research: why do teens get pregnant?

In Minnesota, pregnancy and birth rates among youth of color are as much as four to five times higher than white teens in the same geographic area.

The lives of teen parents are dominated by risk. Teens who have babies are:

• Less likely to become financially self-sufficient
• More likely to live in poverty
• Less likely to finish high school or go on to college

Research shows that peer relationships create both protective and risk factors. Teens continually and mutually influence each other, in both positive and negative ways.

From their income level to their attitudes about sex and contraception, parents make a difference in the lives of their children.

The environment created by neighborhoods and schools, families and extended families, even the state in which they live, has a strong influence on the lives of teens. All of these social spheres have the opportunity to provide youth with a sense of community or connections that make a difference in their lives.

Given the complex environment in which teens live, it is not surprising that many factors in their lives - both positive and negative - are linked to teen pregnancy. Researchers generally examine these in terms of "risk" and "protective" factors.