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Rates of teenage pregnancy, births, and abortions in the United States have fallen to the lowest level in nearly 40 years, according to Guttmacher Institute researchers Kathryn Kost and Stanley Henshaw.

About 7% of girls aged 15 to 19 became pregnant in 2008, representing a 42% decline from 1990, when U.S. teen pregnancy peaked. Births declined 35% between 1991 and 2008, and the number of abortions declined 59% from its peak in 1988.

“The recent declines in teen pregnancy rates are great news,” says Kost. “However, the continued inequities among racial and ethnic minorities are cause for concern. It is time to redouble our efforts to ensure that all teens have access to the information and contraceptive services they need to prevent unwanted pregnancies.”

Source: Guttmacher Institute, www.guttmacher.org.