Teen birthrate hits all-time low, led by 50 percent decline among Hispanics and blacks

The birthrate among American teenagers, at crisis levels in the 1990s, has fallen to an all-time low, according to an analysis released by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The decline of the past decade has occurred in all regions in the country and among all races. But the most radical changes have been among Hispanic and black teens, whose birthrates have dropped nearly 50 percent since 2006. Theories on the reasons for the dramatic shift include everything from new approaches to sex education to the widespread availability of broadband Internet.

An intriguing study looked at the impact of the Internet and concluded that at least 13 percent of the total decline between 1999 and 2007 might be explained by the increasing availability of broadband Internet. Researchers theorized that being online could help provide teens other means of exploring relationships and finding advice about effective forms of contraception, in addition to obtaining information about options for ending unwanted pregnancies.