Teen Pregnancy Prevention Month

sonogram Teen pregnancy and childbearing is an issue of great concern in Mississippi, as the state ranks the highest in the nation for teen births. Further, sixty percent of Mississippi students (grades 9-12) have had sexual intercourse, compared to 48% nationally, and Mississippi youth tend to have a greater number, on average, of sexual partners, with 25% of Mississippi youth report having 4 or more sexual partners.

Teen pregnancy is often associated with numerous negative consequences for both teen mothers and their children (Hoffman, 2006). Compared to those who delay childbearing, teen mothers are:

More likely to drop out of school
Remain unmarried
Live in poverty

The children of teen mothers are more likely to:

Be born at low birth weight
Grow up poor
Live in single-parent households
Experience abuse and neglect
Enter the child welfare system
Daughters are more likely to become teen parents themselves, and sons of teen mothers are more likely to be incarcerated.

Teen Pregnancy Prevention Month

Upcoming Events:

For Teens:

For Parents:

For Educators and Youth Professionals:

Helpful Links: