Report: Big Drop in Teen Pregnancy Rate
Published at(NEW YORK) — Teen pregnancies continue to drop, with the latest figures from the National Center for Health Statistics (NCHS) showing that the teen pregnancy rate is less than half of what it was in 1991.
In 2013, the NCHS says that there were just 26.6 births per 1,000 teens, 9.5 percent lower than the 2013 figure. That drop-off is the second-largest one-year dip in teen pregnancies since 1945.
The National Vital Statistics Report released recently indicated that teen pregnancies are lowest in the Northeast and highest in the South.
Still, however, the teen pregnancy rate in the U.S. continues to outpace that of other developed nations. In the United Kingdom, for instance, the latest data indicates just 21.8 births per 1,000 teens.
The NCHS warns that teen pregnancies bring heightened risk of low birth-weight and premature birth, which are linked to a number of health complications.”
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