Arkansas Sees Drop in Teen Birthrate

The teen birthrate in Arkansas has reached its lowest level in more than 33 years, but the majority of Arkansas teens say they are sexually active.

About 33 out of every 1,000 Arkansas 15- to 17-year-old girls gave birth during 2001, a 10 percent drop from 2000, according to new data from CDC. During the past decade, the birthrate among 15- to 17-year-olds in Arkansas fell about 33 percent. The drop mirrored a national decline in teen births.

Experts say the decline is due to an increase in the number of teens waiting to have sex and more frequent use of birth control by teens who are sexually active. "The state has done a good job of making services available," said Bradley Planey, a women's health team leader at the Arkansas Department of Health. "It has to do with risk taking. It has to do with why a person may put off risky behavior in hopes for a positive future."

Despite the decline, Arkansas continues to have one of the highest teen birthrates in the nation. In the United States, about 25 out of every 1,000 15- to 17-year-old girls gave birth in 2001 -- 23 percent lower than the birthrate among girls that age in Arkansas. About 55 percent of Arkansas high school students have had sex; only Mississippi had more sexually active teens. One out of every five Arkansas high-schoolers have had sex with four or more partners -- also the nation's second highest rate. About 65 percent of sexually active Arkansas high-schoolers used a condom the last time they had sex -- a 20 percent increase from 1995.

About 16,000 Arkansas youths take part in county coalition-sponsored pregnancy prevention programs that include discussion of birth control, according to Arkansas Advocates for Children and Families. One of the groups promoting abstinence is Catherine's House, a Little Rock youth and family center. Catherine's House plans to spend about $1 million over the next three years on programs urging kids not to have sex.

Back to other CDC news for December 30, 2002

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