Experts blame socio-economic status, lack of education, inadequate access to contraception for increased birth rates, but teens say otherwise
The statewide birth rate for teenagers is 39.6 per 1,000, but six Contra Costa County communities have surpassed it, reported the Jan. 4 Contra Costa Times. The incidence of teen births in these communities in 2002-04 ran from 31.9 per thousand to as high as 56.8 per thousand, according to Contra Costa Health Services. On the whole, however, the county's teen birth rate, at 23.8 per thousand, was lower than the state's. Nationwide, the teen birth rate has risen for the first time in 15 years, said a December study from the Centers for Disease Control. The same report said that the U.S. birth rate has also risen for women in their 20s, 30s, and 40s – and for whites, African Americans, Hispanics, and Native Americans, but not for Asians. The total number of births in the United States jumped 3% in 2006.
Among the reasons for the increased birth rate, "experts" cited declining contraceptive use, less access to abortion, poorer education, and poverty, said a Jan. 16 Associated Press story.
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