FollowThe teen birth rate decreased in the U.S during the last two decades. The news is great, as the decrease in teen birth rates brings along enormous benefits. There are lots of stats conveying just how good the news is from economical points of view. Moreover, the teen girls who did not get pregnant have an overall better quality of life.
For example, around $12 billion tax money would have been spent if teen birth rates would have remained at 1991 levels. And this applies for 2010 alone! Teen mothers and their children need $1700 from public funds each year to cover food stamps and other government assistance.
Overall, because the level of teen pregnancy rate decreased, there were 4 million fewer births in the aforementioned timeframe.
Teen mothers face multiple challenges and one of them is obtaining a high-school diploma. According to Bill Albert, chief program officer of The National Campaign to Prevent Teen and Unplanned Pregnancy, only around 40 percent of the teen mothers manage to graduate high-school.
Even if Medicare stumbles upon all sorts of problems, some states, such as New York, decided to cover post birth contraceptives to lower birth rates. By doing so, the State of New York awards women with the option to have a better control on their body and avoid unwanted pregnancies.
Teen birth rate decreased for all races and ethnicitis in all 50 states
The rate of teen birth rates dropped all over the country and applies for all races and ethnicities. In 1957 the U.S. had the highest rate of teen birth, 96 per mille. For a change, the 2013 rate is just one third of that, with almost 27 per mille.
“These historic declines in teen pregnancy and births truly represent one of the nation’s great success stories over the past two decades,” Albert said. In the 1950s teen mothers were usually married. Moreover, with high-school education you could more easily support yourself.
The rate of teen birth rates increased between 1986 and 1991. As a consequence, family planning became a national matter. Teens have access to a large array of birth control methods. It includes combinations of these methods, such as using a condom and spermicides. While teen pregnancies were seen as the girls’ problem for a long while, the advent of HIV, changed the optics on protection among boys as well, so the teen birth rate decreased.
Nevertheless, the U.S. still has a lot of catching up to do. Even Russia has a lower teen birth rate, at 35.2 per mille. Japan and Denmark, for example, have rates under 5 per mille.
