Data Provider: NYS Department of Health
Physical and Emotional Health
Pregnancies are the sum of the number of live births, reported induced terminations of pregnancies and reported fetal deaths of all gestations. The adolescent pregnancy rate is the number of pregnancies per 1,000 females in the stated age group. The adolescent live birth rate is the number of live births in an age group per 1,000 female population in the same age group. Rates are presented for adolescent pregnancies and live births for the age groups 10 through 14, 15 through 17, and 15 through 19 years.
Assuming the responsibilities of parenting before one is financially, socially or emotionally prepared carries increased risks of later difficulties for the parent, the child, and the community. Adolescent mothers are less likely than their non-parenting peers to complete high school and marry. They are more likely to have large families and live in poverty. Their children are at greater risk of infant mortality, poor health, lower cognitive development, worse educational outcomes, higher rates of behavior problems, and higher rates of adolescent childbearing themselves. Adolescent childbearing also places a greater financial burden on society in terms of the increased supports required to assist these families (Kirby, 1997).
Healthy People 2010 objectives call for a national reduction in the adolescent pregnancy rate to 46 pregnancies per 1,000 females ages 15 through 17 years (U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, 2000). New York State has met this goal but continues to work toward reducing pregnancies in this age group. The New York State Department of Heath initiative, Prevention Agenda for the Healthiest State, has identified teen pregnancy as a priority indicator with a goal to reduce pregnancies in this age group to no more than 28 pregnancies per 1,000 females ages 15 through 17 by the year 2013.
Birth rates for New York State's youngest teens, aged 10 through 14, remained fairly low, at 0.3 per 1,000 girls in 2011-2013 and 0.2 in 2012-2014.Births rates among young women aged 15 through 17 declined from 9.3 per 1,000 in 2011-2013 to 8.3 in 2011-2013, a decline of 1.0 percentage points.
In 2012-2014, the birth rate among young women aged 15 through 19 in New York State was 17.8 per 1,000, a decline of 1.7 percentage points from the 2011-2013 rate of 19.5 per 1,000. The birth rate among young women in this age group declined in both New York City and Rest of State, by 2.1 percentage points and 1.4 percentage points, respectively, to 20.9 and 15.9 per 1,000.Pregnancy rates for New York State's youngest teens, aged 10 through 14, remained fairly low, at 0.9 per 1,000 girls in 2011-2013, and at 0.8 per 1,000 girls in 2012-2014.Pregnanciesrates among young women aged 15 through 17 declined from 22.4 per 1,000 in 2011-2013 to 19.6 in 2012-2014, a decline of 2.8 percentage points.
In 2012-2014, the pregnancy rate for young women ages 15 through 19 years in New York State was 37.1 per 1,000, a decline of 4.2 percentage points from the 2011-2013 rate of 41.3 per 1,000. The adolescent pregnancies rate declined in both New York City and Rest of State, by 7.3 percentage points and 2.3 percentage, respectively, to 54.4 and 26.4.