Helpful Information

Data & Statistics

On January 25, the SC Campaign to Prevent Teen Pregnancy released new data!

Click here to read the press release.

Among the findings:

South Carolina’s teen birth rate declined by 13% between 2009 and 2010; now stands at 42.6 births per 1,000 girls age 15-19 – lowest teen birth rate ever recorded in South Carolina.
The national teen birth rate is 34.3 per 1,000 (2010).
Between 2000 and 2010, the SC teen birth rate fell 26%.
There were declines among all age groups, the 15-17 birth rate dropped 11% and 18-19 birth rate dropped 14%.
Older teens still drive the overall teen birth rate, with 18-19 year olds accounting for 71% of all teen births.
South Carolina has the 12th highest teen birth rate in the nation.
In 2010, the birth rate among white 15-19 year olds was 32.7, slightly below the U.S. rate, while African Americans and Hispanics have much higher rates (56.6 and 64.3, respectively).

Every 49 minutes, a SC female between ages 10 to 19 becomes pregnant. (SC Campaign to Prevent Teen Pregnancy 2010 Fact Sheet)

In 2008, 715 females in Charleston County ages 10 to 19 became pregnant, and 553 of them gave birth. (SC DHEC)

In 2009, 661 females in Charleston County ages 10 to 19 became pregnant, and 502 of them gave birth. (SC DHEC)

Teen mothers have the highest rates of infant mortality and low birth weight babies, which are 40 times more likely to die during their first year of life than healthy birth weight babies. (SC DHEC, Division of Biostatistics and Health GIS, Office of Public Health and Statistics and Information Systems)

60% of teen mothers do not finish high school. (The National Campaign to Prevent Teen and Unplanned Pregnancy)

Teen mothers are more likely to live in poverty and to rely on public assistance. (Terry-Humen, E, Manlove, J & Moore, KA (2005). Playing catch-up: how children born to teen mothers fare. Washington, DC: National Campaign to Prevent Teen Pregnancy.)

SC Taxpayers spent approximately $80 million on Medicaid costs associated with teen pregnancy in 2006. (SC DHEC)

According to a June 9, 2011 press release from The National Campaign to Prevent Teen and Unplanned Pregnancy, Teen childbearing in South Carolina cost taxpayers at least $197 million in 2008. Of these costs, 45% were federal costs and 55% were state and local costs. For the nation overall, teen childbearing costs taxpayers $10.9 billion.

Nationally, teen childbearing costs taxpayers at least $10.9 billion each year. Most of the public sector costs of teen childbearing are associated with negative consequences for the children of teen mothers, during both their childhood and their young adult years. Annual taxpayer costs associated with children born to teen mothers include public health care (Medicaid and CHIP), childwelfare, and, among those children who have reached adolescence and young adulthood, increased rates of incarceration, and lost tax revenue due to decreased earnings and spending.

Between 1991 and 2008 there were 151,849 teen births in South Carolina, costing taxpayers a total of $4.1 billion. These public sector costs would have been higher had it not been for the substantial declines in teen childbearing over that same period. South Carolina has seen a 27% decline in the teen birth rate between 1991 and 2008. The impressive strides made in reducing teen childbearing in South Carolina saved taxpayers an estimated $127 million in 2008 alone, compared to what they would have paid if rates had not fallen.

The new state data is an update of 2004 research conducted by Saul Hoffman, Ph.D. of the University of Delaware and released by The National Campaign. The new analysis provides a conservative estimate of the costs of teen childbearing and is based on the increased risk of adverse consequences faced by teen mothers, fathers, and their children as compared to mothers having children in their early twenties, controlling for many other factors.

“Reducing teen pregnancy not only improves the well-being of children, youth, and families, it saves taxpayer dollars,” said Sarah Brown, CEO of The National Campaign to Prevent Teen and Unplanned Pregnancy. “At a time when policymakers and others are intensely focused on cost-saving measures, funding proven efforts to reduce teen pregnancy is important, timely, and should be a high priority.