U.S. Birthrate for Young Teens Hits Lowest Point Since 1946: Why?
Could the birthrate decrease in this age group be due to increased abortions?
A November 15, 2004, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) report states, “the birthrate among adolescents and young teen girls in the United States fell sharply in the 1990s, hitting a 58-year-low in 2002.” The birthrate for 10- to 14-year-old girls in 2002 rate is half the 1990 rate. This is incredible news! But what is the cause for the continual and very significant decline in birthrates to young teens? How can we make sure this rate keeps declining?
Could the birthrate decrease in this age group be due to increased abortions? We know this age group has higher abortion numbers than any other age demographic. But evaluating the statistics reveals that abortion cannot be the reason. According to the CDC’s Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report (MMWR),1 the abortion rate for girls under age 15 declined significantly from the late 1980s to the year 2000. So, clearly, abortion is not the reason for the waning birth rates for young teens.
In a Kaiser Family Foundation report, CDC researchers gave another reason for the teen birthrate drop: “CDC researchers attributed the drop in the number of births to programs that focus on sexual abstinence and other forms of birth control influencing this group.”2 Is it unlikely, as the statement says, that the decline is due to educational programs on birth control. Typically, 10 to 14 year-olds are in 5th through 8th grades. Very few 5th- or 6th-grade programs (typically puberty programs) include birth-control information. Birth-control information is much less common in later middle school programs than in high school programs.
In addition, according to the National Campaign to Prevent Teen Pregnancy, “About one in ten young women who first have sex before age 15 describe it as ‘non-voluntary.’”3 Rapists and incest perpetrators usually don’t bother to use condoms.
The CDC comment stated that a possible cause for the young teen birthrate drop is “programs that focus on sexual abstinence and other forms of birth control.” Abstinence education is not birth control; it’s a lifestyle of delayed gratification and holding to the standard of optimal health. It’s teaching life skills that assist pre-teens and teens to navigate our sex-saturated society. It’s focusing on the future and teaching skills so that every student has an equal chance of reaching their goals and dreams. What could be better for our future generations? It is no coincidence that the spread of abstinence until marriage programs in the 1990s and early 2000s correlates with the lowest level of young teen birth rate since 1946. Congratulations to all of the warriors who teach these life-giving programs.
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