Teenage Births in the United States: National and State Trends, 1990-96

Abstract:
This government report, which focuses on teenage childbearing between 1991 and 1996, indicates that teen birth rates declined for white, black, American Indian, Asian or Pacific Islander, and Hispanic women ages 15-19. (The report also notes that the rate has declined for young women ages 10-14, although they are not the focus here.) The rate for black teens, until recently the highest, experienced the largest decline, down 21% to reach the lowest rate ever reported for blacks. The latest state-by-state data, from 1995, indicate that teen birth rates have declined in all 50 states and the District of Columbia. Among the states with the lowest rates (fewer than 35 births per 1,000 teens) were Vermont, New Hampshire, Minnesota, North Dakota, Maine, and Massachusetts. Areas with double that rate, at 70 or more births per 1,000 women ages 15-19, included the District of Columbia, Mississippi, Texas, Arizona, New Mexico, Arkansas, Nevada, Georgia, and Alabama. Data from 1995 indicate that the percentage of teenagers who are sexually experienced has stabilized, and that contraceptive use has increased. In two of the graphs, shading distinctions are so slight that it is difficult to interpret the data. Otherwise, the data are presented clearly and in an easy-to-follow manner. The report should be of interest to those working to prevent teen pregnancy from a variety of perspectives.

Author(s): VENTURA, Stephanie J.; CURTIN, Sally C.; and MATHEWS, T.J.


Date Published: 5/1/1998

Pages: 15

Location Code: 8253