Committee

Roberta Antoniotti, Chair

Fawn Allison

Mary Lou Carbon

Thomas Flynn

Robert Weaver

Janet Yaniglos

Interesting Info

The term "unintended pregnancy" has emerged as an all-encompassing term related to a myriad of concerns:

Low Birth-Weight Babies

Teen Pregnancy

Family Planning

Contraceptive Use

Health Services Access

Infant Mortality

Abortion Access

Mahoning County Profile

60,000 women of childbearing age are residents.

An annual estimate of 5,800 pregnancies result in:
Births	non-Births
2,000 intended	700 miscarriages
1,000 mistimed	1,600 abortions
500 unwanted

15% of births are to teenagers

age 13-14 years	20 births
age 15-17 years	200 births
age 18-19 years	300 births

40% are unwed mothers

Statistics

Most pregnancies (57%) are unintended.

20% mistimed at the time of conception

29% mistimed and unwanted end in abortion

8% result in live births

Not just teenage women are at risk of unintended pregnancy. In fact, the highest risk is for women 20-29 years of age.

US Women Age	Risk	Affected
13-14	8%	3.2*
15-17	36%	4.9*
18-19	70%	3.8*
20-29	71%	20.0*
30-44	39%	30.0*
* in millions

U.S. abortion rates are declining.

Almost all other western democracies report much lower rates of unintended pregnancies.

Puberty begins earlier, at 9-11 years of age.

Teenage sexual activity is the norm for:
      50% of 9th graders
      66% of 17-year-olds

Older female teens (18-19) account for 60% of teen mothers.

In most teenage pregnancies, the father is not a teen.

Young adults are more likely to postpone marriage.

TV viewers are bombarded with unrealistic messages regarding sex and its consequences—65,000 suggestive comments or scenes annually.

Negative Consequences of Unintended Pregnancy

Often leads to a decision to obtain an abortion.

A strong association with:
      inadequate prenatal care
      smoking and drinking during pregnancy
      low birth-weight babies.

Increased burden on health-care delivery system, adding to the cost of health care.

Leads to an increased risk of child abuse and neglect.

Additional burdens on child welfare system, juvenile courts, foster care and social services.

Significant increased risks to mothers including physical abuse and economic hardship.

Creates a strain on family formation, parent-child interactions, and parental well-being.

Children are more likely to:
      suffer abuse and neglect
      have chaotic and insecure family lives
      be involved with drugs and alcohol
      display delinquent behavior
      exhibit anger and psychological distress
      have school and job problems
      have earlier initial sexual experiences
      become welfare recipients.

Unintended Pregnancies per Woman
Country	Rate
Canada	0.79
Netherlands	0.28
Great Britain	0.63
Sweden	0.80
United States	1.31
France	1.35

Mahoning County District Board of Health
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