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Teen Birth Rates Down in Texas

The number of babies born to Texas teens is at lowest level in decades.
Photo courtesy Liz Davenport via Flickr
The number of babies born to Texas teens is at lowest level in decades.

The rate of teen pregnancies in Texas fell by 15 percent from 2007 to 2010.

A new report by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention shows the number of 15 to 19 year-old girls having babies in Texas dropped from nearly 62 in every 1,000 to about 52 per 1,000.

54,281 Texas teens gave birth in 2007. That number went down by 6,530 to 47,751 in 2010.

Texas is now fourth in the nation for the number of teen births, down from third. Mississippi had the highest teen birth rate — 55 per 1,000 teens.

Overall, the CDC says the teen birth rate is at an historic low at a little over 34 births per 1,000. The actual number of teen births is also down: fewer babies were born to teenagers in 2010 than in any year since 1946. The CDC says teen childbearing has been on a general decline since the late 1950's.

The CDC also looked at the numbers along racial lines. Rates declined across the spectrum but remain highest among Hispanic teens.

Laura first joined the KUT team in April 2012. She now works for the statewide program Texas Standard as a reporter and producer. Laura came to KUT from the world of television news. She has worn many different hats as an anchor, reporter and producer at TV stations in Austin, Amarillo and Toledo, OH. Laura is a proud graduate of the University of Missouri-Columbia, a triathlete and enjoys travel, film and a good beer. She enjoys spending time with her husband and pets.
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