Abortion rates among teen girls as well as birth rates have decreased dramatically over the last decade, and much of the success is credited to abstinence education. Still, the cost to society remains astronomical, according to a report from the National Campaign to Prevent Teen Pregnancy.
Teen births are down a third since 1991, and teen abortions dropped 40 percent.
Bill Albert, spokesman for the campaign, said abstinence education played a major role.
"A significant proportion of young people are delaying sexual activity," he told Family News in Focus. "It is also true, at the same time, that among those teens that are sexually active, they are using contraception a bit more consistently and carefully."
But it's estimated that teen births still cost the country more than $9 billion in 2004 and more than $161 billion dollars over last 15 years.
"Health care costs, welfare costs, the cost of incarceration, and also this factors in lost tax revenues," Albert said, "because the children of teen mothers are less likely to get good paying jobs."
Linda Klepacki, analyst for sexual health at Focus on the Family Action, the cost is not just measured in dollars.
"The human cost is enormous," she said. "It increases animosity between the pregnant teen and her parents, it increases distance between the pregnant mom and the pregnant dad."
The report found teen moms are twice as likely to have a son who ends up in prison compared to a someone who has her first child at 20. Still, Klepacki said the good news is worth celebrating.
"What this report highlights is the incredible success the U.S. has had in the last 15 years in decreasing teen sexual activity, pregnancy and abortion," she said. "This is largely due to the explosion of abstinence until marriage education in our public schools."
