Birth rates and STIs on rise for U.S. teens

After a 14 year decline, birth rates as well as STIs for U.S. teens have increased, according to a new U.S. government study.

The study stated there were roughly 745,000 pregnancies among U.S. females under age 20 in 2004. In 2006, the majority of new diagnoses of human immunodeficiency virus infection among teenagers and young adults between the ages of 10-24 took place among those ages 20-24 and among males.

In a the study released Thursday, the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention showed that teen birthrates increased in 2006 and 2007 after large declines from 1991 to 2005. The rates of AIDS cases among males ages 15-24 increased from 1997 through 2006.

“The sexual and reproductive health of America’s young persons remains an important public health concern,” the researchers said. “Earlier progress appears to be slowing and perhaps reversing.”

Children between 10 and 14 also are engaging in intimate behavior more often, the report showed. Approximately 17,000 children in that age group acquired a STI in 2006, while 16,000 girls were estimated to have become pregnant in 2004. Some 30,000 girls were treated at a hospital emergency room for sexual assault between 2004 and 2006.

Less dangerous diseases have also become more common as well. Syphilis cases among teens and young adults have increased in both males and females in recent years.

The new governing body of President Barack Obama has been putting down more debatable policies compared to former Bush government, including an stress on abstinence-only education.

7 Responses to “Birth rates and STIs on rise for U.S. teens”

1. Florence says:

   thAmerica/Chicagop31America/Chicago07bAmerica/ChicagoSun, 19 Jul 2009 09:47:13 -0500 1, 2008 at 9:47 am

   Wonderful! Children having babies. Bringing innocents into life by those who have no morals or self-control. It takes a somewhat mature woman to care for an infant; the responsibilities in this regard are overwhelming for an adult, much less a kid whose brains haven’t even fully formed yet. Well, one thing.. the girls will grow up now when they are forced to breast feed and care for this baby 24 hours a day. If this were my child, I’d simply INSIST that the decision this teener made to bring a fatherless child into the world should be followed up by that teenager taking full care of the infant from birth to the baby’s emancipation at the age of 18. I was going to ask “Where are the parents?”, but it’s clear that the parents had relinquished all control of their child long before this happened. Now Welfare and us taxpayers will take over the cost of food and care and all else that accompanies these juvenile decisions until adulthood… thereby forming another welfare generation that goes on and on. Again, if it were my child, I’d discover by whatever means necessary who the father is and bring the law of the courts down upon he and his family and force them into financially providing for this infant and if they renege, toss them in jail. Too many male juveniles and otherwise are planting seed without any resulting responsibility and it’s time they were MADE to be responsible, no matter what their age… if too young, sue their parents..make them responsible. If adults, charge them with rape and get their attention.
2. James says:

   thAmerica/Chicagop31America/Chicago07bAmerica/ChicagoSun, 19 Jul 2009 13:51:15 -0500 1, 2008 at 1:51 pm

   Florence, perhaps instead of railroading the parents you should put the blame where it lies, with the evangelical population shoving abstinence only education and misinformation in the little sex education the children got under Bush’s rule.
3. Hilary says:

   thAmerica/Chicagop31America/Chicago07bAmerica/ChicagoSun, 19 Jul 2009 13:51:49 -0500 1, 2008 at 1:51 pm

   It seems like a no-brainer that cutting resources to schools so that after-school programs are eliminated would result in more drug use and teenage humping. If we want our children to be successful, we cannot let them idle.
4. Alex says:

   thAmerica/Chicagop31America/Chicago07bAmerica/ChicagoSun, 19 Jul 2009 14:09:07 -0500 1, 2008 at 2:09 pm

   Such a myopic, narrow-minded, self-righteous, punitive response as the one above is exactly the kind of authoritarian mindset that only aggravates the issue. Neither being under the age of 20 or becoming pregnant at such an age equates to being without morals or self-control. Teenagers are human beings with sexual urges who are in a time of self-discovery and exploration. We will never be able to make their choices for them; rather, we should teach them how to make better choices. And, when they make a choice that results in a poor outcome, we need to be supportive and help them both accept and deal with the consequences. A teenage parent has a high probability of a life with limited choices both for the parent and child - but that does not mean it must be a life without love and happiness. Nor does it necessarily mean a burden on society. I am dismayed by the hatred and anger demonstrated by the above response. Maybe the person who wrote it would benefit from an hour or two sitting and talking with a teenage parent - and maybe even contributing to the development of society by playing peekaboo with a very adorable baby. And it won’t cost a dime of taxpayer money.
5. Jennifer says:

   thAmerica/Chicagop31America/Chicago07bAmerica/ChicagoSun, 19 Jul 2009 14:15:38 -0500 1, 2008 at 2:15 pm

   Does this study break the numbers out by race? The NY Times recently ran an article that showed that 50% of Hispanic girls are pregnant by age 17. The out of control Hispanic birth rates and large number of very young Hispanic girls getting pregnant are skewing these results.
6. Melanie says:

   thAmerica/Chicagop31America/Chicago07bAmerica/ChicagoSun, 19 Jul 2009 14:23:35 -0500 1, 2008 at 2:23 pm

   That abstinence only nonsense coming home to roost.
7. Mike says:

   thAmerica/Chicagop31America/Chicago07bAmerica/ChicagoSun, 19 Jul 2009 18:38:33 -0500 1, 2008 at 6:38 pm

   And supporters of abstinence only “sex ed” argue that their methods work…..