Science and Health

Teen Birth Rates In The US Hit All-Time Low

According to the CDC, the drop in overall teen birth rates is partly due to a decline in births among black and Hispanic teens.

Teen Birth Rates In The US Hit All-Time Low
Getty Images / Christopher Furlong
Article by Christian Bryant
SMS
April 28, 2016

Teen births in the U.S. have hit an all-time low, thanks in part to a drop in births among black and Hispanic teens. 

In a report published Thursday, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says births among black teens dropped 44 percent while births among Hispanic teens dropped 51 percent since 2006. That's part of a 41 percent drop in births among all teens in the U.S. during the same time period.

The CDC says community-wide initiatives — like pregnancy prevention interventions and reproductive health services — helped with the overall decline in teen births. 

While the new stats are historic, the CDC adds that teen birth rates are still too high. That could be because of unemployment rates and limited education opportunities. 

According to the CDC, teen pregnancies cost taxpayers $9.4 billion in 2010 alone and contributed significantly to high school dropout rates among girls. 

The CDC says leaning on community-specific prevention efforts from state and local health officials can help in continuing to reduce teen birth rates. 

This video includes images from Getty Images.