Religious Belief No Barrier to Teen Pregnancy

Religious Belief No Barrier to Teen Pregnancy
Study finds more religious states have a higher rate of teen pregnancy.
By Peggy Peck | ABC News

Not surprisingly, states with a higher religious index score had a lower abortion rate, so religiosity predicted more teen births and fewer abortions, Strayhorn found. The correlation remained high even when the researchers controlled for income.

"(A) possible explanation for this relationship is that teens in more religious communities may be less likely to use contraception," Strayhorn wrote.

Likewise, he said, it was possible that "conservative religious communities in the U.S. are more successful in discouraging use of contraception among their teen community members than in discouraging sexual intercourse itself."

States with populations that express strong religious beliefs also have high teenage birth rates, according to a new study. Read more.