Teen Pregnancy Rate Is On the Rise

The number of teens having babies, as well as the rate in which they are having babies, is on the rise, with the highest teen birth rates being seen in the South and Southeast portions of the country. The decline in teen pregnancy that the U.S. has experienced for fourteen years seems to be over, and there are several factors that may be playing key roles.

A new report, “Births: Final Data for 2006,” issued by the CDC’s National Center for Health Statistics, provides a state-by-state view of teen births, based on all birth certificates issued in 2006 by the U.S. The report also offers some interesting data on a range of topics such as unmarried mothers, multiple births, smoking while pregnant, Caesarean delivery, preterm births, and low birth weights. Of the 4.3 million births reported in 2006, around 435,000 of the births were to mothers from 15 to 19 years old, an increase of approximately 21,000 more teens having babies than in 2005. Hispanic girls are giving birth at twice the overall rate and Asian and Pacific Islander girls reported teen pregnancies at half of the national average. While Mississippi, New Mexico, and Texas reported the highest teen pregnancy rates, New Hampshire, Vermont, and Massachusetts reported the lowest rates. Over half of the fifty states reported increases in teen birth rates.