Adolescent pregnancy and childbearing: levels and trends in developed countries
Singh, S.; Darroch, J.E.
Family Planning Perspectives 32(1): 14-23
2000
ISSN/ISBN: 0014-7354 PMID: 10710702 DOI: 10.2307/2648144Document Number: 412182
This article examines levels of adolescent childbearing, abortion and pregnancy in developed countries in the mid-1990s, as well as trends over recent decades. Birth, abortion and population data from national vital statistics reports, official statistics, published national and international sources, and government statistical offices were analyzed. Analysis results show that level of adolescent pregnancy varies by a factor of almost 10 across developed countries, from a very low rate in the Netherlands to an extremely high rate in the Russian Federation. A pattern of decline in the adolescent birth rate in industrialized countries over the past 25 years was well documented. Part of the overall decline in childbearing across industrialized countries is the general trend of declining teenage fertility. In addition, a decline in abortion rates has been reported, although little information is available on trends in adolescent abortion specifically. The general trend reflects the increased importance of achieving higher levels of education and training, and greater centrality of goals other than motherhood and family formation for young women. However, a number of factors are likely to have had a greater impact on teenagers.