http://www.hhs.gov
New
CDC Report Shows Teen Birth Rate Hits Record Low
U.S. Births Top 4
Million in 2000
For Release
Tuesday, July 24, 2001
Contact: NCHS Press Office
(301) 458-4800
CDC Office of Media Relations (404) 639-3286
E-mail: paoquery@cdc.gov
Births: Preliminary
Data for 2000. NVSR 49, No. 5. 20 pp. (PHS)
2001-1120.
View/download PDF 1 MB
The
U.S. teen birth rate declined to a record low in 2000, according to a
preliminary report on births from the Centers for Disease Control and
Prevention (CDC). The report showed that the 2000 rate was 22 percent lower than
the rate in 1991 when the decline began. In addition, the report showed an
estimated 4,064,948 births for all ages in 2000 in the United States, 3
percent more than in 1999 and the highest in almost a decade.
"The
continued decline in the teen birth rate is very encouraging news,"
said HHS Secretary Tommy G. Thompson. "When teens postpone
parenthood, it benefits not only their lives, but society as a
whole."
Since
the early 1990s when the teen birth rate first began to drop, rates have
declined most for black teenagers (31 percent) and the least for Hispanic
teens (12 percent). The birth rate for young teenagers aged 15-17 has
shown the greatest decline, down 29 percent from 1991 to 2000. The teen
birth rate for most groups continued to decline into 2000.
The
report also found that the overall birth rate was 14.8 per 1,000
population in 2000. The fertility rate was 67.6 per 1,000 women ages
15-44, a 3 percent increase from the previous year. While all groups
experienced an increase in the fertility rate, the greatest increase was
for Asian and Pacific Islander women, with an increase of 8 percent to the
highest level observed since 1988. Hispanic women, who have the highest
fertility rate, had a fertility rate increase of 4 percent in 2000.
The
proportion of births to unmarried women has changed very little between
1994 (32.6 percent) and 2000 (33.1 percent). However, the number of births
to unmarried women increased 3 percent in 2000 to 1,345,917, the highest
number ever reported for the United States. The increase in the number of
births is due to an increase in the birth rate for unmarried women in 2000
(still below the 1994 peak rate) and to a slight increase in the
population of unmarried women in the childbearing ages. The number of
births to unmarried teens, however, declined again in 2000 as in 1999.
The
annual preliminary report from CDC’s National Center for Health
Statistics also tracks key indicators of maternal and infant health. Low
birth weight, which has been on the rise since the mid-1980s, remained at
the same level in 2000 (7.6 percent) as in the past two years. Timely
prenatal care, which had increased steadily during the 1990s, did not
improve over 1999. In 2000, 83.2 percent of women received prenatal care
in the first trimester of pregnancy.
The
cesarean delivery rate rose for the fourth consecutive year to 22.9
percent in 2000, an increase of 4 percent over 1999, making it the highest
level since 1989 when birth certificate data on cesareans first became
available. The cesarean rate declined steadily between 1989 and 1996, but
has risen 11 percent since then. The rate for primary cesarean delivery
was up in 2000, and the rate for vaginal births after cesarean (VBAC)
dropped.
"Births:
Preliminary Data for 2000" is based on birth certificates filed in
state vital statistics offices and reported to CDC. The report can be
viewed or downloaded on the CDC Website.
Earlier
this month, Secretary Thompson announced more than $17.1 million in new
grants to help communities develop and implement abstinence-only education
programs in order to continue the downward trend in the teen birth rate.
CDC
studies have shown that several factors have contributed to the decline in
the teen birth rate. Sexual activity for teens has leveled off, reversing
the steady increases over the past two decades. Many initiatives have
focused on the prevention of pregnancy through abstinence and many
teenagers have heard this message. For teenagers who are sexually active,
more are using contraception including the more effective newer forms.
CDC
protects people’s health and safety by preventing and controlling
diseases and injuries; enhances health decisions by providing credible
information on critical health issues; and promotes healthy living through
strong partnerships with local, national and international organizations.
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NOTE: All HHS press
releases, fact sheets, and other press materials are available at www.hhs.gov/news.
This page last reviewed October 06, 2006
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