“Early out-of-wedlock childbearing greatly compounds the problem [of poverty].”

—Isabel V. Sawhill

“Existing poverty, alcohol and drug abuse, disrupted families, and violence are the breeding ground for young people who are at greater risk for early sexual activity and too-early parenting.”

—Sheila Beachum-Bilby

According to the Alan Guttmacher Institute (AGI), a nonprofit agency that focuses on sexual and reproductive health research, policy analysis, and public education, teenage pregnancy has adverse consequences for the parents, the child, and society. Pregnant teens are less likely to complete high school and attend college than teenagers who avoid pregnancy. Many teenage parents live below the poverty level and rely on welfare. The children of teenage parents receive inadequate medical care, have more problems in school, and spend more time in prison than children of adult parents. The National Campaign to Prevent Teen Pregnancy (NCPTP) claims that...