U.S. teen birth rates fall to historic lows

CBS/AP

(CBS/AP) NEW YORK - Teen births fell again in the United States to historic lows, according to a new government report.

The U.S. teen birth rate declined 9 percent from 2009 to 2010, falling to 34.3 births per 1,000 women aged 15-19, its lowest point since record-keeping began in 1940. Fewer babies were born to teens in 2010 than in any year since 1946.

Declines were registered across all racial and ethnic groups.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention previously reported that U.S. births by mothers of all ages had dropped in 2010 for the third straight year. Experts think the economy is a factor.

The CDC report on teenage mothers released Tuesday focused on state figures. There were declines in 47 states and the District of Columbia from 2007 to 2010, with the biggest drop in Arizona at 29 percent. Rates in Montana, North Dakota and West Virginia stayed about the same.

The highest rate once more was in Mississippi, with 55 births per 1,000 women aged 15-19, though its rate has also continued to fall, dropping 21 percent over three years.

New Hampshire has the lowest teen birth rate in the nation - just under 16.

Teen birth rates tend to be highest in the South and Southwest, lowest in the Northeast and Upper Midwest.

CDC: Birth rates for U.S. teenagers reach historic lows (pdf)
CDC: Birth Data

Since 1991, the overall teen rate has dropped by 44 percent.

The authors of today's report attribute the declines to strong pregnancy prevention messages aimed at teens. They also point to data from the National Survey of Family Growth (conducted by the CDC's National Center for Health Statistics) which shows increased use of contraception at first initiation of sex and the use of dual contraceptive methods (i.e., condoms and pill) among sexually active female and male teenagers.

State list with birth rate (per 1,000 teenage girls):

1. Mississippi 55
2. New Mexico 52.9
3. Arkansas 52.5
4. Texas 52.2
5. Oklahoma 50.4
6. Louisiana 47.7
7. Kentucky 46.2
8. West Virginia 44.8
9. Alabama 43.6
10. Tennessee 43.2
11. South Carolina 42.5
12. Arizona 42.4
13. Georgia 41.4
14. Kansas 39.2
15. Wyoming 39
16. Nevada 38.6
17. Alaska 38.3 (tie)
17. North Carolina 38.3 (tie)
19. Indiana 37.3
20. Missouri 37.1
21. Montana 35
22. South Dakota 34.9
23. Ohio 34.2
24. Colorado 33.4
25. Idaho 33 (tie)
25. Illinois 33 (tie)
27. Hawaii 32.5
28. Florida 32
29. California 31.5
30. Nebraska 31.1
31. Delaware 30.5
32. Michigan 30.1
33. North Dakota 28.8
34. Iowa 28.6
35. Oregon 28.1
36. Utah 27.9
37. Virginia 27.4
38. Maryland 27.2
39. Pennsylvania 27
40. Washington 26.7
41. Wisconsin 26.2
42. New York 22.6
43. Minnesota 22.5
44. Rhode Island 22.3
45. Maine 21.4
46. New Jersey 20.3
47. Connecticut 18.9
48. Vermont 17.9
49. Massachusetts 17.1
50. New Hampshire 15.7

[mick7744]

Teenages girls not getting pregnant as much?

That's TERRIBLE...Wait'll Cardinal Dolan hears about this...

Something has to be done...OUTLAW CONDOMS!

[gadfly65]

The highest rates are in the conservative evangelical states where abstinence-only dominates, but the religious extremists will find some way to blame it on everyone but themselves.

[hypnotoad72]

*bingo*

[iandiandi]

why is the district of colombia not listed?

[Ourdoc1]

With the RepukliCONS trying to stop women from getting contraception, those numbers will soon explode, they need more slaves...

[Forty-Four]

According to a Bio teacher I had in High School, the mid-late teens is when you are Biologically supposed to be having children. However, society doesn't see this way and more and more people are having labor problems, or trouble getting pregnant because they are waiting longer and longer. Especially those who wait until near their 40's to try

[KPeters_from_UK]

Actually, childbirth is more dangerous for the female if her body is physically immature. When older moms are pregnant it is usually the baby that has problems. Younger women and late-teeens, though perhaps biologically fit and have more energy, are usually not emotionally mature. I hope you are not suggesting that women become mothers in their late teens!!!

Just recently (a week ago, if you want to look it up) there was an article on the NBC site that showed how delaying having children and family planning (birth control) actually increase the likelihood of having more successful women. They tend to go on and have higher education and incomes. Better educated women benefit society. Look at the opposite where nature takes its course - Afghanistan. Again, I really hop yiu are not suggesting that women get pregnant in their late teens!!!

[Zann-Zel]

I think according to "biology" we should be ready to have children in our teens.

But our society is no longer raising children to the point they are ready to handle that responsibility.

[berlinfoto-2009]

In sex eduction class, in some state, they probably still teach the girls, that if they hold a penny between their knees, while making out, they will not get pregnant. However it is great that their is overall improvement, with this problem.
As long as you do not let that penny fall, that is great except there are other positions where the girl can hold the penny, and that penny does no good.

[occupy_cbs]

KnowerseekerReturns: "Mass murder of unborn babies is not the answer."




Of course we would rather bring more unwanted babies into this world like the conservative republicans would have us believe, so that they can then make their lives total hell, since unwed mothers have a much harder time without an education or good job to provide for them!

Why do conservative republicans just want to force all unwed mothers to have their babies, just so they can make life hard for them after they are born?

[Rafterman11]

Empire, they are not dead, they never existed in the first place.

[occupy_cbs]

State list with birth rate (per 1,000 teenage girls):
1. Mississippi 55
2. New Mexico 52.9
3. Arkansas 52.5
4. Texas 52.2
5. Oklahoma 50.4
6. Louisiana 47.7
7. Kentucky 46.2
8. West Virginia 44.8
9. Alabama 43.6
10. Tennessee 43.2
11. South Carolina 42.5
12. Arizona 42.4
13. Georgia 41.4
14. Kansas 39.2
15. Wyoming 39



Please, you fox/rush parrots, tell us which of the first 15 states on this list are not REDneck states, mostly of the south.

Which ones do not vote mainly republican?

[Raptorsmasher]

Most of those same states also seem to pop up when we're talking about which states take the most money from Washington.

[occupy_cbs]

Typical of conservative states in the bible belt, to have the highest teen birth rates. While the number of new teenage mothers in the United States is at its lowest level in nearly 70 years, but remains the highest of any major developed country.


=====
sandpiper8: "What analysis did you perform, on the ground in Mississippi"?
=====

kesac4650: "The areas of the country that you point to as Republican"
=====




Face the FACTS fox/rush parrots, and admit that it's the bible belt of the south that continues to have the highest teen birth rate in the country, helping the U.S. to remain the highest of any major developed country in the world when it comes to the teen birth rate.

Whether you want to admit it or not, Mississippi is the most conservative state in the country, and has the most ignorant people that still believe our President is a Muslim and born elsewhere!

Are you still in DENIAL that Mississippi is not #1 in teen births, or that the rest of the REDneck south follows them closely?

[occupy_cbs]

Maybe you fox/rush parrots should also look at which states in our entire country have the poorest health care, the worst education and the highest drop out rate!

It's the same demographics of the REDneck southern states!

[KPeters_from_UK]

littleredtop April 10, 2012 11:33 AM EDT
Only the abortion portion of planned parenthood actually works as abortions for that same age group are on a dramatic rise. Planned parenthood implies being proactive however in reality the program is mostly reactive. Keep in mind, surgeons don't make any money handing out condoms.
_____________________________________________

Condoms isn't what Planned Parenthood is about. Condoms can be bought at any drug store. The Pill requires doctor appointments, medical tests and monthly dosage. That is expensive but it more effective in preventing unwanted births than condoms. Besides I thought guys hated condoms.

Plus...pay attention abortion rates in the States are going down since 1981...I'll repeat that...1981!!!

Check out http://www.guttmacher.org/pubs/fb_induced_abortion.html there is a nifty chart provided for you to look at if you can't bother to read the article.

[KnowerseekerReturns]

The article doesn't mention abortions at all.