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Publication #FAR1208

 

Teen Birth Rates Decline1

Suzanna Smith2

Figure 1. 
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Parents and others who are concerned about teenagers having babies have reason to celebrate. According to the nonprofit research organization Child Trends, the teenage birth rate for 15-19 year olds is at the lowest point in over 40 years. This drop began in 1991 and has roceeded steadily so that it is now one-third lower than the 1991 peak1 (Franzetta et al. 2006). The other good news is that it continues to fall.

Child Trends cautions that there are still a number of reasons to be concerned about teen sexual activity and childbearing. For example, birth rates for girls younger than 15 increased somewhat between 2003 and 2004, as did births to teens 18 and 19 years old. Researchers found that parent and family religious activity play a major role in lower rates of sexual activity and teen pregnancy. In fact, they were more important than characteristics such as race or ethnicity, mother's education, and family structure. According to this research, "teenagers whose parents have strong religious beliefs," who go to religious services more often, and who participate in more family religious activities "are less likely to have sex before age 18" than teens without this level of involvement (Franzetta et al. 2006, p. 2). This positive effect is amplified when there is a strong, high-quality relationship between the mother and her teen.

These findings underscore the importance of family communication about sexual activity and family values during the tender teen years.

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1"In 2004, there were 41.2 births per 1,000 15-19-year-olds, a rate one-third lower than the 1991 rate of 61.8 births per 1,000 15-19-year-olds, but only 1% lower than the 2003 rate of 41.6" (Franzetta et al. 2006, p. 1).

Reference

Franzetta, K., Ikramullah E., Manlove J., Moore K., & Cottingham S. (April 2006). Teen birth rate. Facts at a Glance. Publication #2006-03. Washington, DC: Child Trends.

Footnotes

1.

This document is FAR1208, one of a series of the Family Youth and Community Sciences Department, Florida Cooperative Extension Service, Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences, University of Florida. Broadcast as program 454. Created June 2006. Published on EDIS March 2012. In the interest of time and/or clarity, the broadcast version of this script may have been modified. Visit the EDIS website at http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu.

2.

Suzanna Smith, associate professor, Department of Family, Youth and Community Sciences, Cooperative Extension Service, Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL 32611.

The Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (IFAS) is an Equal Opportunity Institution authorized to provide research, educational information and other services only to individuals and institutions that function with non-discrimination with respect to race, creed, color, religion, age, disability, sex, sexual orientation, marital status, national origin, political opinions or affiliations. For more information on obtaining other extension publications, contact your county Cooperative Extension service.

U.S. Department of Agriculture, Cooperative Extension Service, University of Florida, IFAS, Florida A. & M. University Cooperative Extension Program, and Boards of County Commissioners Cooperating. Nick T. Place, Dean.