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You’re Not Alone

Statistics of Unplanned Pregnancies

If you have ever had that dream about going to school in your underwear, you know what it’s like to feel all alone in the world. Everyone is staring at you, and you are thinking, “I forgot to wear clothes today!” It would be nice to be able to wake up from all of your embarrassments, but since that is not possible with an unplanned pregnancy, you might take some comfort in knowing some of the current statistics about unplanned pregnancies.

Some Statistics
Did you know that of the 6.2 million women who got pregnant last year, fewer than half were expecting it? That means about three million women are standing in your shoes, many of them feeling completely alone and not seeing the big picture. More than one million babies were born to unmarried women in the United States in 1998.

Among teenage women under 20, the birth rate has been on the decline over the past decade. However, in 2001 1,350,154 unmarried women bore children; 34 percent were teens. This may be due to the combination of increased poverty, decreased federal funding of contraceptives, and increased sexual activity at earlier ages.

Abortions
Of all the pregnancies that occur each year, about 22 percent end in abortion. Abortion patients may be as young as 15 or older than 30. More than 80 percent of women having abortions are unmarried. Of these, 45 percent are “repeat” clients and 180,000 are minors, half of whom voluntarily discuss the decision with at least one parent.

Single Parents
You might be surprised by the fact that 3,700 babies are born each day to unwed women. Some of these women create adoption plans for their babies, while others decide to become single parents. In fact, there are more single teen moms than ever before. In 1970, 30 percent of all teenage mothers were single. A decade later, that number was up to 48 percent, and by 2001, over 80 percent, which is four out of every five teen mothers, were single.

Marriage
There are few statistics that show what percentage of women choose marriage as a result of an unplanned pregnancy. This option is discussed in more detail in Options Magazine’s Marriage section. One in six (or 16 percent) pregnancies conceived premaritally result in marriage before the baby arrives.

Adoption
Facing an unplanned pregnancy probably makes you wonder how anyone could have a hard time getting pregnant. But, between two million and five million couples struggle with infertility each year. In fact, one out of every six American couples have tried for at least a year to have a baby without success. Of these about two million try to adopt, but a couple’s chances of bringing a baby into their home are less than one in 40. This means that for every child adopted this year, there will be forty families in line to adopt that child. It is interesting, however, that an estimated five million people—about two percent of the U.S. population—are adopted.

This parade of numbers and statistics assures you of one thing: You’re not alone! Lots of women are facing the same choices you are. It is possible to see your situation as an opportunity for emotional growth and learning by experience. By reading through this magazine, you will be able to see what some women have done to make the best of their situation. As you examine your options and prepare a plan for your future, you will gain confidence and feel peace in moving ahead.