ATLANTA (Reuters) – Mississippi has the rate of births to teenage mothers highest in USA, while new Hampshire has the lowest, as they indicated Tuesday the Control centres and Prevention of diseases in the country, following the publication of a report which found a decline in the incidence of pregnancies among American teenagers.
Mississippi reported 55 births for every 1,000 teenagers between 15 and 19 years in 2010, more than 60 percent higher than the average in the country. The number of New Hampshire was less than half the average 15.7 births for the same age group.
The proportion of teenage mothers is highest in the South and Southwest and lowest in the Northeast and the upper middle West, indicated the CDC, noting that Hispanics and blacks had the highest figures of births.
Last fall, the CDC reported that teen motherhood in the country had fallen 9 percent from 2009 to 2010, reaching the historic low of 34.3 births for every 1,000 teenagers between 15 and 19 years. Centres attributed the drop to several factors, including strong pregnancy prevention messages targeting adolescents and the increase in the use of contraceptives.
Between 2007 and 2010, the figures fell at least 8 percent in 47 States and the District of Columbia. In 16 States, the declines were among 20 to 29 per cent. Montana, Dakota of the North and West Virginia were the only ones with few reductions.
“Despite these declines, the rate of births to teenagers in the United States remains one of the highest among industrialized countries”, said the CDC.
