Teen Birth Rate Rises, First Time in 15 Years

Are abstinence-only programs to blame for the recent increase in teen births in the U.S.?

In a surprising development, America's teen birth-rate rose in 2006, marking the first time since its all-time high in 1991 that the rate has increased. The rate rose 3 percent, to 41.9 births per 1,000 girls aged 15-19.

"It's way too early to know if this is the start of a new trend," said Stephanie Ventura, head of the Reproductive Statistics Branch at CDC, in a statement. "But given the long-term progress we've witnessed, this change is notable."

While still far lower than the 62 per 1,000 rate that held in 1991, the increase startled researchers and added fuel to the ongoing debate over how best to educate the nation's youth about sex and sexuality.

"Teenagers need to know how to protect themselves against unintended pregnancy and HIV/AIDS and other sexually transmitted infections," said Kathi Di Nicola, spokeswoman for Planned Parenthood Minnesota, North Dakota, South Dakota. In a statement given to Minnesota Monitor, Di Nicola said that teens "need the right information to make responsible, healthy decisions. We have a preventable public health problem in this country – at last count an estimated 750,000 American teens will become pregnant this year and nearly four million will contract a sexually transmitted infection. Honest, accurate sexuality education is part of a common sense solution to a serious issue."

But Leslee Unruh, president of the Abstinence Clearinghouse, disagreed. "The CDC, big Pharma and others should take responsibility [for] the teen pregnancy numbers," she said, in a statement given to Minnesota Monitor. "The CDC has promoted and aligned themselves with the contraceptive only message; wrapping teen pregnancies in latex, has failed and is unscientific. America's teens are failing at the contraceptive message; condoms don't work."

Unruh added, "The fault of teen pregnancy lays in the laps of 'absti-phobics,' those who fear abstinence education. It's time to teach responsibility regarding sexual behavior instead of the irresponsible, dangerous message of the failed condom contraceptive message. Abstinence until marriage doesn't happen by chance, it happens by choice."

The rise in birth rates comes at an inconvenient time for the abstinence-only community. Over $1 billion has been spent on abstinence-only education, but the federal programs that have funded it have been under fire from Democrats, many of whom are skeptical of an approach that only pushes abstinence. In a report by the Associated Press, Rep. Diana DeGette, D-Colo., stated that she had doubts about continuing the funding. "Congress needs to stop knee-jerk approving abstinence-only funding when it's clear it's not working," she said.

On Broadsheet, Salon writer Carol Lloyd also recently examined whether abstinence-only programs can take the blame for the increase in teen births.