Teen birth rates are falling nationwide, reports The Rural Blog.
However, birth rates for teens remain highest in rural parts of the country.
Still, the overall trend is toward fewer teen births across the board. In the last decade, teen birth rates declined by almost 40 percent in rural areas. The decline was even bigger in large cities, where teen birth rates fell by 50 percent.
But, as The Los Angeles Times noted, “the teen birth rate in America’s small towns is 63 percent higher than in its biggest cities.” Researchers say they’re unsure why the teen birth rate is lower—and falling faster—in large urban areas than in rural ones. The study, conducted by the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, did not study abortion rates, nor did researchers examine whether schools were more or less likely to promote the use of birth control, or abstinence.