Births to single teens who have not completed 12 years of school in Maine
Why This Indicator Matters
Giving birth during the teen years has been linked with increased medical risks and emotional, social,
and financial costs to the mother and her children. Becoming a teen mom before completing high school reduces the likelihood of finishing high school, as well as whether she goes to college, and the type of job she will get. Implementing evidence-based teen pregnancy prevention programs, expanding access to Medicaid family planning services, and promoting safer sex may reduce teen pregnancy. About teen pregnancy
What the Data Shows
For the state as a whole, the teen birth rate to teens who have not graduated college has been declining steadily. For the five-year period ending in 2020, the annual average number of births to teens who had not finished high school was less than half what it was for the five-year period ending in 2011, 167 births per year for 2016-2020, compared to 439 births per year for 2004-2008.
In terms of county data, there was substantial variation by county. In 2016-2020, Somerset, Androscoggin and Aroostook Counties had the highest average yearly rates of births to girls who had not completed high school per 1,000 girls ages 10 -19. These rates per 1,000 girls were 5.4 in Somerset, 4.1 in Androscoggin and 3.6 in Aroostook. The counties with the lowest rates were Cumberland, 1.0; Hancock, 1.3; Penobscot, 1.5; and Sagadahoc 1.7.
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and financial costs to the mother and her children. Becoming a teen mom before completing high school reduces the likelihood of finishing high school, as well as whether she goes to college, and the type of job she will get. Implementing evidence-based teen pregnancy prevention programs, expanding access to Medicaid family planning services, and promoting safer sex may reduce teen pregnancy. About teen pregnancy
What the Data Shows
For the state as a whole, the teen birth rate to teens who have not graduated college has been declining steadily. For the five-year period ending in 2020, the annual average number of births to teens who had not finished high school was less than half what it was for the five-year period ending in 2011, 167 births per year for 2016-2020, compared to 439 births per year for 2004-2008.
In terms of county data, there was substantial variation by county. In 2016-2020, Somerset, Androscoggin and Aroostook Counties had the highest average yearly rates of births to girls who had not completed high school per 1,000 girls ages 10 -19. These rates per 1,000 girls were 5.4 in Somerset, 4.1 in Androscoggin and 3.6 in Aroostook. The counties with the lowest rates were Cumberland, 1.0; Hancock, 1.3; Penobscot, 1.5; and Sagadahoc 1.7.
Births to single teens who have not completed 12 years of school
Data Provided By
Definitions:
The rate of births to single teenage mothers ages 10-19 who have not completed 12 years of school. The rate is per 1,000 females ages 10-19. These data are reported by the mother's place of residence at the time of the birth. The numerator is the average number of births in one year calculated using the 5-year total and the denominator is the number of females ages 10 -19 in the state. The year represents the last year of the 5-year period, i.e. 2020 is data for the years 2016-2020.
Data Source:
Maine Department of Health and Human Services, Office of Data, Research and Vital Statistics
Footnotes:
Data represent five-year averages, with the ultimate year of the five-year spread indicated here; 2020 represents the average of data from 2016-2020; 2019 represents the average of data from 2015-2019, etc. The rate is rate per 1,000 females ages 10-19.
Updated: April 2022