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Teen birth rate in US hits new low, fewer having sex

Fewer US high school students are having sex these days, and more are using condoms. The teen birth rate has hit a record low.

More young people are finishing high school, too, according to the latest government snapshot on the well-being of US children. It is good news on a number of key wellness indicators, experts said of the report released yesterday.

"The implications for the population are quite positive in terms of their health and their well-being," said Edward Sondik, director of the National Center for Health Statistics. "The lower figure on teens having sex means the risk of sexually transmitted diseases is lower."

In 2005, 47 percent of US high school students -- 6.7 million -- reported having had sexual intercourse, down from 54 percent in 1991. The rate of those who reported having had sex has remained the same since 2003.

Of those who had sex during a three-month period in 2005, 63 percent -- about 9 million -- used condoms. That is up from 46 percent in 1991.

The teen birth rate, the report said, was 21 per 1,000 young women ages 15 to 17 in 2005 -- an all-time low. It was down from 39 births per 1,000 teens in 1991.

"This is very good news," Sondik said. "Young teen mothers and their babies are at a greater risk of both immediate and long-term difficulties."

The birth rate in the 15 to 19 age group was 40 per 1,000 in 2005, also down sharply.

The report was compiled from statistics and studies at 22 federal agencies, and covered 38 key indicators, including infant mortality, academic achievement rates and the number of children living in poverty.

Other highlights include:

The percentage of children who were covered by health insurance decreased slightly. In 2005, 89 percent of children had health insurance coverage at some point during the year, down from 90 percent the previous year.

The percentage of low birthweight infants increased. It was 8.2 percent in 2005, up from 8.1 percent in 2004.

The percentage of children who had at least one parent working year round and full-time increased to 78.3 percent in 2005, up from 77.6 percent the previous year.

The report was released by the Federal Interagency Forum on Child and Family Statistics -- a consortium of federal agencies that includes the National Institute of Child Health and Human Development and the Census Bureau.
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