Morbidity and Mortality Weekly – April 11, 2014 / 63(14);312-318: “The U.S. teen birth rate has continued to decline, from 84.1 births per 1,000 teens aged 15–19 years in 1991 to an all-time low of 29.4 in 2012 (1). Despite this trend, approximately 305,000 infants were born to teens aged 15–19 years in 2012 , and the U.S. teen birth rate remains higher than in other developed countries. Of particular concern are births to younger teens (those aged 15–17 years), who are not yet legally recognized as adults and are at greatest risk for poor medical, social, and economic outcomes. Teens in this age group typically have not completed high school and are subject to state-based limitations on driving and obtaining employment. Previous research from the National Longitudinal Survey of Youth indicates that teens who gave birth before age 18 years were markedly less likely to earn a high school diploma or general equivalency degree compared with older teens who gave birth. Given the demonstrated impact of early teen childbearing, CDC analyzed data from the natality files of the National Vital Statistics System to better understand patterns of childbearing among this age group, and from the National Survey of Family Growth (NSFG) to describe sexual experience, contraceptive use, and receipt of prevention opportunities among female teens aged 15–17 years.”