The teen pregnancy and teen birth rate in the U.S. reached a record low in 2005, and condom use among high school students increased, according to a report released on Friday by the Federal Interagency Forum on Child and Family Statistics.
The report, titled “America’s Children: Key National Indicators of Well-Being 2007,” was compiled from data and studies at 22 federal agencies and addressed 38 key indicators.
According to the report, in 2005, the adolescent birth rate dropped to a record low, to 21 per 1,000 young women ages 15?17, down from 22 per 1,000 in 2004, and 39 per 1,000 in 1991. This decline follows an increase of one-fourth between 1986 and 1991.
In 2005, the birth rate per 1,000 girls in this age group was 12 for non-Hispanic whites, 35 for non-Hispanic blacks, and 48 for Hispanics.
According to the report, 47% of high school students, or 6.7 million, reported having had sexual intercourse in 2005, compared with 54% in 1991. The rate of high school students reporting having sex has remained unchanged since 2003. Sixty-three percent of those who reported having sex during a three-month period in 2005 said they used condoms, compared with 46% in 1991, the report showed. The report also found that the percentage of girls who said they used birth control remained stable. In addition, births among unmarried women in their 20s increased significantly, and the birth rate for unmarried women increased.