New report shows decline in teen birth rate

By Staff Writer

According to a new study from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), fewer teen girls had babies in 2009 than in previous years. CNN reports that CDC research shows fewer American women overall are giving birth.

The CDC's National Center for Health Statistics compiled the statistics which are based on birth record from all 50 states.

The report showed that the teen birth rate declined 6 percent from 2008 to 2009, which is the second continuous year of decline. The birth rate was 39.1 per 1,000 teenagers.

In addition, fewer women are having children, as the fertility rate dropped from 68.6 births per 1,000 females in 2008 to 66.7 in 2009, which is the first decline in 13 years. Yet the percentage of unmarried women who gave birth increased from 40.6 in 2008 to 41 in 2009.

The Guttmacher Institute reports that the U.S. has the highest levels of teen pregnancy among developed nations. Additionally, statistics from the CDC suggest that adolescents with mental health disorders or a history of psychiatric hospitalizations have intercourse at an earlier age, have more unintended pregnancies and have more sexual partners than their peers.