Teens Dating & Sexuality Risk Factors for Teen Pregnancy By Amy Morin, LCSW Amy Morin, LCSW Facebook Twitter Amy Morin, LCSW, is the Editor-in-Chief of Verywell Mind. She's also a psychotherapist, international bestselling author and host of the The Verywell Mind Podcast. Learn about our editorial process Updated on January 05, 2021 Medically reviewed by Tosin Odunsi, MD, MPH Medically reviewed by Tosin Odunsi, MD, MPH LinkedIn Twitter Tosin Odunsi, MD, MPH, is a board-certified obstetrics and gynecology physician and founder of The Mentorship Squad to promote diversity in medicine, a community of Black and Latinx women seeking mentorship along their journey to becoming U.S. physicians. Learn about our Medical Review Board Print Kikor / Blend Images / Getty Images Table of Contents View All Table of Contents Individual Risk Factors Social Risk Factors Family Risk Factors Preventing Teen Pregnancy Teen pregnancy has declined in the United States. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reports that teen pregnancy is at an historic low in the U.S., but the reason isn't exactly clear. Some experts suspect that teens today are delaying or reducing their sexual activity. Others believe that teens are becoming more educated about birth control methods and being more proactive about preventing pregnancy. That said, teen pregnancy does still happen. Although most parents would like to think their teen would never have unprotected sex, teen pregnancy can happen in any family. However, there are certain risk factors that make some teens more likely to become pregnant. As a parent, educating yourself about risk factors can help you support your teen and mitigate the risks. Individual Risk Factors Experiencing any of the following may put a teen at a higher risk of becoming pregnant: Ambivalence about having a child Being the victim of sexual abuse Drug and alcohol use Having sex at a young age Lack of goals for the future Lack of knowledge about sex or contraception Low self-esteem Negative attitude towards using contraception Poor school performance Social Risk Factors A teen's friends often play a significant role in their decision to pursue a romantic relationship and become sexually active. Some social risk factors for teen pregnancy include: Dating at an early age Dating older people Friends who are sexually active Poor peer relationships Pressure from peers to have sex Family Risk Factors You can't control everything about your family, but you can address some of the risk factors that might be present within it. Family risk factors that can increase a teen's risk of pregnancy include: Family history of teenage pregnancies Limited communication between parents and teenNegative family interactionsPoor parental supervisionSignificant unresolved conflict between family membersSingle-parent families Preventing Teen Pregnancy While you can't get rid of all the possible risk factors facing your teen, you can take steps to reduce the likelihood that they will become a parent during their teenage years. Research shows that the most important thing you can do as a parent is talk to your teen about sex. Ensure that your teen has the facts about preventing an unplanned pregnancy. Whether your message is one of abstinence or delaying sex until the right time, make sure that you talk to your teen about birth control. Talk to Your Teen Ongoing conversations about sex are imperative. Most parents think it won't happen in their family, but assuming that your teen isn't having sex or that they are not interested in romantic relationships could increase their risk of teen pregnancy. Talk with your teen about your values and your expectations. If you make it clear that you disapprove of sex during high school, it is possible that your teen might be less likely to become sexually active. It can also be beneficial to make it clear that your teen can come to you with any questions or concerns they have to help prevent your teen from feeling like they have to hide things from you. Provide Accurate Information Hold open discussions and allow your teen to ask questions. This can help ensure that they are well-informed. While they can be informative, don't depend solely on the sex education programs in your teen's school to teach them everything they need to know about pregnancy and sex. Parental support is imperative when it comes to discussing things like effective birth control and sexually transmitted diseases. Many teens still believe common myths like, "I can't get pregnant the first time I have sex." Additional Considerations Establish rules about dating that are meant to keep your teen safe. Make sure your teen is well-supervised. That doesn't mean that you need to chaperone their dates, but you should enforce rules that limit your teen's opportunities to engage in sexual activity. Keep in mind that technology has changed relationships and romance for teens and adults. Teens spend hours texting and sharing photos online, which can give them a feeling of closeness to someone—even if they do not necessarily spend a lot of in-person time with them. Most of all, help your teen become a well-rounded individual. Teens with lots of interests, activities, and goals are typically less likely to become sexually active at an early age. Finally, when you take them for their annual wellness appointments, give your teen the chance to speak with their doctor alone. Sometimes, teens who feel hesitant to ask their parents about sex or contraception are more comfortable discussing these topics with a medical professional, counselor, or another trusted adult. Tips for Discussing Sex With Your Teen 9 Sources Verywell Family uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read our editorial process to learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy. Martin JA, Hamilton BE, Osterman MJK. Births in the United States, 2017, National Center for Health Statistics. McCracken KA, Loveless M. Teen pregnancy: an update. Curr Opin Obstet Gynecol. 2014;26(5):355-359. doi:10.1097/GCO.0000000000000102 Charlton BM, Roberts AL, Rosario M, et al. Teen pregnancy risk factors among young women of diverse sexual orientations. Pediatrics. 2018;141(4):e20172278. doi:10.1542/peds.2017-2278 US Department of Health and Human Services, Office of Population Affairs, Office of Adolescent Health. Reproductive health: tips for parents of teens. Hadley A. Teenage pregnancy: strategies for prevention. Obstet Gynaecol Reprod Med. 2018;28(4):99-104. doi:10.1016/j.ogrm.2018.02.003 Childs GD, Knight C, White R. Never-pregnant African American adolescent girls' perceptions of adolescent pregnancy. J Pediatr Nurs. 2015;30(2):310–320. doi:10.1016/j.pedn.2014.08.012 American Academy of Pediatrics. Adolescent sexuality: Talk the talk before they walk the walk. Carr JB, Packham A. The effects of state-mandated abstinence-based sex education on teen health outcomes. Health Econ. 2017;26(4):403-420. doi: 10.1002/hec.3315. American Academy of Pediatrics. Preventing unplanned parenthood. By Amy Morin, LCSW Amy Morin, LCSW, is the Editor-in-Chief of Verywell Mind. She's also a psychotherapist, an international bestselling author of books on mental strength and host of The Verywell Mind Podcast. She delivered one of the most popular TEDx talks of all time. See Our Editorial Process Meet Our Review Board Share Feedback Was this page helpful? Thanks for your feedback! What is your feedback? Other Helpful Report an Error Submit