Youth Indicators

According to the CDC, “In 2017, a total of 194,377 babies were born to women aged 15–19 years, for a birth rate of 18.8 per 1,000 women in this age group.” [1]  The same study indicates that the U.S. rate of teen pregnancy is higher than in other developed countries and that teenagers who become pregnant are more likely to drop out of high school and their children are more likely to have lower school achievements, more health problems and be unemployed as young adults.  In short, teenage pregnancies are associated with negative multigenerational impacts.

Minnesota and Wisconsin are below the national average in terms of rates of teenage pregnancy.  Most St. Croix River Valley counties have lower rates of teenage pregnancies than their respective states.

[1] https://www.cdc.gov/teenpregnancy/about/index.htm