Listed below are links to charts containing the data for 1990-1997 on the number of Georgia teens who had a reported fetal death, induced abortion, or live birth, and corresponding rates. The numbers and rates are provided for the state and each health district, and separate tabulations of the number of events are provided for the counties for your district. We have also summed these events into a total number of "teen pregnancies," but please keep in mind that this is an undercount of pregnancies since many early miscarriages may not be recognized or certified. For births, we have also provided information on the number of babies born. There is a small difference between the number of mothers and the number of babies or fetal deaths due to multiple-gestation pregnancies.

In parallel with trends observed nationally, teen birth and induced abortion rates have decreased in Georgia. For example, for teens aged 15-19 years, the birth rate declined 12% from 75.3 births per 1,000 population in 1990 to 66.6 in 1997, and the induced abortion rate declined 32% from 30.9 to 21.1 induced abortions per 1,000 population during the same period. This indicates that fewer teens are becoming pregnant and that the decline in births is not simply a reflection of an increase in abortions. Below are figures which illustrate these trends.

Although we do not have specific data from Georgia to identify the reasons for these declines, the national trends have been attributed to a mix of factors, including increased use of contraception, use of more effective contraceptives such as injectable or implanted methods, delays in onset of sexual activity, changing sexual norms among teens, concerns about STDs and HIV, and optimism about future opportunities for education and employment (Reference: Special Report, U.S. Teenage Pregnancy Statistics, Alan Guttmacher Institute*).

We have also included figures illustrating teen birth and induced abortion rates for white, black and all teens by health district in 1997. There is substantial variation among districts in teen birth and abortion rates. This variation partly reflects differences in race-specific rates, although differences are apparent within race groups. The greatest variability is seen for rates of induced abortion, which may reflect geographic differences in proximity to abortion providers.

In response to multiple requests and in an effort to improve consistency with other reports, we are no longer defining teens by estimated age at conception. Instead, all tabulations are by age at the end of pregnancy. Numbers of events are provided for the age groups 10-14, 15-17, 18-19, 15-19 and total 10-19 years), and rates are calculated for the 15-17, 18-19, and 15-19 year groups based on mid-year population estimates from the U.S. Bureau of the Census.

Recognizing the increasing racial and ethnic diversity of the state, we have provided information on race/ethnic groups other than the standard black/white tabulations. The data at state level include full age detail for white, black, American Indian, Asian/Pacific Islander, and other race categories. Data are also provided separately for teens of Hispanic ethnicity, who may be included in any of the above race groups. The data at health district level include the detailed age categories for white, black and all other race groups, with less detailed age information for the Asian/Pacific Islanders race group and the Hispanic ethnicity group. County-level data are limited to white, black and other race groups.

You should be able to reproduce this report and conduct more in-depth analyses for your district using the vital statistics data on the CD-ROMs and the SPSS-for-Windows software that we have made available and distributed. To date, we have prepared CD- ROMs for births, induced abortions, and fetal deaths for 1994-1996, and we are preparing to add infant mortality data and updates for 1997. If you have not received the CD-ROM data, please contact the Maternal and Child Health Epidemiology Unit at 404-657-2558.

Data for 1990-1997 Teen Births and Pregnancies in Georgia

All of these charts are in pdf format.