Pregnancy Information
How do you get pregnant?
A man and a woman can conceive a baby when a sperm from a man joins up with an egg from a woman. Sperm are produced inside a man's testicles and ejaculated when he is sexually aroused. After a woman starts having her period, her body may release an egg every month (ovulation). If sperm are released inside a woman's vagina or even near her vagina, it can make its way into the woman's body and travel from the vagina into the uterus and fallopian tubes. When the sperm joins up with the egg in the fallopian tube, the fertilized egg travels to the uterus and attaches itself to the wall of the uterus where the baby will grow for approximately nine months.
Other Interesting Facts:
- Approximately 4 in 10 girls will become pregnant in the United States at least once before the age of 20 (National Campaign to Prevent Teen Pregnancy, 1997. Whatever Happened to Childhood? The Problem of Teen Pregnancy in the United States. Washington, DC).
- The United States has the highest teenage pregnancy rate of all developed countries (CDC).
- About one million teenagers become pregnant each year. 95% of those pregnancies are unintended, and almost one-third end in abortion (CDC).
- Less than one-third of teens who have children before age 18 ever get their high school diploma (National Campaign to Prevent Teen Pregnancy, 1997. Whatever Happened to Childhood? The Problem of Teen Pregnancy in the United States. Washington, DC).
- The daughters of teen mothers are 22% more likely to become teen mothers themselves. Also, the children of teen mothers are at greater risk of abuse and neglect than children born to older parents. Children of teen mothers tend to perform poorly in school. The sons of teen mothers are 13% more likely to end up in prison (Wolfe, B., & Perozek, M. (1997). "Teen Children's Health and Health Care Use." In R.A. Maynard (Ed.), Kids Having Kids: Economic Costs and Social Consequences of Teen Pregnancy. Washington, DC: The Urban Institute Press.
- 7 out of 10 adolescent mothers drop out of high school (Sexual Health Update, winter 1998, Vol. 6 No. 3, Medical Institute).
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