Teen pregnancy found to be 'contagious' among siblings

10 August 2011 1 min read Janaki Mahadevan Health Young parents

Girls are more likely to conceive at a young age if they have siblings who have had teenage pregnancies despite efforts to raise educational aspirations, researchers from the University of Bristol have found.

Research into the factors that shape the decisions of teenagers has found that within families, the impact of siblings outweighs the positive effect of education.

The study, which was funded by the Economic and Social Research Council, found that if an older sister has conceived as a teenager the probability of having another teen birth in the family rises from around one in five to two in five, even if the younger sibling has experienced further education.

Professor Carol Propper, one of the report’s authors, said: "Previous research has shown that family background and raising the education of girls decreases the chances of teenage pregnancy.

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