Why does the US Have a much higher teenage pregnancy rate than in Europe?

Answer 1

There is a lot of speculation about this, and the reason is probably multifactorial. One reason is likely the difference in availability of contraception - in Europe condoms are widely available for teenagers to get and use and Birth Control pills are available without a parent's permission in many countries. In the United States, most females would have to go to the doctor with their parents (usually their mother) and request birth control pills - not a comfortable conversation to have. Another reason likely has to do with the acceptance of abortion - in some European countries it is considered a woman's right to have an abortion. In contrast, in many parts of the United States abortion access is severely limited or outright not available, leading to more teens giving birth. Third, sexual education in Europe tends to be much more comprehensive than in the United States. The reasoning in Europe is, teens will be having sex anyway, so they need to have the information so they can protect themselves and be responsible about it. In the United States, many conservative religious groups have successfully instituted abstinence-only sexual education, meaning many teenages who are having sex don't realize how easy it is to become pregnant or how to prevent pregnancy.