CHICAGO (AP) - The teen birth rate has decreased in Illinois and Chicago, with the city recording a new historic low.
Mayor Rahm Emanuel said Tuesday there were 24.6 births per 1,000 females aged 15 to 19 in Chicago in 2016. That’s the most recent year for which data are available. That’s a 10.5 percent decrease from 2015.
Rates have been falling across the U .S. and statewide. Illinois recorded 18.7 births per 1,000 females aged 15 to 19 in 2016, down from a rate of 22.8 in 2014.
Emanuel credits “a concerted, collaborative effort to help young people plan for the future, make responsible choices and lead successful lives.”
Chicago Healthy Adolescents and Teens provides education at select Chicago Public Schools on birth control, making informed sexual choices and healthy relationships.
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