Teen pregnancy has become a growing epidemic in today's society and is a very frequently spoken about topic amongst adolescents and adults alike. "Teen Mom " and "The Secret Life of the American Teenager " are examples of common TV shows focusing on teen pregnancy, typically watched by viewers from age 12 to 34. The age of viewers also tends to be very similar the range of age when females are most likely to become pregnant which are the ages 18-35. Four in ten girls become pregnant at least once before the age of 20, which amounts to over 750,00 teen pregnancies each year in the US alone (Guttmacher Institute 3). In order to lower the amount of teen pregnancies sex education needs to be increased and strengthened in our countrys schools. School based sex education is an important and effective way in order to enhance young people's knowledge, attitudes and behavior towards the topic of sex. .
According to the Guttmacher Institute's Facts on American Teen's Sexual and Reproductive Health it is stated that 82 percent of teen pregnancies are unplanned, an astonishingly high percentage which accounts for around one fifth of the unplanned pregnancies each year. Also, the teen pregnancy rate in the US has increased by 3 percent for the first time in over 15 years. This 3 percent increase in 2005 and 2006 compared to how low it was in 1990 is visible on The National Campaign to Prevent Teen and Unplanned Pregnancy's Teen Pregnancy in the US's graph. The graph illustrates that the rate of teen pregnancies amongst Hispanic and African American teen girls ages 15-19 are double the rate of non-Hispanic white teenagers. .
Family structure affects teen pregnancy greatly and researches Domenico and Jones have found if a female has an unstable home life it is more common for them to become sexually active at a young age. Teenage girls who live in an unstable household are more likely to become sexually active in order to attempt to gain a sense of stability in their life.
