The Alan Guttmacher Institute: News Release

CONTACT:
212/248-1111 (phone)
info@guttmacher.org
212/248-1952 (fax)



TEEN PREGNANCY RATES HIGHEST IN CALIFORNIA, NEVADA, HAWAII, ARIZONA AND NEW MEXICO, NEW ANALYSIS SHOWS

North Dakota, New Hampshire, Minnesota, Utah and Iowa Lowest


New and more complete state-by-state teenage pregnancy data (based on births, abortions and miscarriages)--including the most detailed state and national statistics by race and Hispanic ethnicity--are being released today by The Alan Guttmacher Institute (AGI). The release coincides with the launch of an independent, nonprofit initiative founded in 1996--The National Campaign to Prevent Teenage Pregnancy-which has the goal of reducing the U.S. teen pregnancy rate by one-third by 2005. (This would represent a drop from the current rate of 112 pregnancies per 1,000 teenaged women to 75.) Overall, 11% of young women aged 15-19 and 22% of those who are sexually experienced (about 1 in 5) become pregnant each year. AGI estimates that four in 10 teenagers become pregnant at some time before they reach the age of 20. Key new teen pregnancy statistics include: "These rich, detailed state-by-state teen pregnancy statistics, along with the new information on pregnancies among Hispanic young women, challenge all concerned with this important public health issue to evaluate where each state is, and wants to be, in its efforts to reduce teenage pregnancy," comments Jacqueline E. Darroch, senior vice president with The Alan Guttmacher Institute. "Clearly, there is a mandate for every community in the country to address and make every attempt to reduce high levels of teen pregnancy. The bold mission of The National Campaign to Prevent Teenage is commendable." Teenage pregnancy rates have fluctuated since 1980 (see attached Table 1). Between 1980 and 1987 the rate fell 4% from 111 per 1,000 young women to 107. By 1990, the rate had increased to 117--a level higher than any other since abortion statistics became available in 1972--and was associated with a dramatic increase (19%) in the teen birthrate. But by 1992, the most current year for which both birth and abortion data are available, the overall teenage pregnancy rate had dropped again. Teen birth data and preliminary abortion data now suggest that the pregnancy rate has continued to fall since 1992. Nonetheless, the U.S. teenage pregnancy rate remains high. A forthcoming article, "Teenage Abortion and Pregnancy Statistics by State, 1992," by Stanley K. Henshaw, deputy director of research with The Alan Guttmacher Institute, will be published in the May/June 1997 issue of Family Planning Perspectives. It updates national trends in rates of births, abortions and pregnancies among teenaged women and provides the most detailed data on teenage pregnancy among Hispanics. State teenage pregnancy statistics previously published in a September 1995 issue of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report use birth data from the same source as AGI's new analysis, the National Center for Health Statistics' Natality Division. However, those statistics are based on state abortion surveillance data that are often incomplete, and do not factor in miscarriages (known or estimated).

Table 1. Pregnancy, birth and abortion rates per 1,000 women aged 15-19, and abortion ratio, by race, 1980-1992
Race and measure 1980 1981 1982 1983 1984 1985 1986 1987 1988 1989 1990 1991 1992
All
Pregnancy rate*
All women 15-19 111.0 109.9 109.8 109.3 107.9 109.0 106.7 106.6 111.4 114.9 117.1 115.8 111.9
Sexually active women 15-19 246.7 241.5 238.2 230.6 222.9 220.6 212.1 206.2 208.2 216.6 222.6 222.0 216.3
Birthrate 53.2 52.2 52.4 51.4 50.6 51.0 50.2 50.6 53.0 57.3 60.4 62.1 60.7
Abortion rate 42.8 42.9 42.7 43.2 42.9 43.5 42.3 41.8 43.5 42.0 40.6 37.6 35.5
Abortion ratio† 44.6 45.1 44.9 45.7 45.9 46.0 45.7 45.2 45.1 42.3 40.2 37.7 36.9
White
Pregnancy rate* 96.8 95.9 95.6 94.4 93.0 93.2 90.0 89.6 93.0 95.8 98.3 97.0 93.0
Birthrate 45.6 44.9 45.0 43.9 42.9 43.3 42.3 42.5 44.4 47.9 50.8 52.8 51.8
Abortion rate 38.3 38.2 37.9 37.9 37.7 37.5 35.6 35.1 36.1 34.8 33.9 30.5 28.1
Abortion ratio† 45.6 46.0 45.7 46.3 46.8 46.4 45.7 45.2 44.9 42.1 40.1 36.6 35.2
Nonwhite
Pregnancy rate* 181.2 177.1 176.4 177.5 175.5 180.0 180.7 180.1 189.1 193.4 189.6 189.6 185.2
Birthrate 90.9 87.5 87.1 85.9 85.1 85.4 84.8 85.5 89.2 95.9 96.5 98.4 95.5
Abortion rate 65.5 65.6 65.3 67.6 66.7 70.5 71.8 70.4 74.6 71.3 67.1 65.1 64.2
Abortion ratio† 41.9 42.9 42.8 44.0 43.9 45.2 45.8 45.2 45.5 42.6 41.0 39.8 40.2
Black
Pregnancy rate* u u u u u u u u u u 224.3 223.7 218.7
Birthrate 97.9 94.5 94.3 93.9 94.1 95.4 95.8 97.6 102.7 111.5 113.1 115.5 112.4
Abortion rate u u u u u u u u u u 80.5 77.4 76.2
Abortion ratio† u u u u u u u u u u 41.6 40.1 40.4
*Includes estimated number of pregnancies ending in miscarriages and stillbirths. †Percentage of pregnancies (excluding miscarriages) that end in abortion. Notes: No data are presented for nonwhite women other than blacks because of small numbers and the heterogeneity of the group. In this and subsequent tables, data are tabulated according to the woman's age at the pregnancy outcome and according to the mother's race (not the child's); u=unavailable.

Table 2. Pregnancy, birth and abortion rates per 1,000 Hispanic women aged 15-19, and abortion ratio, 1990-1992
Measure 1990 1991 1992
Pregnancy rate* 163.4 172.5 176.0
Birthrate 100.3 106.7 107.1
Abortion rate 39.1 40.4 43.2
Abortion ratio† 28.0 27.5 28.7
*Includes estimated number of pregnancies ending in miscarriages and stillbirths. †Percentage of pregnancies (excluding miscarriages) that end in abortion.

Table 3. Number of pregnancies among women younger than 20, by age-group, according to state, 1992
State ¾19 <15 15-17 18-19
U.S. 960,180 28,780 350,900 580,500
Ala.* 18,410 700 6820 10,890
Alaska† 2,200 50 750 1,400
Ariz. 16,950 380 6,220 10,350
Ark.* 10,400 310 3,680 6,410
Calif.† 153,810 4,510 57,350 91,950
Colo. 12,480 320 4,850 7,310
Conn. 9,330 300 3,680 5,350
Del.† 2,680 120 1,070 1,490
D.C.‡ 4,280 220 1,650 2,410
Fla.† 50,140 1,990 18,480 29,670
Ga.* 30,890 1,180 11,350 18,360
Hawaii 5,220 180 1,960 3,080
Idaho 3,390 50 1,110 2,230
Ill.† 43,740 1,430 15,510 26,800
Ind.* 19,270 450 6,530 12,290
Iowa† 6,490 150 2,110 4,230
Kans.* 7,690 160 2,740 4,790
Ky. 13,710 400 5,060 8,250
La.* 18,270 680 7,060 10,530
Maine* 2,910 50 990 1,870
Md. 17,830 700 6,850 10,280
Mass.* 15,510 420 5,280 9,810
Mich.* 36,090 970 12,610 22,510
Minn* 9,440 230 3,210 6,000
Miss. 13,350 550 5,350 7,450
Mo.* 17,650 460 6,230 10,960
Mont. 2,420 50 890 1,480
Nebr.* 4,010 80 1,310 2,620
Nev. 5,690 180 2,050 3,460
N.H.† 2,150 50 630 1,470
N.J. 23,680 840 8,610 14,230
N.Mex. 7,670 160 2,990 4,520
N.Y. 69,570 2,390 26,880 40,300
N.C. 28,010 840 10,300 16,870
N.Dak.* 1,300 10 390 900
Ohio* 35,440 860 12,130 22,450
Okla.† 11,490 260 3,950 7,280
Ore. 9,740 200 3,540 6,000
Penn. 32,510 1090 12,010 19,410
R.I.* 2,870 80 920 1,870
S.C.* 14,630 480 5,420 8,730
S.Dak. 1,920 20 710 1,190
Tenn.* 19,680 630 7,010 12,040
Tex. 79,640 1,990 29,450 48,200
Utah* 5,580 110 1,900 3,570
Vt. 1,310 20 420 870
Va. 20,990 640 7,340 13,010
Wash. 17,840 380 6,760 10,700
W.Va.* 5,820 120 2,010 3,690
Wis.* 12,600 330 4,320 7,950
Wyo.* 1,440 10 450 980
*Number shown may be too low because parental notification or consent for abortion was required during all or part of 1992 and minors may have obtained abortions in other states.†Abortion estimates are based on the proportion of abortions obtained by women of the same age in neighboring or similar states. ‡Distribution of abortions among women aged 15-17 and 18-19 is based on the distribution among all black teenagers nationally. Notes: Includes estimated number pregnancies ending in miscarriages and stillbirths. Numbers are rounded to the nearest 10 and may not add to totals because of rounding.

Table 4. Ranking of pregnancy, birth and abortion rates per 1,000 women aged 15-19, these rates by age-group, and abortion ratio,1992; and pregnancy rate among women aged 15-19, 1988; all according to state
State Pregnancy rate*BirthrateAbortion rate Abortion
ratio†		 Pregnancy
rate,1988
Rank 15-19 15-17 18-19 Rank 15-19 15-17 18-19 Rank 15-19 15-17 18-19
U.S. na 112 71 172 na 61 38 94 na 35 23 54 37 111
Ala.‡ 14 117 77 175 9 73 46 110 23 27 19 39 27 110
Alaska§ 20 109 63 179 17 64 34 109 22 30 20 44 32 111
Ariz. 4 133 83 211 2 82 51 128 19 32 20 51 28 127
Ark.‡ 15 116 72 181 6 75 47 117 29 23 14 37 24 115
Calif.§ 1 159 102 246 8 74 46 116 2 64 42 97 46 154
Colo. 18 111 73 168 22 58 37 92 12 37 27 53 39 102
Conn. 30 96 66 140 44 39 26 59 7 44 32 63 53 107
Del.§ 11 121 86 170 20 60 44 82 8 44 30 65 43 117
D.C.** na 277 209 355 na 116 89 148 na 125 94 161 52 209
Fla.§ 7 127 82 193 15 66 42 102 9 43 28 64 39 133
Ga.‡ 6 127 83 190 7 75 48 112 16 34 22 51 31 122
Hawaii 3 138 94 197 27 54 32 83 1 67 51 89 56 134
Idaho 40 77 42 132 30 52 28 88 48 14 7 24 21 73
Ill.§ 16 112 69 178 18 64 40 99 18 33 18 54 34 112
Ind.‡ 32 95 55 152 21 59 35 94 31 22 13 36 27 89
Iowa§ 46 67 36 115 42 41 21 72 43 16 10 26 29 69
Kans.‡ 34 90 54 147 26 56 30 96 34 21 16 30 28 88
Ky. 28 99 63 152 16 65 39 103 41 19 15 26 23 96
La.‡ 21 109 73 161 5 76 52 112 45 15 9 24 17 107
Maine‡ 45 70 41 112 43 40 21 67 37 20 14 29 34 82
Md. 13 118 80 173 32 51 33 77 5 52 37 74 51 129
Mass.‡ 35 87 53 134 46 38 25 56 11 38 21 61 50 97
Mich.‡ 22 108 65 170 24 57 34 90 13 37 23 57 39 111
Minn.‡ 48 64 37 106 48 36 21 60 42 19 11 31 34 69
Miss. 9 122 86 174 1 84 59 121 39 19 14 27 19 106
Mo.‡ 25 100 60 160 19 63 38 101 32 22 13 35 26 99
Mont. 38 81 50 131 37 46 26 78 28 24 17 33 34 74
Nebr.‡ 44 71 39 118 41 41 23 68 38 20 11 32 32 75
Nev. 2 145 90 226 10 71 43 114 4 54 35 81 43 142
N.H.§ 49 62 32 104 50 31 15 54 33 22 12 35 41 87
N.J. 29 97 61 149 45 39 24 61 6 45 29 69 54 112
N.Mex. 5 129 85 196 3 80 51 124 21 30 21 43 27 124
N.Y. 12 120 81 178 38 45 29 69 3 60 42 86 57 116
N.C. 10 121 78 180 14 70 44 106 17 34 24 48 33 122
N.Dak.‡ 50 59 29 107 47 37 18 68 49 13 7 24 27 57
Ohio‡ 33 93 55 148 23 58 35 92 35 21 12 35 27 96
Okla.§ 26 100 58 162 13 70 41 113 46 14 8 24 17 105
Ore. 27 99 60 161 28 53 30 90 20 32 21 49 38 105
Penn. 37 84 55 127 39 45 29 69 24 27 18 40 38 87
R.I.‡ 31 96 55 153 35 48 30 72 14 36 17 60 43 86
S.C.‡ 19 110 72 163 12 70 46 105 30 23 16 34 25 114
S.Dak. 41 74 45 119 34 48 27 82 47 14 12 18 23 69
Tenn.‡ 17 112 70 172 11 71 45 110 27 24 15 37 25 110
Tex. 8 123 78 190 4 79 51 120 25 26 15 42 25 117
Utah‡ 47 65 37 111 36 46 26 78 50 9 5 15 16 69
Vt. 43 71 39 117 49 36 17 62 26 26 17 39 42 81
Va. 24 101 63 152 29 52 31 80 15 35 23 51 40 106
Wash. 23 107 69 166 31 51 31 81 10 42 29 62 45 109
W.Va.‡ 36 85 50 136 25 56 32 91 44 16 10 25 22 78
Wis.‡ 42 73 43 121 40 42 24 70 36 21 13 33 33 74
Wyo.‡ 39 81 41 145 33 50 25 90 40 19 10 34 28 82
*Includes estimated number of pregnancies ending in miscarriages and stillbirths. †Percentage of pregnancies (excluding miscarriages) that end in abortion. ‡Abortion and pregnancy rates shown may be too low because parental notification or consent for abortion was required during all or part of 1992 and minors may have obtained abortions in other states; rates in neighboring states may be too high. §Abortion estimates are based on the proportion of abortions obtained by women of the same age in neighboring or similar states. **Distribution of abortions among women aged 15-17 and 18-19 is based on the distribution among all black teenagers nationally. Notes: State rankings are based on rates for women aged 15-19; na=not applicable.

Table 5. Number of pregnancies and pregnancy, birth and abortion rates among women aged 15-19, by race and ethnicity, according to state, 1992
State White Black Hispanic
No. of pregnancies* Rate per 1,000 women No. of pregnancies* Rate per 1,000 women No. of pregnancies* Rate per 1,000 women
Pregnancy Birth Abortion Pregnancy Birth Abortion Pregnancy Birth Abortion
U.S.† 615,760 93 52 28 285,630 219 112 76 176,520 176 107 43
Ala.‡ 9,230 93 55 24 8,390 168 109 34 u u 66 u
Alaska u u 50 u u u 87 u u u 70 u
Ariz. 14,040 132 80 33 980 196 112 56 6,500 194 135 29
Ark.‡ 6,580 99 63 21 3,450 181 122 32 110 117 93 7
Calif. u u 79 u u u 95 u u u 123 u
Colo. 10,700 107 56 36 1,020 184 108 49 u u 121 u
Conn. u u 32 u u u 94 u u u 131 u
Del. u u 41 u u u 123 u u u 132 u
D.C. u u 26 u u u 131 u u u 130 u
Fla. u u 51 u u u 126 u u u 58 u
Ga.‡ 14,340 94 55 26 15,160 193 115 50 560 136 97 17
Hawaii 1,110 111 33 65 150 174 67 85 u u 99 u
Idaho 3,220 77 51 14 10 § § § 500 177 127 21
Ill. u u 45 u u u 145 u u u 106 u
Ind.‡ 14,530 82 51 19 4,190 206 126 50 u u 70 u
Iowa u u 38 u u u 138 u u u 89 u
Kans.‡ 6,050 81 50 19 1,330 221 137 51 580 136 97 18
Ky. 11,180 91 61 17 2,040 182 112 43 u u 48 u
La. u u 51 u u u 118 u u u 23 u
Maine‡ 2,790 70 40 20 20 § § § u u § u
Md. 7,520 80 32 38 9,210 206 95 83 u u 58 u
Mass. u u 33 u u u 97 u u u 128 u
Mich. u u 42 u u u 125 u u u 86 u
Minn.‡ 7,250 54 30 17 1,120 254 163 54 360 130 94 14
Miss. 4,880 88 57 17 7,830 164 116 22 20 27 27 0
Mo.‡ 11,280 78 51 15 5,750 241 144 62 u u 63 u
Mont. 1,900 71 38 23 10 § § § u u 65 u
Nebr. u u 36 u u u 126 u u u 98 u
Nev. 4,490 141 66 56 790 222 137 53 u u 123 u
N.H. u u 31 u u u § u u u § u
N.J. 9,730 54 26 20 10,830 253 103 117 4,680 151 78 52
N.Mex. 6,370 130 80 31 190 129 76 35 4,200 156 103 30
N.Y. 38,990 96 39 45 27,170 219 74 119 17,430 192 83 84
N.C. 14,780 96 53 29 11,630 180 108 46 u u 132 u
N.Dak.‡ 1,040 52 31 14 10 § § § 30 § § §
Ohio‡ 23,510 74 47 16 10,710 221 132 56 u u 75 u
Okla. u u 63 u u u 116 u u u 91 u
Ore. 8,640 97 52 31 500 222 114 78 1,000 193 134 29
Penn. 20,330 63 35 20 10,710 249 127 87 2,060 187 132 26
R.I.‡ 2,220 85 40 33 440 235 131 71 330 156 121 12
S.C.‡ 6,700 86 52 21 7,360 148 100 26 120 98 66 16
S.Dak. 1,320 58 35 15 10 § § § u u § u
Tenn.‡ 12,360 92 59 20 6,600 194 124 41 150 104 70 15
Tex. 61,330 117 75 24 15,450 176 113 37 34,350 159 112 22
Utah‡ 5,110 64 45 8 70 § § § 650 146 107 15
Vt. 1,270 71 36 26 10 § § § 0 § § §
Va. 11,910 80 40 30 8,130 176 98 54 u u 63 u
Wash. 14,800 104 49 40 1,270 204 92 86 u u 133 u
W.Va.‡ 5,310 83 56 14 380 161 77 62 u u § u
Wis.‡ 8,210 55 30 17 3,420 273 167 66 u u 95 u
Wyo. u u 48 u u u § u u u 79 u
*Rounded to the nearest 10. †Includes estimates for states not shown separately. ‡Number of pregnancies and abortion and pregnancy rates shown may be too low because parental notification or consent for abortion was required during all or part of 1992 and minors may have obtained abortions in other states; rates in neighboring states may be too high. §Rate not calculated because population base of women aged 15-19 was less than 500. Notes: Numbers of pregnancies and pregnancy rates include estimates of the number of miscarriages. Race and ethnicity are not mutually exclusive.

The Alan Guttmacher Institute is a non-profit organization for reproductive health research, policy analysis and public education, with offices in New York and Washington, D.C.

Archived News Releases



Statement of Accuracy/User Agreement

© copyright 1997, The Alan Guttmacher Institute.


about | buy | e-mail list | feedback | help | home | search | support AGI