It is all in the "odds"...most (fertile) woman has about a 20% chance (or "odds") of becoming pregnant each cycle.
Some women (the minority) will fall within the "20% chance of becoming pregnant" in any given month, while other women (the majority) will fall within the "80% chance of not becoming pregnant". A large majority of "fertile women" (the term for women who do not have infertility problems) will become pregnant within 6-12 months of trying to become pregnant.
You ask why so many teenagers become pregnant? Look at the factors that help or hinder chances/odds:
- age (fertility decreases with age),
- frequency of intercourse (it can be argued that teenagers have more frequent episodes of intercourse...thanks to their new hormone surges!)
- access to birth control (many teenagers do not have access to pills; are too embarrassed to purchase condoms)
Lastly, publicity and/or statistics plays a role, as when a 20-, 30- or 40-year old woman becomes pregnant..it is not news-worthy. It may seem like statistically more teenagers become pregnant compared to "older" women; I can find actual population numbers, if you are curious about the statistics!
Hang in there...I was in your same shoes; I thought the second we stopped using birth control I would become pregnant (I am 34), and it took us 5 months of trying. Let us know when you have a positive test result!
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It is all in the "odds"...most (fertile) woman has about a 20% chance (or "odds") of becoming pregnant each cycle.
Some women (the minority) will fall within the "20% chance of becoming pregnant" in any given month, while other women (the majority) will fall within the "80% chance of not becoming pregnant". A large majority of "fertile women" (the term for women who do not have infertility problems) will become pregnant within 6-12 months of trying to become pregnant.
You ask why so many teenagers become pregnant? Look at the factors that help or hinder chances/odds:
- age (fertility decreases with age),
- frequency of intercourse (it can be argued that teenagers have more frequent episodes of intercourse...thanks to their new hormone surges!)
- access to birth control (many teenagers do not have access to pills; are too embarrassed to purchase condoms)
Lastly, publicity and/or statistics plays a role, as when a 20-, 30- or 40-year old woman becomes pregnant..it is not news-worthy. It may seem like statistically more teenagers become pregnant compared to "older" women; I can find actual population numbers, if you are curious about the statistics!
Hang in there...I was in your same shoes; I thought the second we stopped using birth control I would become pregnant (I am 34), and it took us 5 months of trying. Let us know when you have a positive test result!
November 1, 2009 - 7:22amThis Comment
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