11/09/2012
Tina Trent
TEENAGE PREGNANCY AMONG BLACK & HISPANIC GIRLS
Birth rates in African American and Hispanic teens are substantially higher than whites, a trend that has persisted for decades. Even though pregnancy rates among teens are at an all time low. It is still a major issue but mostly affecting the urban communities. In this research paper I will be comparing and demonstrating the relationships between teenage pregnancy, social issues, and education.
Teen pregnancy is still a major issue regardless of the declining pregnancy rate. In 2006 birthrates among teenage girls age ranging from 15-17 were more than 3 times as high as whitengirls. And the birth rate among Hispanics were 4 times as high as the birth rate of white girls. African American teens was 153 pregnancies per 1000 teens in 2000. The birth rate was 77.4 per 1000. The Hispanic rate was 128 per 1000 pregnancies and a rate of 64.4 births per year.(Huberty, Siahpush, Beighle, Fuhrmeister, Silva & Welk, May 2011) The significance of this increase is magnified by the growing population of the Hispanic race. In a later study from 2005 and 2007 New York City youth Risk Behavior Surveys were used to model demographic differences in odds of recent sexual activity and birth control use among black, white, and Hispanic public school girls. The study showed that whites reported lower rates of sexual activity (23.4%) than blacks (35.4%) or Hispanic (32.7) and had lower predicted pregnancy risk (Catherine A & Janet, 2011)
There are many possibilities to why teenage pregnancy is higher among young black girls and Hispanics. Studies show the use of contraception differing between Blacks, Hispanic, and Caucasion girls. Compared to white teens most of the PRI (pregnancy risk index) was attributed to less contraceptive use (19% among blacks and 50% among Hispanic) significant differences in
Bibliography: Huberty, J., Siahpush, M., Beighle, A., Fuhrmeister, E., Silva, P., & Welk, G. (May 2011). The journal of school health. (Vol. Vol. 81 Issue 5). Goddings, Anne-Lise1,2 Burnett Heyes, Stephanie2,3,4 Bird, Geoffrey2,5 Viner, Russell M.1 Blakemore, Sarah-Jayne. (2002). The relationship between puberty and social emotion processing. . Waddell, Needham Elizabeth Pregnancy rates among black, White, and Hispanic Girls in New York City public schools. (2010) J Urban Health retrieved May 2010 href="http://encyclopedia.jrank.org/articles/pages/5915/Adolescent-Female-Sexuality.html">Adolescent Female Sexuality - AFRICAN-AMERICAN ADOLESCENT FEMALES, EUROPEAN-AMERICAN ADOLESCENT FEMALES, LATINA ADOLESCENT FEMALES</a>