Revised pregnancy rates, 1990-97, and new rates for 1998-99: United States.

OBJECTIVES

This report presents detailed pregnancy rates for 1990-99. Rates for 1991-97 are revised using populations consistent with the April 1, 2000, census; the revised populations are also used for the new 1998-99 rates.

METHODS

Tabular and graphic data on pregnancy rates by age, race, and Hispanic origin, and by marital status are presented and described.

RESULTS

In 1999, an estimated 6.23 million pregnancies resulted in 3.96 million live births, 1.31 million induced abortions, and 1.0 million fetal losses. The pregnancy rate in 1999 was 102.1 pregnancies per 1,000 women aged 15-44 years. The 1999 rate was similar to the rates since the mid 1990s, but it was 12 percent below the peak rate in 1990 (115.6). These data extend a consistent series of pregnancy rates from 1976 through 1999. The teenage pregnancy rate dropped steadily through the 1990s, reaching a record low of 86.7 per 1,000 aged 15-19 years in 1999, 25 percent lower than the 1990 peak (116.3). Rates fell more for younger than for older teenagers. The declines reflect reductions in births and abortions.