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Pregnancy outcomes
2003
Highlights
- There were an estimated 447,904 pregnancies during 2003, almost 13%
fewer than the 513,436 pregnancies in 1994.
- This decline in pregnancies is mostly concentrated in women under 30 years
of age, where the pregnancy rates declined in every age group.
- The largest decline in pregnancy rates was found in teenagers. In 1994,
the number of pregnancies per 1,000 women under 20 years
of age was 41.6. By 2003, this rate has fallen to 27.1. This
decline is especially significant for teen girls aged 15 to 17 where
the pregnancy rate dropped almost in half from 30.6 in 1994 to 16.8 in 2003.
- In contrast, pregnancy rates rose for women over 30 years
of age, with women aged 35 to 39 reporting the greatest
increase. In 2003, the number of pregnancies per 1,000 women
aged 35 to 39 years was 48.8 compared to 40.7 in 1994.
- Although the overall pregnancy rate rose somewhat in the late 1980s
and in 1990, it has generally been in decline since 1974 (the
year this time series began). The rate hit its lowest point in 2002,
and rebounded slightly in 2003 to reach 55.2 pregnancies
per 1,000 women.
- Pregnancy statistics are based on counts of live births, induced abortions
and fetal loss (stillbirths and hospital reports of miscarriage).
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