Teen Birthrate Plummets in 2009

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Posted on Dec 22, 2010

Flickr / benklocek (CC-BY)

For the second year in a row, the birthrate among American teenagers has dropped, hitting a record low point in 2009, according to the National Center for Health Statistics. So what’s the reason for the good news? Well, according to some hopeful experts, the teen birthrate dip might be one positive side effect of the recession.  —KA

The Checkup in The Washington Post:

I would not have guessed that teenagers would be most responsive to the economic downturn, but maybe we need to revise our stereotypes,” said Samuel Preston, a professor of demography at the University of Pennsylvania.

Brown and others agreed:

“When money is very tight, all of us think harder about taking risks, expanding our families, taking on new responsibilities,” Brown said. “Now I know that teens may not be as savvy about money as those in their 20s and 30s—they probably don’t stress over 401(k)s like the rest of us—but many teens live with financially stressed adults, and they see neighbors and older friends losing jobs and even losing houses. So they, too, feel the squeeze and may be reacting to it by being more prudent. . . . Maybe part of tightening our belts includes keeping our zippers closed, too!”

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TAGS: baby birth rate economy health motherhood recession teenage pregnancy

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By Inherit The Wind, December 23, 2010 at 10:15 am Link to this comment

I’d like to see a more detailed breakdown between states where birth control, particularly condoms, are available, versus the religious nuts “Abstinence Only” have prevailed, as in Alaska (How’s that workin’ for you, Sarah and Bristol Palin? Been pallin’ around with boys who don’t want to get into Bristol’s britches?)

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By Johnny Lane, December 23, 2010 at 6:43 am Link to this comment
(Unregistered commenter)

Yes, well, maybe the economy does have some part in this.  After all, when parents are out of work at a higher rate, cutting back spending all around, maybe there are just fewer opportunities for teens to be alone.  When everything was going gangbusters, adults were working more and when they weren’t working they were off finding ways to spend more money.  Kids home alone is a perfect opportunity.

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By SteveL, December 22, 2010 at 11:58 pm Link to this comment

Maybe they just don’t want to bring kids into a world were all the jobs are in Wall
Mart and War Zones.

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By Nukepineisland, December 22, 2010 at 11:23 pm Link to this comment
(Unregistered commenter)

Well put Queenie.

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By Queenie, December 22, 2010 at 8:43 pm Link to this comment

If this isn’t an exercise in wishful thinking I don’t know what is. And it may even be an attempt to hide the facts about low sperm counts among U.S. males. Our environment is slowly dying from poisons. Weed killers on lawns, for example. Plastic containers for more and more food and drink products for another example.

If these “hopeful experts” think teens, with all those raging hormones, are having less sex because of the economy they have got to be nutty. With less spending money for entertainment, sex becomes a pleasant and free way to spend an evening.

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