Fewer teens getting pregnant and more using condoms

According to a new report by the Federal Interagency Forum on Child and Family Statistics, in 2005 the teenage birth rate in the U.S. reached an all time low and more high school students were using condoms.

The report, "America's Children: Key National Indicators of Well-Being 2007," was compiled using data and studies from 22 federal agencies and looked at 38 key indicators.

According to the report, the birth rate among girls ages 15 to 17 declined from 39 births per 1,000 girls in 1991 to 21 births per 1,000 girls in 2005.

The report says 47% of high school students, or 6.7 million, reported having had sexual intercourse in 2005, compared with 54% in 1991 and although the rate of high school students having sex has remained more-or-less unchanged since 2003, more were using condoms, ( 63% in 2005 compared to 46% in 1991).

It was also found that though the percentage of girls who said they used birth control remained stable, births among unmarried women in their 20s increased significantly, and the overall birth rate for unmarried women increased.

Edward Sondik, director of the CDC's National Center for Health Statistics says the implications for the population are positive in terms of health and well-being, and the lower figure for teens having sex means a lower risk of sexually transmitted diseases.

Experts suggest the HIV/AIDS epidemic and the increased use of condoms may have been a factor in the results and support any effort to educate and encourage young people to learn about birth control, sexually transmitted diseases and the use of condoms.