Jim Liebelt Christian Blog and Commentary

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Teen Pregnancy and Abortion Rates Drop to New Lows

Teen pregnancy rates continue to fall, dropping 15 percent in two years, from 2008 to 2010, and down 51 percent from their 1990 peak, according to a new report from the Guttmacher Institute, a non-profit reproductive health organization.

In 2010, about 614,000 pregnancies occurred among teenage women ages 15 to 19 -- for a rate of 57.4 pregnancies per 1,000 women -- which is about half the 1.3 million pregnancies that occured in 1990. The teen abortion rate declined 66 percent between its 1988 peak and 2010 (from 43.5 abortions per 1,000 to 14.7 per 1,000).

New Hampshire had the lowest teen pregnancy rate among states with 28 per 1,000 followed by Vermont with 32 per 1,000. New Mexico had the highest teen pregnancy rate of 80 per 1,000.

While pregnancy rates dropped among older teens, more reported having sex, which the study authors said suggested improved contraceptive use and use of more effective methods.

Source: Boston Globe
http://www.bostonglobe.com/lifestyle/health-wellness/2014/05/05/teen-pregnancy-and-abortion-rates-drop-new-lows/0lKiDQaPy05bs2l009aPdP/story.html