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Trends in Pregnancy
Rates for the United States, 1976-97: An Update. NVSR 49, No. 4. 10 pp. (PHS)
2001-1120. View/download PDF
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America’s teenagers
were less likely to become pregnant in 1997 than at any time since 1976,
when national data on pregnancy rates first became available, according to
a new report from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), which
updates trends in pregnancy and births in the United States. The teen
pregnancy rate fell 19 percent from its all-time high in 1991 to reach a
record low of 94.3 pregnancies per 1,000 women aged 15-19 years in 1997.
"The fact that
fewer teens are becoming pregnant is encouraging news," said Dr.
Jeffrey P. Koplan, CDC Director. "Few teens are ready for the
challenges of parenthood. When they delay this responsibility it enables
them to gain the education and maturity they need to be good parents and
good citizens," he said.
The teen pregnancy rate
had risen from the mid-1980's and reached a peak in 1991; the 1997 rate is
actually 10 percent lower than the 1986 rate when the upturn began.
Teenage pregnancy rates
declined for all teenagers with the steepest declines among non-Hispanic
black (down 23 percent) and white (down 26 percent) teenagers. The overall
decline is attributable to both reduced rates of live births (down 13
percent) and abortions (down 32 percent). Teen birth rates are available
through 1999 and show a continued decline, totaling 20 percent since 1991.
Among the factors
believed to be driving this downturn in teen pregnancies are increases in
condom use, the adoption of the effective injectable and implant
contraceptives, and the leveling off of teen sexual activity.
There were an estimated
6,192,000 pregnancies among women of all ages in the U.S. that resulted
in a live birth, induced abortion, or fetal loss (miscarriages or
stillbirths) in 1997, nearly 600,000 fewer than in 1990 when the number of
pregnancies reached its peak. The pregnancy rate in 1997 was 103.7
pregnancies per 1,000 women aged 15-44 years, 10 percent lower than in
1990 and the lowest rate since 1976.
Pregnancy rates have
declined for women under age 30 years and risen for older women. Though the greatest
increases in pregnancy rates were among women aged 35-39 (up 9 percent) and
40-44 years (up 21 percent), pregnancy rates remain highest for women in their
twenties.
The report,
"Trends in Pregnancy Rates for the United States, 1976-97: An
Update," was prepared by CDC’s National Center for Health
Statistics and tracks the effects of changes in sexual activity, marriage
patterns, contraceptive use, and attitudes and economic and educational
opportunities on pregnancies and pregnancy rates in the United States.
Using complete counts of births from the birth registration system and
estimates of abortions and fetal loss, the report examines patterns by
age, race and Hispanic origin, and marital status.
"It is essential
to monitor these important indicators of childbearing and reproductive
health, " said Dr. Edward J. Sondik, Director of CDC’s National
Center for Health Statistics.
The 6 million-plus
pregnancies in 1997 in the U.S. resulted in 3.9 million births, 1.3 million induced
abortions, and almost a million fetal deaths. This means that 63 percent of
pregnancies ended in a live birth, 21 percent in abortion, and 16 percent
with a miscarriage or stillbirth. Trends in birth, abortion, and fetal loss
have varied over the past 20 years. Between 1990 and 1997 the rates
for all three have declined: live births, down 8 percent; 19 percent for
induced abortions, and 4 percent for fetal loss. The pregnancy rate for
married women has risen slightly to 113.8, returning to 1994 levels. The
rate remains 10 percent lower than in 1990. The pregnancy rate for
unmarried women continues to decline, now 9 percent below the 1990 level.
There remains a marked difference in pregnancy outcomes based on marital
status. Among married women 74 percent of pregnancies ended as live births
and only 7 percent in abortions. While among unmarried women, 47 percent
ended in live births and 41 percent ended in abortions.
Changes in pregnancy
rates may be linked to changing attitudes towards premarital sexual
activity, better contraceptive measures, and increased economic
opportunities during the 1990's.
The report can be
viewed or downloaded from the CDC Website.
Additional tables are also available on the Web site.
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