Aligning with the month of May as teen pregnancy prevention month, a new government report reveals that almost every state in the nation has seen a large reduction in teen birth rates, but gathers the declines have no common link factors as populations and behaviors vary from state to state.
The drop in teen births has been seen specifically in Mountain States and Hispanic populations. Some states, such as Arizona, Colorado, Idaho, Nevada, and Utah have seen rates fall over 30 percent or more from 2007 to 2011 years according to NBC.
The center for Disease control and Prevention has reported that these extreme declines have no clear explanation, but that the data is collected based on birth certificates from this five-year time span. To get a better grasp on what this data means, five years ago there were about 42 births for every 1,000 teens age 15-19 in the United States, now there are a record low of 31 births for every 1,000 teens age 15-19. While the highest teen birth rates remain in the South, led by Arkansas, Mississippi, states such as New Hampshire, Massachussetts, Connecticut and Vermont show less than 17 teen births for every 1,000 teens according to CDC.
Suggested reasons for the drop vary, though it trends with the decline in overall births in the United States, as the struggling economy affects the affordability of having children. Whether it is an increase in education, a focus on careers and futures in young women, strong teen pregnancy prevention messages, or innovations/availability of contraception, the recent declines in teen births are sustained, widespread, and broad-based.
Photo Courtesy of Twitpic
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