US teen births have dropped to a record low, but the country still has one of the highest rates among developed nations, the US Centres for Disease Control and Prevention said on May 22. "The overall rate declined 25 percent from 41.5 per 1,000 teenagers aged 15-19 in 2007 to 31.3 in 2011 - a record low," the CDC report said.
"The number of births to teenagers aged 15-19 also fell from 2007 to 2011, by 26 percent to 329,797." The decline in teenagers giving birth has been "sustained, widespread, and broad-based," the CDC said.
The declines "have been attributed to a number of factors, including strong teen pregnancy prevention messages."
According to the most recent National Survey of Family Growth, teens are increasingly using contraception during their first sexual encounter, and sexually active females and males are using dual measures - mainly condoms and hormonal methods.
Teenage birth rates have been falling steeply since 1991, with the brief exception of 2006 and 2007.
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