Pregnant Pause! State's Teen Birth Rate Drops To New Low
SACRAMENTO (AP) — State public health officials say the teen birth rate dropped to a new low in 2009.
The California Department of Public Health released data Tuesday that shows births to teenage mothers falling from 35.2 births for every 1,000 teens in 2008 to 32.1 in 2009, the most recent year available.
Teen births peaked in 1991, with 70.9 per 1,000 adolescents.
The birth rate among Hispanic teens dropped more than other groups but the Latina birth rate is highest among all ethnicities.
Department director Dr. Mark Horton said the record low teen birth rate in California is an important accomplishment because early childbearing has negative consequences for adolescent mothers, their children, and society.
California's teen birth rate is lower than the national average, but higher than in many other developed countries.
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