Americans' concern about teen pregnancy is high and that most perceived that the problem was getting worse. For example:

• In a 1987 USA Today poll, adults were asked how important specific problems, including "the growth in teenage pregnancies," were. Seventy-two percent said the increase in teen pregnancy was very important and 21 percent said it was somewhat important.(3)
• In a 1988 Planned Parenthood poll, adults were asked if the number of teen pregnancies in the United States was a serious problem. Ninety-five percent of the public said that it was. In 1985, eighty-four percent said that it was. Sixty-two percent of adults in the survey said that the problem was getting worse.(4)

Teenagers agree that teen pregnancy is an important problem. For example:

• In a 1996 Kaiser Family Foundation survey, 69 percent of teens reported that they think the number of unplanned pregnancies among teenagers is a big problem, another 27 percent said it is somewhat of a problem, and only 4 percent said it was not a problem.(5)
• In a recent PARADE survey of 720 girls aged 12 to 19, 66 percent of the girls said pregnancy among unmarried teens was a problem in their community. And 87 percent said more had to be done to prevent teen pregnancy.(6)

A 1993 survey by the Opinion Research Corporation, found that about one-third of young people, like adults, think sex before marriage is always a mistake. Teenagers rarely think premarital sex is immoral; rather they believe young people should abstain from sex because of the risk of getting AIDS or becoming pregnant.(7)

A recent survey of more than 250,000 college freshman around the country found that support for casual sex is declining among both sexes. In 1996, 41.6 percent of college freshman agreed with the statement, "if two people like each other, its all right for them to have sex, even if they've known each other for a very short time," compared with 42.7 percent in 1995 and a high of 51.9 percent in 1987.(8)

A similar study by UCLA and the American Council on Education reported a gender gap in young people's attitudes about casual sex: only 31.9 percent of women versus 53.8 percent of men agree that "if two people really like each other, its all right for them to have sex, even if they've known each other only a very short time."(9)

A survey of 1,000 American teens by seventeen magazine and the Ms. Foundation for Women also found evidence of a gender gap when it comes to attitudes about dating and sex:(10)

• Most of the girls and a majority of the boys who are sexually active wish they had waited. Eight in ten girls (81 percent) and six in ten boys (61 percent) say they wish they had waited until they were older to have sex.
• The majority of boys and girls agree that when it comes to sex, the most common reason to have it is because the boys--not girls--want it: 76 percent of girls and 58 percent of boys report that girls have sex because their boyfriends want them to.
• Almost three-quarters of boys (69 percent) who have had sex say that a girl had asked them to use a condom. Twenty-three percent of girls who are sexually active say they have had sex with someone who refused to wear a condom.
• Girls with more self-confidence are less likely to have had unsafe sex. Three out of 10 girls (30 percent) who say they would change some aspect of their lives for a boy -- for instance, their interests or their friends -- has had unsafe sex. In comparison, only 19 percent of girls who say they would not change themselves for a boyfriend have had unsafe sex.

In a 1996 Kaiser Family Foundation survey, teens were asked about the reasons teenagers have unplanned pregnancies:(11)

• Sixty-two percent said that teens don't think they'll get pregnant;
• Fifty-five percent said "teenagers have sex when they are drunk or on drugs;"
• Forty-six percent said that "teenagers don't have birth control with them when they want to have sex;"
• Forty-two percent said that "boys don't like to use birth control." However, 31 percent also said that "girls don't like to use birth control" was "hardly ever" a reason that teens have unplanned pregnancies.
• Forty-one percent of teens said that it's "hardly ever" the case that "it's too hard to get birth control that works and is easy to use."

According to the PARADE survey, a number of factors may play a role in whether a teenage girl has sex and becomes pregnant:(12)

• Sixty-six percent of girls surveyed said having parents who didn't give enough love and attention or having parents who didn't teach morals increased the likelihood of teen pregnancy.
• Sixty percent of those surveyed said that not knowing about contraceptives or the facts of life was a major risk factor. Only 45 percent thought that most teens knew how to use contraception correctly. And while 80 percent of the girls said that contraceptives were easy to get, 70 percent said it was embarrassing to buy condoms and uncomfortable to ask a doctor about birth control.
• Thirty-six percent said teens might get pregnant "to feel needed and/or loved unconditionally;" 27 percent said that a girl might want "someone to love and care for or call her own;" and 24 percent said that a teen might get pregnant to keep or get back at a boyfriend.
• Eighty-five percent of girls identified drinking as a major factor leading to sex.
• Eighty-three percent of those surveyed said that girls engage in sex because boys pressure them or they think they will lose their boyfriends if they don't have sex. Most (59 percent) didn't see these as good reasons to have sex, but 59 percent also said being in love was a good reason.
• Ninety-one percent of girls rated their mothers and 76 percent rated their fathers as "very" or "somewhat influential" in deciding whether to have sex. Eighty-five percent of girls also saw female friends as significant influences in deciding whether to have sex, 86 percent said boys pressured other boys to be sexually active, and 70 percent said girls felt pressured into sex by other girls.
• More than half of those surveyed by PARADE said movies (57 percent) and television (55 percent) influenced teens to have sex before they were ready; 44 percent said music had a similar effect.

Many adults believe the media plays a role in teen pregnancy:

• In a 1996 U.S. News & World Report poll, a majority of those surveyed said that entertainment programs on television contributed to the problem of teen pregnancy. Specifically, forty-six percent said they have a large impact, 30 percent said they have some impact, 14 percent said they have little impact and nine percent said they have no impact.(13)
• Similarly, in a 1987 Planned Parenthood poll, 66 percent of the public agreed with the statement "there is so much sex and talk about sex on television that it's not surprising so many teenagers get pregnant." Seventy-eight percent of adults in the same poll agreed with the statement "what children and young people see on television influences how they behave." And 76 percent agreed that "If young people saw that the TV stars they admire use birth control they would be more likely to do so themselves."(14)

In a 1988 survey conducted for the Joint Center for Political and Economic Studies, respondents were asked about the reasons why teenage girls have babies. Seventy-eight percent of whites and 70 percent of African-Americans reported that lack of communication between a girl and her parents is often a reason teenage girls have babies. A majority of whites and African-Americans also mentioned insufficient knowledge of contraception (68 and 54 percent respectively), lack of parental supervision (65 and 59 percent respectively) and lack of goals for school or work (64 and 59 percent respectively).(15)

How Should Teen Pregnancy Be Prevented?

Ninety-seven percent of girls surveyed by PARADE said "having parents they could talk to" could help prevent pregnancies among unmarried teens; 93 percent said "having loving parents" reduced the risk.(16) Other findings include:

Ninety-six percent of those surveyed said that "having self-respect" and "being informed about sex, pregnancy and birth control" are critical to preventing pregnancy.

Ninety-six percent also said the most influential deterrent was "being aware of the responsibility of caring for a child."

Ninety-three percent of the girls said that knowing how condoms were used and being satisfied with life would prevent teen pregnancies.

Ninety-one percent cited carefully choosing boyfriends and always using contraceptives.

Fifty-two percent of the girls, particularly those aged 12 to 15, said teens could reduce the risk of pregnancy by not going out with older men.

A majority of parents seem to feel they can help their teenagers avoid pregnancy:

In a 1991 National Commission on Children survey, 71 percent of parents of girls aged 14-17 and 62 percent of parents of boys aged 14-17 said they thought they could do a lot to help their children avoid pregnancy. Even more parents indicated that they felt they could help their children avoid drug use (81 percent) and alcohol use (79 percent).(17)

In a 1985 Planned Parenthood survey, 35 percent of adults said communication/education was the most important thing that parents should do to help prevent their teenage children from either becoming pregnant or causing pregnancy. Other things the public suggested parents should do included: explain birth control/contraceptive methods (17 percent); explain the risks/consequences of sex/pregnancy (13 percent), and set a good example/teach good values (12 percent).(18)

Adults have mixed feelings about the effectiveness of public schools in reducing teen sexual activity and pregnancy:

In a 1985 Planned Parenthood poll, 54 percent of adults said eliminating sex education in schools would lead to more teen pregnancies, 29 percent said it would have no effect on teen pregnancies and 16 percent said it would lead to fewer teen pregnancies.(19)

In a 1986 Parents magazine survey, 40 percent of those surveyed said that sex education in public schools is effective in reducing teen pregnancy but not teen sexual activity.(20)

In a 1988 Phi Delta Kappa study, however, only 5 percent of adults said they had a great deal of confidence in the ability of their local public schools to deal with teen pregnancy. Thirty percent had a fair amount of confidence, 36 percent did not have very much confidence, and 17 percent had no confidence in the ability of their public schools to deal with teen pregnancy.(21)

Conclusion

A review of polling data about what teenagers and adults think about teenage pregnancy results in some consistent themes. Specifically, most Americans (teens and adults) think teenage pregnancy is a serious problem that must be addressed. The attitudes of teens and young adults toward premarital and casual sex have become more conservative -- most likely due to increased fear of unwanted pregnancy, sexually transmitted diseases, and especially AIDS. At the same time, a gender gap exists between the attitudes of young men and women about sex: more men than women believe that casual sex is acceptable, and most girls and boys agree that girls have sex because the boys want it.

Peers of both sexes are very influential in a teen's decision to have sex. A large majority of girls say that they were pressured by boys and other girls to be sexually active. Many were afraid they would lose their boyfriends if they did not have sex.

Both teens and adults believe good communication between parents and children can help prevent teen pregnancy. Mnay say that having parents who don't give enough love, attention, and supervision or don't teach morals increases the likelihood of teen pregnancy. Both teens and adults believe that the media plays a role in teen pregnancy.

Endnotes

1. Yankelovich, Daniel, "The Public's Views About the Current 'Moral Crisis,'" DYG SCANSM Annual Tracking Study, May 12, 1995.
2. Princeton Survey Research Associates for the National Campaign to Prevent Teen Pregnancy, "A Review of Public Opinion About Teen Pregnancy," September, 1996.
3. Ibid.
4. Ibid.
5. Ibid.
6. Chassler, Sey, "Teenage Girls Talk About Pregnancy." PARADE. New York: PARADE Publications, February 2, 1997.
7. Sex and America's Teenagers. The Alan Guttmacher Institute. New York: Alan Guttmacher Institute, 1994.
8. Sax, L.J., et al., The American Freshman: National Norms for Fall 1996, The Higher Education Research Institute, UCLA Graduate School of Education & Information Studies, 1996.
9. Astin, Alexander W., et al. The American Freshman: Thirty Year Trends. The Higher Education Research Institute, UCLA Graduate School of Education & Information Studies, February, 1997.
10. EDK Associates for seventeen magazine and the Ms. Foundation for Women, Teenagers Under Pressure, 1996.
11. Princeton Survey Research Associates for the National Campaign to Prevent Teen Pregnancy, "A Review of Public Opinion About Teen Pregnancy," September, 1996.
12. Chassler, Sey, "Teenage Girls Talk About Pregnancy." PARADE. New York: PARADE Publications, February 2, 1997.
13. Princeton Survey Research Associates for the National Campaign to Prevent Teen Pregnancy, "A Review of Public Opinion About Teen Pregnancy," September, 1996.
14. Ibid.
15. Ibid.
16. Chassler, Sey, "Teenage Girls Talk About Pregnancy." PARADE. New York: PARADE Publications, February 2, 1997.
17. Princeton Survey Research Associates for the National Campaign to Prevent Teen Pregnancy, "A Review of Public Opinion About Teen Pregnancy," September, 1996.
18. Ibid.
19. Ibid.
20. Ibid.
21. Ibid.