Thread: Teen pregnancy rate at record low in California

Teen pregnancy rate at record low in California

February 1, 2011 | 4:41 pm

Teen pregnancies in California have reached a record low, according to a new state report, and experts attribute the reduction to sex education, the poor economy and possibly even reality television programs that show the strain on young parents.

The teen birth rate decreased to about 32 births per 1,000 female teens age 15 to 19, according to a report released Tuesday by the California Department of Public Health. The figures are based on data for 2009, the most recent year available.

The 2009 rate was less than half rate in 1991, the most recent peak, when the state had about 71 births per 1,000 female teens.

The number of babies born to teen mothers in 2009 -- 47,811 -- was an 8% decrease from the previous year.

Since 1998, births to teens have declined about 18%, even as the number of teen girls grew by about 30% statewide.

Teens age 18 and 19 saw a more marked decline in birth rates than younger teens, the report showed.
Latinas have seen the steepest decline in teen births since 2007, although their birth rate remained the highest among all ethnicities. About 71% of the Latina teen mothers in California were born in the U.S., while 29% were foreign-born, according to the report.

The birth rates reflect the increased use of contraception among teens, who are also delaying the first time they have sex, said Dr. Jonathan E. Fielding, Los Angeles County’s director of public health.

Latinas, particularly recent immigrants, may have higher birth rates because studies suggest they have less access to contraception and are less inclined to have abortions, Fielding said.
Although Latinas may be more likely to be married in their late teens than other ethnic groups, that did not account for their higher rate of teen births, state officials said.

Federal officials are expected to release a report Wednesday showing that teen birth rates have continued to decline nationally following a slight increase from 2005 to 2007.

State public health officials credit sex education programs with lowering teen birth rates at a time when some critics worry that teen pregnancy is being glamorized by reality shows such as “Teen Momâ€