Can We Predict the Future of Teen Pregnancy Rates?

The number of teen pregnancies has decreased in recent years. But can we predict the future of teen pregnancy rates?

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, teen pregnancy rates have gradually decreased in recent years (CDC). But despite this, thousands of American teenagers become pregnant each year, resulting in negative implications for the women and their children regarding finances, social standing, and well-being. Check out the latest recent statistics and data below.

According to data from the CDC, rates, and Statistics of Teen Pregnancy in the United States, 43 percent of females between the ages of 15 and 19 have engaged in sexual activity. There has been a steady reduction in the birth rate of teenage girls since 1991; nevertheless, according to a National Center for Health Statistics (NCHS) data brief from August 2018, there was a reported 7 percent decline from 2016 to 2017. 18.8 births per 1,000 American teens were found in 2017, according to the brief.

Race-Based Teen Pregnancy Rates

Almost all races have seen a fall in their fertility rates. From 2016 to 2017, the NCHS Data Brief reported on the following numbers:

  • A 15% drop in the percentage of non-Hispanic Asian females (ending with a total of 3.3 births per 1,000 teens)
  • Hispanic women: a 9% drop (28.9 births per 1,000 teens)
  • There was an 8% drop in the percentage of non-Hispanic white females (13.2 births per 1,000 teens)
  • 6 percent drop in non-Hispanic black women (27.5 births per 1,000 teens)
  • 6 percent reduction in the number of females who identify as American Indian or Alaska Native (32.9 births per 1,000 teens)
  • For non-Hispanic Native Hawaiian or other Pacific Islander women, the birth rate has decreased somewhat from 28.6 to 25.5 births per 1,000 teenagers.

According to the data, there are still significant racial differences. There was a 55 percent difference in the average number of children born to Hispanic teens compared to non-Hispanic white teens. The CDC blames a combination of geographic location and socioeconomic factors for these disparities (such as income and education level). Women in welfare systems such as foster care, according to the CDC, have an increased chance of becoming pregnant as teenagers.

Rates of Pregnancy Among Adolescent Girls and Boys

The following is a breakdown of teen pregnancies in the United States from 2016 to 2017 by gender:

  • 15-17-year-olds: the decline of 11% (ending with a total of 7.8 births per 1,000 teens)
  • In the age bracket of 8 to 19, there was a 6% drop in participation (ending with a total of 35.1 births per 1,000 teens)

Teen Pregnancy Rates Have Declined for What Reason?

The number of teen pregnancies has decreased for several reasons. Among these is an increase in the quality of sex education for teens and adolescents. Parents and students alike are encouraged to discuss reproductive health in many high schools. Teens aware of the dangers of unprotected intercourse are more likely to abstain, use a condom, or research other birth control options.

Improved access to contraceptive education and contraception use” for the drop in teen pregnancies and births. A quick Google search can answer any adolescent’s queries about birth control. Thanks to smartphones, tablets, and laptops, teenagers can learn about birth control alternatives and choose the best one for themselves. Planned Parenthood and other health care providers allow minors to obtain birth control without parental authorization.

The most effective birth control methods aren’t always the ones that more and more teenagers are turning to. According to the report of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), in 2015, 86% of teens used birth control during their most recent sexual experience. Implants and intrauterine devices (IUDs) were used by just 5% of the women surveyed (IUDs).

Hormonal birth control and condoms, the two most commonly used methods, are 91% and 82% effective when used as directed. In contrast, IUDs and implants have a success rate of above 99 percent. Visit bedsider.org for additional information about birth control choices. To help avoid unwanted pregnancies, the Power to Decide campaign has established a birth control support network.

Furthermore, even though adolescent pregnancies have decreased, the American teen birth rate “is still one of the highest in the developed world,” according to a research and policy organization for sexual and reproductive health, according to the Guttmacher Institute. The number of pregnancies among teenagers in the United States is declining. This trend is likely to continue for some time because of the wealth of information available online.

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