Black Teen Birth Rate Drops, Study Says

Jet, Sept 4, 2000

The birth rate among Black teenagers has declined more than any other group of teens, a new study says.

During the 1990s, teen birth rates declined among Black, White, American Indian, Asian and Hispanic women aged 15-19, according to the report from the Centers for Disease Control's National Center for Health Statistics (NCHS).

The most dramatic drop was among Black teens, whose rate dropped 30 percent from 1991 to 1999. Hispanic teens reported the smallest decline--13 percent.

Births to teenagers have fallen to their lowest rate in the 60 years that statistics have been kept.

Government analysts said more teenagers than ever understand the importance of safe sex and more teens are abstaining from sex altogether.

Even the nation's booming economy has played a role, encouraging teens to take well-paying jobs and wait to have children, they said.

"Teens see there's more to do with their lives," said NCHS senior demographer Stephanie Ventura. "They can see there's some hope for something else besides having a child, which they're not ready to do."