Teen birth rates in 2010 ranged from about 11 per 1,000 Asian and Pacific Island teens, to 23.5 for non-Hispanic white teens, to about 39 for American Indian or Alaska Native teens, to 51.5 for non-Hispanic black teens, and about 56 per 1,000 for Hispanic teens, according to the report.
Dr. Lawrence Friedman, director of adolescent medicine at the University of Miami Miller School of Medicine, called the new report "excellent news" and said it "represents the ongoing positive trend in the reduction of teen births."
According to the CDC, fewer teens are having sexual intercourse, Friedman said.
But Friedman said: "That doesn't mean there is less sexual activity. There's plenty of sexual activity -- oral sex and mutual masturbation and other things that don't produce pregnancies."
There's also increased use of contraception, Friedman said. "In addition, there is more awareness of the negative effects of pregnancy and sexually transmitted diseases," he said.
More information
For more on teen pregnancy, visit the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
SOURCES: Brady Hamilton, Ph.D., statistician, Division of Vital Statistics, U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention; Lawrence Friedman, M.D., professor of pediatrics and director, adolescent medicine, University of Miami Miller School of Medicine; April 10, 2012, CDC report: Birth Rates for U.S. Teenagers Reach Historic Lows for All Age and Ethnic Groups
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