Many Teen Moms Surprised By Pregnancy
A new CDC study suggests a lot of teenage girls are clueless about their chances of getting pregnant. In a survey of thousands of teenage mothers who had unintended pregnancies, about a third said they didn’t use birth control because they didn’t believe they could get pregnant. CDC researchers interviewed nearly 5,000 teenage girls in 19 states who gave birth after unplanned pregnancies in 2004 through 2008. About half of the girls said they were not using any birth control when they got pregnant. Some of the teen moms were asked what kind of birth control they used: Nearly 20% said they used the pill or a birth control patch. Another 24% said they used condoms. Only 13% said they didn’t use birth control because they had trouble getting it. Nearly a quarter said they did not use contraception because their partner did not want them to.
A new CDC study suggests a lot of teenage girls are clueless about their chances of getting pregnant. In a survey of thousands of teenage mothers who had unintended pregnancies, about a third said they didn’t use birth control because they didn’t believe they could get pregnant. CDC researchers interviewed nearly 5,000 teenage girls in 19 states who gave birth after unplanned pregnancies in 2004 through 2008. About half of the girls said they were not using any birth control when they got pregnant. Some of the teen moms were asked what kind of birth control they used: Nearly 20% said they used the pill or a birth control patch. Another 24% said they used condoms. Only 13% said they didn’t use birth control because they had trouble getting it. Nearly a quarter said they did not use contraception because their partner did not want them to.
