The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has released the latest statistics for teen pregnancies indicating a gradual decline in teen birth rate with 1,700 births per week.
The statistic was announced after CDC researchers analyzed the birth data from the National Vital Statistics System and adolescent health behavior data from the National Survey of Family Growth. Analysis revealed that the number of births among 15-17 year olds has dropped but these younger teens still account for one quarter of teen births.
This new finding highlights the need to introduce strict interventions in order to curb teen pregnancies.
"Although we have made significant progress reducing teen pregnancy, far too many teens are still having babies," CDC Director Tom Frieden, M.D., M.P.H, said in a statement. "Births to younger teens pose the greatest risk of poor medical, social and economic outcomes. Efforts to prevent teen childbearing need to focus on evidence-based approaches to delaying sexual activity and increasing use of the most effective methods of contraception for those teens who are sexually active."
The evaluation of the data makes clear that there has been a 63 percent drop in the rate of births per 1000 teens of age 15-17 from 38.6 births per 1000 in 1991 to 14.1 births per 1000 in 2012.
The teen birth rate was especially high among the teens of Hispanic, non-Hispanic, black and American Indian/Alaska Native community.
Among the Hispanic teens, the birth rate per 1000 teens(of age 15-17) in the year 2012 was 25.5. Among the non-Hispanic black teens it was 21.9 births per 1000, 17 births per 1000 among American Indian/Alaska Native teens, 8.4 births per 1000 among the non-Hispanic white teens and 4.1 for the Asian/Pacific Islander teens. Near 73 of the teens of age 15-17 were not sexually active. Nearly 1 in 4 teens never discussed with their parents about sex.
Among the sexually active teens, over 80 percent of them never received any sex education before having sex for the first time. Over 90 percent of the teens used contraception the last time they had sex, but most of them reported that the method used was not effective.
"We need to provide young people with the support and opportunities they need to empower themselves. Trying to balance the task of childbearing while trying to complete their high school education is a difficult set of circumstances, even with the help of family and others," said Shanna Cox, M.S.P.H., CDC's Division of Reproductive Health. "Teens who give birth are at increased risk of having a repeat birth while still a teenager. And these younger teens are less likely to earn a high school diploma or GED than older teens who give birth."
The researcher state that parents and guardians can play a very influential role in guiding pre-teens and teens to avoid indulging in risky sexual behavior.
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