Although data suggests a decline in the incidence of teenage pregnancy in both Canada and the United States in recent years, the rate is still high and personal and societal problems are still evident. Concerns regarding pregnancy rates have motivated individuals to place renewed effort into the development of competent interventions to reduce the prevalence of teenage pregnancy. There continues to be speculation regarding the reasons for high pregnancy rates among teenagers and which methods prove most effective in reducing these rates. Furthermore, researchers are looking into ways of helping teenage parents to better equip themselves financially and emotionally in order to be better parents. In an analysis of teenage pregnancy and teenage parenting, it is important to explore why teenagers have such a high rate of pregnancy, whether there are gender differences among teenage parents, which methods are most viable in preventing teenage pregnancy, and how society can help these parents to provide a stable home for their children. .
Although statistics have shown a favourable decline in teenage pregnancy cases over the last quarter century, the number of teenage women who become pregnant is still alarmingly high. It is important to note that teenage pregnancy rates are, for the majority, regarded as the "pregnancies of women aged 15 to 19 that end in either birth, abortion or miscarriage" (Dryburgh, 2003). Statistics Canada states that "in 1997, an estimated 42,162 pregnancies of women aged 15 to 19 ended in birth, abortion or miscarriage" (Dryburgh, 2003). This rate is noticeably lower than teenage pregnancy rates in 1994 that estimated 46,753 (Dryburgh, 2003). Teenage pregnancy rates in the United States saw an earlier decline than did Canada; however, "the US rate remains about double the Canadian rate" (Dryburgh, 2003). With reference to this age group, it is important to look at why teenagers are having unprotected sex.
