The nation's falling teen birth rate saw an even bigger drop over the past decade, with dramatic declines among Hispanic and black teens.
Birth rates are down a whopping 51 percent among Hispanics age 15 to 19 since 2006, and down 44 percent among black teens, according to a survey of census data by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Teen pregnancy rates among whites also feel by a third.
"It's really a one-two punch," says study co-author Shanna Cox, associate director for science for the CDC's Division of Reproductive Health. "Teens are having less sex, and among the teens who are having sex, they're using more effective methods of birth control."
The study finds the use of long-acting contraceptives like IUDs and implants jumped from 1 percent of teens a decade ago to 7 percent in 2014. While teen birth rates for minorities are still nearly double that for whites, the CDC finds that disparity has shrunk in many areas.
Still, Cox says the study also shows that teen birth rates can vary widely by place, even by county within the same state, and that there's a strong connection with socioeconomic factors.