Teen Birth Rates Decline 9% in 2014: A Statement from The National Campaign to Prevent Teen and Unplanned Pregnancy
Washington, DC (PRWEB) June 17, 2015 -- Teen births in the U.S. declined 9% in 2014 and have reached another record low, according to data released today by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s National Center for Health Statistics (NCHS). The teen birth rate has declined more than 7% annually since 2007 and an impressive 61% since peaking in 1991.
“Few social issues have improved quite so dramatically over the past 23 years as teen pregnancy and childbearing,” said Sarah Brown, CEO of The National Campaign to Prevent Teen and Unplanned Pregnancy. “The scope of this national success story is truly breathtaking; teen pregnancy and birth rates are at historic lows, declines are geographically widespread, and rates have plummeted among all racial/ethnic groups and in persistently disadvantaged communities.
“Despite this impressive progress, the case for going on rather than going home remains compelling. The consequences of early pregnancy and childbearing are arguably more serious now that in the past, and teen pregnancy remains far too common among many subgroups of teens—older teens, teens of color and those in rural areas, and very poor teens most of all. Moreover, the U.S. teen birth rate remains staggeringly high by international standards.
“The question is not whether the nation should sustain its focus on helping adolescents avoid early pregnancy and parenthood but, rather, what exactly needs to be done to continue the national success story? Among other things, the federal government’s investment in interventions that have been shown to work through the Teen Pregnancy Prevention Program and Title X must continue.”
Visit http://www.TheNationalCampaign.org for more information and http://www.cdc.gov/nchs for the full report on 2014 birth data.
About The National Campaign. The National Campaign to Prevent Teen and Unplanned Pregnancy seeks to improve the lives and future prospects of children and families. Our specific strategy is to prevent teen pregnancy and unplanned pregnancy among single, young adults. We support a combination of responsible values and behavior by both men and women and responsible policies in both the public and private sectors. For more information, visit http://www.TheNationalCampaign.org.
Bill Albert, The National Campaign, +1 (202) 478-8510, [email protected]
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