National Context
Teen Pregnancy rates in the United States have decreases; according to Brady E. Hamilton, Ph.D., and Stephanie J. Ventura, M.A “the birth rate for U.S. teenagers fell 9 percent from 2009 to 2010.” [1] The U.S rates have decreased because as time pass there's more methods to prevent pregnancy. As Bill Albert, the Chief program officer of the National Campaign To Prevent Teen and Unplanned Pregnancy, stated “teenagers have a greater number of methods of contraceptives to choose from… causing rates to drop.”[2] U.S rates have declined, but as it was stated in the Office of Adolescent Health website that the even though U.S. teen birth rate have declined they are still “higher” than that of many other developed countries, including “Canada and the United Kingdom.”[3] The United States has at least improved in decreasing the rates.
[1] Hamilton, B., & Ventura, S. (2012, April 1). Birth Rates for U.S. Teenagers Reach Historic Lows for All Age and Ethnic Groups. Retrieved March 17, 2015, from http://www.cdc.gov/nchs/data/databriefs/db89.pdf
[2] Sifferlin, A., & Sifferlin, A. (n.d.). What’s Behind The Drop in U.S. Teen Birth Rates | TIME.com. Retrieved April 30, 2015, from http://healthland.time.com/2013/05/24/whats-behind-the-drop-in-u-s-teen-birth-rates/ [3] The Office of Adolescent Health, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. (n.d.). Retrieved April 30, 2015, from http://www.hhs.gov/ash/oah/adolescent-health-topics/reproductive-health/teen-pregnancy/tpp-program.html