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Pregnancy And Abortion Data Highlighted

Special Report - June 21, 2012
Pregnancy and abortion rates among women in their 20s declined significantly in the United States between 1990 and 2008, according to a new report released this week by the National Center for Health Statistics (NCHS) at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The report, “Estimated Pregnancy Rates and Rates of Pregnancy Outcomes for the United States, 1990-2008,” was released June 20. It shows that pregnancy rates for women in their 20s declined by nearly 18 percent between 1990 and 2008, while the abortion rate for women in this age group declined by 32 percent.

Among the NCHS report’s key findings:

In 2008, 65 percent of all pregnancies for women ages 15 to 44 ended in live births, 18 percent ended in abortion, and 17 percent ended in fetal loss (miscarriage or still birth).
The report finds that among all women, a larger percentage of pregnancies now end in live birth than in 1990 (65 percent in 2008 versus 61 percent of pregnancies in 1990), and a smaller percentage of pregnancies end in abortion (18 percent in 2008 versus 24 percent in 1990).
Teen pregnancy rates experienced the sharpest decline, dropping 40 percent between 1990 and 2008, to reach a historic low of 69.8 per 1,000 women ages 15 to 19. The report notes that, "the teen pregnancy rate in 2008 was the lowest since 1976.”
“Pregnancy rates for women in their 20s declined to the lowest level in more than three decades, although the declines were more modest than for teenagers.”
Specifically, the pregnancy rate for women in their 20s declined from 198.5 in 1990 to 163.0 in 2008, and the abortion rate declined from 56.7 in 1990 to 38.4 in 2008.
The pregnancy rate for women in their 30s and 40s increased during this time period, while pregnancy rates for women ages 25 to 29 did not change significantly.

The NCHS report offers a number of possible reasons for trends in pregnancy and abortion rates, especially among teenagers, including recent and forthcoming studies that “show a steady, long-term decline in the proportion of teenagers who are sexually experienced (have ever had sex), and an increase in the proportion of teenagers who use a method of contraception at first intercourse and at their last intercourse.”

Related resources:
More Births to Cohabiting Parents - April 24, 2012
NC Abortions and Teen Pregnancies Drop - December 14, 2011
Abortions Down In NC, Steady Nationwide - January 18, 2011
NC Teen Pregnancy Rates Hit 3-year Low - February 4, 2010
NC Teen Pregnancy Rates Hit New Low - October 19, 2010
NC Abortion Profile Updated - November 3, 2009
Adolescent Sexual Health Trends Detailed - August 6, 2009
North Carolina Teen Birth Rate Increases - August 7, 2008