Pregnancy

Over the past two years, approximately 4% of births in the United States were to adolescents aged 15–19. While there has been a steady decline in the adolescent birth rate over the past few decades, there is still a need to carefully examine behaviors that lead to pregnancy at this age and concomitant effects. The World Health Organization confirms that one of the leading causes of death for young women aged 15–19 years is complications during pregnancy and childbirth. This article discusses adolescent pregnancy, detailing current data, risk factors that lead to it, its effects on all aspects of adolescents' lives, medical management of pregnancy, and effective prevention strategies.