Texas birth rate among teens in 2022 hit 15-year high

The birth rate among Texas teens will reach a 15-year high in 2022 after the state banned abortions for six weeks in 2021.

The birth rate for teens ages 15 to 19 in Texas has increased slightly for the first time in 15 years. new report The University of Houston's Institute for Women, Gender, and Sexuality made the announcement this month. The number of births among teenagers increased from 20.32 to 20.4 births per 1,000 teenagers, an increase of about 0.39 percent.

“Although this is a relatively small increase, given the 2021 ban and the continued decline in the number of teens across the U.S., this change in the trend of decline in teens for the first time in 15 years is noteworthy.” the report states.

Birth rates for Hispanic teenagers, black teenagers and Asian teenagers in Texas all rose slightly in 2022, while they fell for white teenagers, according to the report.

Texas approved a six-week abortion ban in 2021, but the state enacted a full abortion ban in 2022 after the Supreme Court blocked Roe v. Wade.

The report noted that the overall birth rate in Texas increased by 2% in 2022, especially among Hispanic women ages 25 to 44. The number of births for women in this group jumped 8% in 2022, according to the report.

“Child care issues that can prevent travel (and other barriers associated with already having children) lead to significantly higher rates, especially among older women who are more likely to already have children at home.” may shape the findings,” the report states.

“If families are already facing financial hardship, adding more will only further consume limited resources and make the whole family even more impoverished,” the report added.