The long-standing national abstinence education emphasis prior to the Obama Administration has been proved effective as teen birth rates dropped significantly from 2008 through 2010, but the mainstream media posit cognitive economic decisions by youngsters account for the behavioral change.
“The 9% drop is impressive but not entirely surprising. This news follows another recent report from the CDC showing that nearly 75% of 15-17 year olds are not having sex.”
For background, read Teen Birth Rate Record Low for U.S. and also read Abstinence Education Effective, Fed Study Shows as well as Obama Funds Teaching Sex, not Abstinence
UPDATE 1/20/12: Fed study shows contraceptives ineffective in lowering teen pregnancy
-- From "U.S. teen birth rate drops to record low in 2010" by David Beasley, Reuters 11/17/11
The teen birth rate in the United States reached an all-time low last year, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported on Thursday.
There were 34.3 births per 1,000 teenagers aged 15-19 in 2010 -- a 9 percent drop from the prior year and the lowest rate in the nearly 70 years data has been collected, the CDC said.
The birth rate for teens has gone down for the last three years and in 17 out of the last 19 years, the agency said. In 2010, birth rates also dropped to historic lows for mothers aged 10-14.
Teen pregnancy rates have dropped 44 percent since peaking in 1991 . . .
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From "US birth rates dip with the economy, plummet for young women, CDC report shows" by The Associated Press 11/17/11
A federal report released Thursday showed declines in the birth rate for all races and most age groups. Teens and women in their early 20s had the most dramatic dip, to the lowest rates since record-keeping began in the 1940s. Also, the rate of cesarean sections stopped going up for the first time since 1996.
Experts believe the downward trend is tied to the economy, which officially was in a recession from December 2007 until June 2009 and remains weak. The theory is that women with money worries — especially younger women — feel they can’t afford to start a family or add to it.
“I don’t think there’s any doubt now that it was the recession. It could not be anything else,” said Carl Haub, a demographer with the Population Reference Bureau, a Washington, D.C.-based research organization. He was not involved in the new report.
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From "Report: Teen birth rate hits historic low" by Cheryl Wetzstein, The Washington Times 11/17/11
When the 2010 decline is added to the one in 2009, it comes to an “attention-grabbing” 15 percent decline in the teen birthrate in two years, said Bill Albert of the National Campaign to Prevent Teen and Unplanned Pregnancy.
The news about the teen birthrates likely will be well-received because these births were typically out of wedlock and linked to welfare use, poverty, poor school outcomes and other hardships for women and children. The report found that birthrates fell among all races and teen age groups, including the 10- to 14-year-old group, which dropped to a historic low of 0.4 births per 1,000 girls.
The reasons for the decline in teen births are multifaceted; however, it’s important to first “give credit where credit is due, and that’s to teens themselves,” Mr. Albert said. They have “obviously changed their behavior and are making more responsible decisions about both today and tomorrow, and for their children,” he said.
For instance, most teens now postpone sexual intercourse until they reach age 18 or 19, and when they started having sex, they typically use birth control.
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From "Abstinence Programs Credited With Reducing Teen Birth Rates" by Steven Ertelt, LifeNews.com 11/18/11
Valerie Huber of the National Abstinence Education Association . . . [said] “However, our congratulatory spirit may be given pause when we consider the soaring rates of certain STD’s among all groups including teens. NAEA has long held the view that teen pregnancy prevention programs are not enough,” she said. “Simply curbing teen pregnancy is a short-sighted goal that ignores the larger issue of teen sexual activity that must be addressed. Just because pregnancy is prevented does not mean that STDs are prevented, as these reports illustrate. The myth of ‘protected sex’ is clearly exposed by the high prevalence of STDs in teens and falls tragically short of what is the healthiest message.”
NAEA believes the proven programs of Sexual Risk Avoidance abstinence education have contributed greatly to this positive decline. Against a barrage of disingenuous claims that the abstinence message is unrealistic for teens, NAEA has continued to promote programs that empower teens to make the healthy choice of abstinence. The 22-peer reviewed studies showing the effectiveness of such programs are now being validated in the recent decline in teen birth rates.
But Huber is concerned by numbers showing chlamydia rates are the highest they have been in twenty years and have increased 24% since 2006, with African American teen girls bearing the greatest burden. And while Gonorrhea rates are down, the CDC warns that strains are becoming increasingly resistant to treatment, showing that sexual risk avoidance should be given priority.
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