U.S. Teen Birth Rates Reach Historic Low

Recent statistics show that the United States fertility rate has finally stabilized after years of a deep decline, according to new information released by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

The latest numbers show that based on CDC data that the baby boom is at an end as of information released Friday.

In fact, the number of births that took place in 2012 leveled off with years of huge drops. Approximately 3.5 million were born last year, which was 1,000 fewer than in 2011. More significant declines can also be noted via 2011, with 50,000 less babies and a drop of 100,000 in 2009 and 2010.

According to the CDC, researchers also found that the number of births per 1,000 women of childbearing age fell to 63 from 63.2. These statistics show record low rates in a small amount of time. Yet the drop is relatively small compared to previous years. For instance, in 2007 the rate was 69.3 and it dropped consistently throughout the recessions till early years of recovery.

Yet the information also showed that teen birthrates, ranging in age from 15 to 19, dropped by 6 percent from 31.3 births per 1,000 teenage girls in 2011 to 29.4 in 2012, and this was down for all racial and ethnic groups. 

Researchers note that this is the lowest teen birthrate since 1940, according to lead author Brady Hamiltion, a statistician with the National Center for Health Statistics, part of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. In fact, he demonstrates that it's less than half of what it was in 1991 when a recent spike in teen pregnancies hit the country. 

"This is a truly remarkable success on a pressing social issue that many once considered intractable," says Bill Albert, a spokesman for the National Campaign to Prevent Teen and Unplanned Pregnancy, via USA Today. It really is this magic formula of less sex and more contraception that has driven the rates down," Albert adds. "More kids are delaying sex, which is a good and responsible thing to do, and the kids who are having sex are using contraception more consistently and carefully, also a good and responsible thing to do."