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Summary: Abstinence Responsible for 53% of Decrease
in Teen Pregnancy Rates During 1990's
Study observes that the decrease in teen
pregnancies and birthrates in the 1990's can be attributed to both a
decrease in sexual experience (abstinence) and an increase in the
use of contraception.
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In an article written
in the Journal of Adolescent Health, authors explore the possible
factors that contributed to the decreases in pregnancy and
birthrates found in previous studies, including the Youth Risk
Behavior Survey, the National Survey of Family Growth, and the
National Vital Statistics System. The studied concluded that 53% of
the decline in pregnancy rates could be attributed to decreased
sexual experience (e.g. abstinence). The remaining 47% could be
credited to improved use of contraception (e.g. condoms, birth
control pill, etc.). These figures were found to be most accurate
for school-age black and Hispanic populations, but tended to be less
accurate for white adolescents.1
1Can
Changes in Sexual Behaviors Among High School Students Explain the
Decline in Teen Pregnancy Rates in the 1990's?, Journal
of Adolescent Health, Vol. 35, No. 2, August 2004, pp. 80-90.
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