Ever wonder how births among teen girls have changed over the past 15 years? Or if parents ever disagree about whether their pregnancy was planned or not? Or even wonder how an unplanned pregnancy might affect the relationship stability of the parents? Or their happiness in their relationship? Don't look any further for answers, simply check out the 5 new sections of our DCR (Data, Charts, Research) Report and find out!

Section E - The Changing Portrait of Teen Childbearing Over Time
This section provides a portrait of teen births among girls age 15-19 in the United States, from 1991 to 2006. More specifically, the section explores the distribution of teens giving birth by age, race/ethnicity, nativity, marital status, and education, as well as the proportion of teen births that are low birth weight and are premature.
Highlights: Non-Hispanic white teens account for the largest share of teen births. However, since 1991, the proportion of teen births that are to non-Hispanic white and non-Hispanic black teens has decreased while the proportion of teen births to Hispanic teens has increased.  

Public opinion polling shows that two-thirds of adults (67%) believe most teen mothers come from homes below the federal poverty threshold. A full 70% of adults believe that most teen mothers come from single parent homes.

Not true.

According to new analysis of the National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent Health conducted by our wonderful friends at Child Trends and released today by The National Campaign, only 28% of those who report having given birth or fathered a child as a teen lived in families below the poverty level. Only 30% of those teen parents said they were living with a single parent (39% said they lived with both biological parents and 19% said they lived with one biological parent and one step-parent).

"Cohabitation is no place for children" writes nationally-syndicated columnist Michael Gerson.

In a piece that appeared yesterday in the Washington Post, Gerson makes the case that Brad Wilcox, director of the National Marriage Project at the University of Virginia, and others have made. Namely, children do best in two-parent, stable, married families. For Gerson, Wilcox, and many others, they would underscore the married part.

Let's take his argument in bites.

• Being a 20-something at present is different in important ways from previous decades.
• Two markers of this change are earlier sexual activity and later age of marriage.
• In the absence of what Brad Wilcox calls the traditional "courtship narrative"--dating, marriage, children--many young people have adopted a different life choice: cohabitation.
• Gerson concedes that the link between sex and marriage is a thing of the past. However, he believes that the connection between marriage and having children remains absolutely essential.

A gross oversimplification to be sure, but you get the point. Gerson also notes:

• Marriage is "the most effective institution to bind two parents for a long period in the common enterprise of marriage."
• Age of marriage matters too---Gerson calls the early to mid-20s the "marital sweet spot" for marital longevity and happiness.
• Citing research by Wilcox, Gerson says "serial cohabitation trains people for divorce...cohabitation by engaged couples seems to have no adverse effect on eventual marriage."

That's a lot to chew on. We are anxious to hear what you think. Put you comment shoes on and get busy.

There's a new show premiering this week on MTV that is a must-watch for anyone who cares about teen pregnancy or teens in general. "16 and Pregnant" is a 6-part series done in documentary style with one story per episode. It features 6 teen girls, all from different places, backgrounds and circumstances. MTV followed them through their pregnancies and in the time after they gave birth and captured the angst, drama, gossip, worry, heartache, excitement, confusion, pain, love, hope and helplessness that comes with being pregnant as teenager. It is riveting to watch and impossible to forget.

The first episode, which airs Thursday at 10p ET/PT, tells the story of Maci - an over-achiever from Chattanooga, Tennessee who is in the glorious throes of her first love when she finds out she's pregnant. I don't want to give anything away, but suffice it to say there's a big reality check in store for her. And her boyfriend. And anyone else who thinks having a baby at 16 is going to be like a fairy tale.

Not only are we big fans of the show, but we're also involved behind the scenes. We're preparing discussion guides to go along with each episode so that teens and parents and other adults have a place to start when they want to talk about what they're watching. Once the initial on-air run is complete, we'll also be distributing DVDs of the show to groups, classrooms and programs who need compelling content on this important topic to share with teens.

Check out the discussion guides and FAQ at http://www.stayteen.org/tuned/16-and-pregnant/ and don't forget to set your DVRs accordingly.

A recently released study on marriage and the impact of childbearing on marriage determined that after the birth of their first child, couples experience a sudden decrease in marital quality. While couples without children also experience declines in marital quality over time, the decline is much more gradual. The overall conclusion from the research is that becoming parents is a particularly challenging time for couples--probably not surprising findings for most parents or couples.

Now imagine how the data on relationship quality would look if it turned out that the pregnancy was unplanned--or if the couple wasn't married when they found out they were about to become parents. Couples in these situations are more likely to break up than married couples who plan their pregnancy. Clearly, becoming a parent can be very rewarding, but it isn't easy. Parents will be better suited for this adventure if they decide to plan when they are ready (or not ready) for the challenging task of raising a child together.

Newly sworn in President Obama spoke yesterday of personal responsibility and I hoped he might offer some examples as he had done when campaigning. A few were mentioned, but they tended towards the macro and institutional—understandable given the momentous occasion and the certain knowledge that there were millions of good souls in front of him who were, literally, freezing and had been standing in a huge sardine can for 6 hours or more (not that I am complaining). No time for long lists or numerous examples, eh?

So, to fill the gap: for those of us who worry about family structure and pregnancy planning and best beginnings, what might we say personal responsibility means? Here are four bits and pieces that I have been mulling over:

1. Unless both partners are in a committed relationship, are seeking pregnancy, and are willing to devote two decades and more to child-rearing, having sex without contraception or some attention to family planning is irresponsible.
   


2. It's irresponsible for doctors/nurses/clinics to fail to talk with women about all the effective contraceptive options available to them (and there are lots now).
   


3. When insurance/pharma prescription companies finance Viagra with minimal cost-sharing but get all weird and expensive when it comes to birth control, that's irresponsible.
   


4. Offering a sex education curriculum that does not include generous amounts of attention to respectful relationships and what types of family structures seem to benefit children the most is irresponsible.

I welcome additions....

The word "marriage" is on everyone's lips these days. Marriage can be classified as religious, practical, ideological, cultural, and civic, which can make it tricky to define. Most people will agree that one very practical element of it is the stability it offers for couples who want to start a family.

The National Campaign and others refer to getting an education, getting married, then starting a family—in that order—as the "success sequence." And for good reason—research has shown that following this sequence typically produces better outcomes for children and families. But when, if ever, is the "getting married" part optional?

Ta-Nehisi Coates recently explored the topic of marriage in the context of his own life in order to explain his opposition to the now infamous Proposition 8 and other measures to limit the rights of same-sex couples. Read the complete post here.

Not to spoil it for you, but the gist of Coates' argument is that everyone should have the right to marry if they choose, but that marriage is not necessarily right for everyone. Note that Coates' reasons for not getting married do not include commitment-phobia, insecurity about the permanence of his and his partner's relationship, or a cavalier attitude toward parenting. In fact, Coates recently wrote a book about the important role a father can play in his children's development.

So, just how optional is marriage in a couple's decision to start a family?