Teen birth, abortion rates continue downward trend
Teen birth, abortion rates continue downward trend
The teen birth rate declined by 16% from 1991 to 1997, with all states recording a decline in the birth rate of 15- to 19-year-olds during that time period, the Depart ment of Health and Human Services (HHS) announced in April. It is the sixth year in a row that the teen birth rate has declined.
Teen birthrates declined for white, black, American Indian, Asian or Pacific Islander, and Hispanic women aged 15-19. The HHS report also found a continued decline in out-of-wedlock births, record high levels of women getting early prenatal care, and the lowest rate ever reported of smoking by pregnant women.
An Alan Guttmacher analysis of teen pregnancy also released in April estimates that the abortion rate among women aged 15-19 also has declined significantly during the same period, from 35 abortions per 1,000 in 1992 to 29 per 1,000 in 1996. Researchers noted that the abortion rate declined in every state between 1985 and 1996, but noted that analysis is complicated by the impact of variation in legislation affecting abortion.
The HHS report, "Births: Final Data for 1997," is found on the Internet at www.cdc.gov/nchswww. The Alan Guttmacher report is found at www.agi-usa.org.
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