Relay-Version: version B 2.10 5/3/83; site utzoo.UUCP Path: utzoo!linus!decvax!harpo!floyd!whuxlb!pyuxll!eisx!npoiv!npois!hogpc!houxm!hocda!spanky!burl!duke!unc!tim From: tim@unc.UUCP Newsgroups: net.politics Subject: Re: Birth control and education Message-ID: <5640@unc.UUCP> Date: Sun, 31-Jul-83 23:19:12 EDT Article-I.D.: unc.5640 Posted: Sun Jul 31 23:19:12 1983 Date-Received: Tue, 2-Aug-83 16:56:32 EDT References: utzoo.3124 Lines: 25 There was an interesting article in the Charlotte Observer today, reprinted from the Atlantic Monthly, about how there really has been no rise in teenage pregnancies. Actually, teenage pregnancies have been declining ever since their peak in the mid-1950's. The reason for the rumors to the contrary is rooted in the units you measure this in. Since births in general have declined faster than births to teenagers, there is a rise in the proportion of births to teens, while in fact the number of teenagers giving birth has declined when measured relative to the increase in the teenage population. That is, although one in every six births may be to teenagers, the number of births per thousand teens has gone down. It is of course rather convenient to various self-appointed "pro- morality" groups to convince people that the country is going to hell in a handcart -- thus they use the more emotionally charged, but less meaningful, statistics. ______________________________________ The overworked keyboard of Tim Maroney duke!unc!tim (USENET) tim.unc@udel-relay (ARPA) The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill