Nearly 1,700 US teens turn mothers per week: Report

The majority of younger female teens are not yet sexually active, as 73 percent in this age group reported they had not had sex yet, the report said.

Parents are a particularly strong influence on the sexual behaviour of teens, however, nearly a quarter of females in this age group never spoke with their parents or guardians about sex, it said.

In addition, among sexually experienced female teens, over 80 percent had not received any formal sex education before they had sex for the first time. Over 90 percent of teens used some form of contraception the last time they had sex, but most of them relied on methods that are among the least effective.

The CDC said becoming a teen mom affects whether the mother finishes high school, goes to college, and the type of job she will get, stressing that more can be done to prevent pregnancies in younger teens.