July 31, 2008

Latest Data on Teen Birth Rates, Abstinence, and Contraception

The 2008 edition of Child Trends' annual Facts at a Glance contains the latest national and state-level data on teen birth rates as well as data on the percentage of teens in grades 9-12 who abstain from sex or use contraception.  Among the findings:

• Nationally, birth rates for white, black, and Hispanic teens all increased in 2006.
• Also on the national level, 52% of students in grades 9-12 in 2007 reported that they never had sex.   
• Of those teens in grades 9-12 who were sexually active in 2007, 62% reported using a condom at last sex and 16% reported using birth control pills.
• The latest state data on teen birth rates are from 2005, which show:
  
   o  Texas and New Mexico have the highest teen birth rate (62 births for every 1,000
       female teens ages 15-19), followed closely by Mississippi. 
   o  New Hampshire has the lowest teen birth rate (18 births for every 1,000 female teens),
       followed closely by Vermont and Massachusetts.

The report, which is based primarily on Child Trends' analyses of data from the National Center for Health Statistics, also includes teen birth data for large cities.  
 
PRESS RELEASE

STATE RANKING IN TEEN BIRTH RATES