Teen Birth Rate in the Basement
The rate at which U.S. women are having babies continued to fall in 2009, pushing the teen birth rate to the lowest level in the nearly 70 years reliable data have been collected, federal authorities reported Tuesday.
(Graphic by Pamela Tobey / The Washington Post)
OVERVIEW
the feds have been keeping track for almost 70 years
39.1/1000 births for teens 15-19 in 2009 (most recent complete data)
lowest rate ever recorded in the US
6% drop from 2008, 2% from 07->08
rate has dropped for 16/18 of recent years
increased 2005-2007
in 2006 and 2007 total US births were over the replacement rate for first time in 35 years
WHY TEENS NOT HAVING SO MANY BABIES??
nobody knows for sure, what do you think are the reasons????
recession?
total births are also down
maybe a response to the increase in teen birth rate in 2005-7: there was alarm in the media
girls decided not to follow suit after seeing friends struggle with motherhood?
increased contraceptive use is a fact
is sex ed that teaches abstinence actually working??? (not many think so but some do)
GENERAL FERTILITY
(not just teens: ages 15-44)
fell to 68.6 births/1,000 in 09
total number fell 4,247,694-->4,131,019
trend persists into 2010 (Jan to June)
overall fertility rate: ~2.01 (4% drop from 08)
largest decline since 73
WE'RE BACK UNDER THE REPLACEMENT RATE
after 2006-7 when we were above it
birth rate for early 20s females dropped 7%, another large decline
birth rate also fell for women in late 20s and 30s
BIRTH RATE IS INCREASING FOR WOMEN IN EARLY 40'S
MORE BABIES ARE BEING BORN OUT OF WEDLOCK THAN EVER BEFORE
and has been rising since the 70's
less than 10% of single births are teens
single mother births account for over 40% in general pop (who needs marriage, huh?)
single births among Hispanics is 50%, Africans Americans 70%
SEVENTY PERCENT OF BABIES BORN IN THE US TO BLACK MOTHERS ARE BORN TO SINGLE MOTHERS
wow
this says more about what's happening with marriage than with procreation, I think
more to come soon on this
OBAMA'S PLAN
Obama administration has new $110 million teen pregnancy prevention effort
educational programs on risks of sexual activities and benefits of contraception, delay of sexuality
SOURCES
http://voices.washingtonpost.com/checkup/2010/12/teen_birth_rate_hits_record_lo.html?wpisrc=nl_natlalert
lots of great links from here:
http://blog.heritage.org/2010/12/22/fewer-teen-moms-but-more-babies-born-to-single-moms-than-ever/
(Graphic by Pamela Tobey / The Washington Post)
OVERVIEW
the feds have been keeping track for almost 70 years
39.1/1000 births for teens 15-19 in 2009 (most recent complete data)
lowest rate ever recorded in the US
6% drop from 2008, 2% from 07->08
rate has dropped for 16/18 of recent years
increased 2005-2007
in 2006 and 2007 total US births were over the replacement rate for first time in 35 years
WHY TEENS NOT HAVING SO MANY BABIES??
nobody knows for sure, what do you think are the reasons????
recession?
total births are also down
maybe a response to the increase in teen birth rate in 2005-7: there was alarm in the media
girls decided not to follow suit after seeing friends struggle with motherhood?
increased contraceptive use is a fact
is sex ed that teaches abstinence actually working??? (not many think so but some do)
GENERAL FERTILITY
(not just teens: ages 15-44)
fell to 68.6 births/1,000 in 09
total number fell 4,247,694-->4,131,019
trend persists into 2010 (Jan to June)
overall fertility rate: ~2.01 (4% drop from 08)
largest decline since 73
WE'RE BACK UNDER THE REPLACEMENT RATE
after 2006-7 when we were above it
birth rate for early 20s females dropped 7%, another large decline
birth rate also fell for women in late 20s and 30s
BIRTH RATE IS INCREASING FOR WOMEN IN EARLY 40'S
MORE BABIES ARE BEING BORN OUT OF WEDLOCK THAN EVER BEFORE
and has been rising since the 70's
less than 10% of single births are teens
single mother births account for over 40% in general pop (who needs marriage, huh?)
single births among Hispanics is 50%, Africans Americans 70%
SEVENTY PERCENT OF BABIES BORN IN THE US TO BLACK MOTHERS ARE BORN TO SINGLE MOTHERS
wow
this says more about what's happening with marriage than with procreation, I think
more to come soon on this
OBAMA'S PLAN
Obama administration has new $110 million teen pregnancy prevention effort
educational programs on risks of sexual activities and benefits of contraception, delay of sexuality
SOURCES
http://voices.washingtonpost.com/checkup/2010/12/teen_birth_rate_hits_record_lo.html?wpisrc=nl_natlalert
lots of great links from here:
http://blog.heritage.org/2010/12/22/fewer-teen-moms-but-more-babies-born-to-single-moms-than-ever/