What Does a Dropping Teenage Pregnancy Rate Mean for Adoption?

Earlier this year, the U.S. Center for Disease Control and Prevention released its most recent study on the statistics of fertility and childbirth in the United States. As the year comes to an end, it seems fitting to look back on that study and see what it may hold for the year to come.

The report, which summarized statistics from 2016, had one interesting standout: Last year, the teenage pregnancy rate dropped for the 11th year in a row, for a total of 51 percent since 2007. Specifically, there were 20.3 births per every 1,000 teenager in the U.S. in 2016.

The results of this study may make people worry that a dropping teenage pregnancy rate may directly affect adoption — but does it really? And, if so, how?

National agency American Adoptions broke down the repercussions of this statistic to help prospective adoptive parents and those interested in the adoption process to know the facts behind this report and what it really means for adoption. You can learn more about it here.