Teen Birth Rates Drop Nationwide, Decline in Almost Every State

National   |   Steven Ertelt   |   May 23, 2013   |   4:53PM   |   Washington, DC

A new report just released by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has good news regarding the substantial decline in teen births from 2007 through 2011. The report shows teen birth rates dropped nationwide, declining in almost every state.

While the drop in the rate of teen births began in 1991, the current report indicates the years from 2007-2011 as the longest timeframe in which the precipitous drop has been maintained.

In all but two states, there has been a 15% decline in teen births showing widespread success in reaching teens throughout the country. The most dramatic drops were among Hispanic youth, followed by African American teens.

“The good news here is that teens are showing they are listening to the messages we are giving regarding the benefits of delaying sexual initiation and childbearing in order to pursue their dreams for broader life success,” noted Valerie Huber, CEO and President of the National Abstinence Education Association (NAEA).

Huber told LifeNews: “Waiting for sex is the best way to avoid teen pregnancy and the only way to avoid all the possible consequences of teen sex. ”

“All states but West Virginia and North Dakota showed significant drops over five years. But the Mountain States of Arizona, Colorado, Idaho, Nevada and Utah saw rates fall by 30 percent or more,” AP noted. “In 22 states, teen Hispanic birth rates plunged at least 40 percent, which was described as “just amazing,” by the report’s lead author, Brady Hamilton of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.”

From an AP report on the numbers:

The new report focuses on state figures in 2011:

— Lowest rates are in New Hampshire, Massachusetts, Connecticut and Vermont, each with rates under 17 per 1,000.

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— Highest rates overall continue to be in the South, led by Arkansas and Mississippi, each with rates of about 50 per 1,000. In Arkansas, the majority of teen births are to white moms. In Mississippi, the majority are black.

— White teens continue to have the lowest birth rate nationally — about 22 births per 1,000. Black teens saw a larger improvement, but their rate was still more than twice the white rate, at 47 per 1,000.

— Overall, the Hispanic rate plummeted from 75 to 49 per 1,000, now virtually a tie with the black rate.