For Silvia, abortion was never an option, even though both of her parents would have supported it. Instead, she chose to have the baby and raised it with the support of her family and the baby's father. The relatively pleasant conclusion of Silvia's story, however, is misleading. They are also more likely to end up on welfare. A staggering 80 percent of unmarried teen mothers without high school diplomas depend on welfare payments, while only 8 percent of high school graduate teen mothers depend on welfare.
Children also suffer the consequences of teen births.
Most of the infants born to young mothers have lower birth weights and are less likely to do well in school. The sons of teenage mothers are 13 percent more likely to end up in prison, and the daughters of teenage mothers are 22 percent more likely to become teen mothers themselves. Worse yet, these children have a greater risk of abuse and neglect. The statistics of teenagers before motherhood, however, are just as discouraging. Seventy-five percent of girls and more than 50 percent of boys report that sexually active girls have sex because their boyfriends want them to.