Approximately four out of 10 girls had intercourse at age 13 or 14 and reported that it was either non-voluntary or unwanted 6 . Of these 43 percent reported they don't always use a contraceptive. Only 131 million dollars was spent on programs to prevent teen pregnancy 10 . Although teen pregnancy rates are declining, the problems most associated with it remain. Teen mothers are less likely to complete high school 11 and more likely to end up on welfare 12 .
Many experts speculate on the reasons that fewer teens are sexually active or becoming pregnant.
The primary reason that teenage girls who have never had intercourse give for abstaining from sex is that having sex would be against their religious and moral values. Teenagers who have strong emotional attachments to their parents are much less likely to become sexually active at an early age 18 . Most area residents say teens should remain abstinent but should have access to contraception. Ninety percent of adult parents and eighty-one percent of teens believe it is important that teenagers be given a strong message from society that they should abstain from sex until they are at least out of high school. Contraceptive use among sexually active teens has increased but remains inconsistent.