Every year in America almost 500,000 teenagers give birth. Most are unmarried and many are not ready for the emotional, psychological, and financial responsibilities and challenges of parenthood. Teenage childbearing has important health and social consequences for these young women, their babies, and their families. Recently, the teenage birth rate has declined in all States. Rates for black teenagers have dropped more than for any other population group. Contributing to this decline are indications that teenagers today are less likely to be sexually active, and sexually active teenagers are more likely to use contraception. This publication presents the latest statistics as well as trends on the important topic of teenage childbearing in the United States. Data are from the National Center for Health Statisticsf (NCHS) National Vital Statistics System.