Teen birth rate rises first time in 14 years

The birth rate among teenagers in the United States rose in 2006 for the first time since 1991 along with the number of births to unmarried women, according to preliminary data released by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

CDC figures indicate the birth rate for girls aged 15–19 rose 3 percent, from 40.5 live births per 1,000 females aged 15–19 in 2005 to 41.9 births per 1,000 in 2006. The CDC said this follows a 14-year downward trend in which the teen birth rate fell by 34 percent from its all-time peak of 61.8 births per 1,000 in 1991.
Unmarried childbearing reached a record high in 2006, the statistics show, with the total number of births to unmarried women rising nearly 8 percent to more than 1.6 million. (BP)