Rates in Texas, however, remain among the highest in the country. The birth rate for teenagers in Texas age 15-17 is more than 40 percent higher than teenagers in this age group in the rest of the country. In 1998 there were 55,145 births to women 19 years of age or younger. Every ten minutes a teenager gives birth in Texas.
Pregnant teenagers are least likely to obtain adequate prenatal care.
Poor health outcomes such as maternal and infant mortality as well as low birth weight are more likely to be associated with teenage pregnancy. Sexually active teenagers are at higher risk of sexually transmitted diseases and unstable relationships sometimes marked by abuse and violence. Teenage parents, including fathers, are less likely to complete high school or attend college. Teenage mothers often are single parents and, as a consequence, children born to teenagers are more likely to experience poverty and eventually, themselves, become teenage parents. Teen pregnancy effects all communities in part, because of the tremendous financial and social impact on families.