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By James B. Kelleher updated 2/8/2012 9:51:36 AM ET
 * Teen pregnancy, abortion rates at record low **

**Summary:** Rates of teenage births and abortions in the U.S fell to record lows in 2008 and they are at the lowest percentages since 1972. The reason for this decline is because of an increased use of contraceptives with both genders. It could also be attributed to reduced sexual activity with younger teens. Teenage pregnancy peaked in 1990 with an average of 116.9 pregnancies per 1,000 teen girls. The statistic from 2008 is 67.8 pregnancies per 1,000 teen girls. Teenage abortion rates peaked in 1988 at 43.5 per 1,000 teen girls, and in 2008 it has decreased to 17.8 per 1,000 teen girls. Despite the fact that all teenage pregnancy and abortion rates have gone down, minorities have significantly higher birth and abortion rates. Birth rates for black and Hispanic teens were more than twice the amount of white teens. Abortion rates for Hispanic teens were twice as high as white teens and abortion rates for black teens were four times higher than white teens. Minority birth and abortion rates have declined over the years, but there is still a large discrepancy between races.

**Relevance:** The fact that teenage pregnancy is on a decline is highly beneficial to our country as a whole. The U.S. has the highest teen pregnancy rate of the Western industrialized world and spends about $7 million annually due to teenage pregnancy. Many of these teens don’t receive a college education and end up going on welfare, so the decline of teen pregnancy will definitely see benefits (Teen Pregnancy Statistics). Also, the average age of a mother has gone up in the past two decades. With less teen pregnancies there has been a shift and we are now seeing more mothers in the age range 35 and older. However, the number of births to unmarried women has increased from 28% in 1990 to 41% in 2008 (Livingston). It seems that this statistic does not stem from younger mothers, since the average age has gone up, but rather to the fact that fewer adults are married. Times have changed over the years and marriage is not as important as it was many years ago. In the early 1900s it was extremely taboo to have a child out of wedlock, but these days it’s not really a big deal. That is also a change in our society today. In addition, mothers are more educated than they were in the past. 41% of mothers had at least some college education in 1990 as compared to 54% in 2008. This is due to the fact that women have bigger career goals and are pursuing higher education (Livingston). It used to be that the role of women was to simply be a mother and housewife, but not so much anymore. Our society is certainly seeing many changes in the demographics of mothers and birth rates.

**Evaluation:** This article shows that our country is seeing a change in birth rates, specifically with teenagers. Not only does it impact the teens, but it impacts the entire nation, because the government spends a lot of money on these teen mothers. It shows the progress that the U.S. has made over the past couple decades and the impact it has made. It also shows the differences between races. Our country has been trying to eliminate racism for many years, but there are still obvious differences in races, not just with teen pregnancy rates. Hispanics and blacks need to be targeted and educated so that the racial differences in teen birth rates decrease. The changes that have occurred and will continue to occur will affect the demographics of our country.


 * Questions: **
 * 1) Will teenage birth and abortion rates continue to decline in the next couple years?
 * 2) Will the difference between races in teenage birth and abortion rates increase or get closer together?
 * 3) Will teenage pregnancy become more accepted or more looked down upon in the years to come?
 * 4) Will the average age of mothers continue to increase?

Kelleher, James B. "Teen Pregnancy, Abortion Rates at Record Low." //TODAY.com//. Web. 11 Feb. 2012. .

Livingston, Gretchen, and D’Vera Cohn. "The New Demography of American Motherhood." //Pew Research Center//. 6 May 2010. Web. 15 Feb. 2012. .

"Teen Pregnancy Statistics." //Teen Help - Advice for Parents and Teens//. Web. 15 Feb. 2012. <http://www.teenhelp.com/teen-pregnancy/teen-pregnancy-statistics.html>.