Study: 2010 saw lowest teen birth rate since 1940

Teen birth rates fell to the lowest point in 2010 since record-keeping started in 1940, according to a Centers for Disease Control study. Almost every state saw a decline in teen births from 2007 to 2010. Arizona had the biggest drop at 29 percent; rates stayed the same in Montana, North Dakota and West Virginia. Mississippi still has the most teen births, but its rate dropped 21 percent. The decline was experienced by all racial and ethnic groups.

The CDC report was released Tuesday, The Associated Press reports. Pregnancy prevention efforts are the reason for declines, study authors say. A recent federal survey found that contraception use by teens has increased. The overall teen birth rates has decreased 44 percent since 1991. The 10 states with the highest rates of teen births in 2010 are predominantly Southern: Mississippi, New Mexico, Arkansas, Texas, Oklahoma, Louisiana, Kentucky, West Virginia, Alabama and Tennessee. (Read more)