Birth rates among teens in the U.S. have dropped dramatically since 2006, according to a new report, and there are a lot of factors behind the trend, including a steep decline in births by black and Hispanic teens.
Births to all American teenagers have plummeted by more than 40 percent, said Lisa Romero of the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Still, birth rates hover twice as high for black and Hispanic teens nationally compared with white teens — and in some states they were even higher. And certain populations and regions still have higher teen birth rates.
Conversations should begin as early as the middle school years or younger — using age-appropriate discussions about anatomy — and should continue into high school and college.
