Evidence suggests teen pregnancy significantly increases the risk of repeat pregnancy and of contracting a sexually transmitted infection (STI), both of which can result in adverse health outcomes for mothers, children, families, and communities. A systematic review of the sexual risk among pregnant and mothering teens concludes that pregnancy is a marker for current and future sexual risk behavior and adverse outcomes. Pregnant teens are more likely than older women to receive late or no prenatal care, and experience eclampsia, puerperal endometritis, systemic infections, low birthweight, preterm delivery, and severe neonatal conditions. Pre-term delivery and low birthweight babies have increased risk of child developmental delay, illness, and mortality. Additionally, there are strong ties between teen birth and poor socioeconomic, behavioral, and mental outcomes. Teenage women who bear a child are much less likely to achieve an education level at or beyond high school, much more likely to be overweight/obese in adulthood, and more likely to experience depression and psychological distress.

For more information, please visit the Teen Births for Cabarrus County Page on the Robert Wood Johnson County Health Rankings.

Teen Births is the number of births to females ages 15-19 per 1,000 females in a county. Rates measure the number of events (e.g., deaths, births, etc.) in a given time period (generally one or more years) divided by the average number of people at risk during that period. Rates help us compare health data across counties with different population sizes.

To learn more about the Measure Methods, please visit the Teen Births for Cabarrus County, Measure Methods Section, on the Robert Wood Johnson County Health Rankings Website.