Roundup: Is the Recession Making People Not Have Babies?
Some think that the country's birth rate has declined as a result of the recent recession. But, although social security may die off faster, you can always invest in birth control.
It’s been a long recession, jobs have been stagnant, unemployment has been rising, and housing prices have plummeted into the basement. Now, we’re learning of a new effect of the economy: our birthrate has dropped, too.
From the Washington Post:
The number of babies born in the United States has dropped for the second year in a row, according to new federal statistics released Friday that provide more evidence that the nation’s economic troubles are affecting the birth rate.
Provisional data for 2009 found that an estimated 4,136,000 babies were born in the United States in 2009, a 2.6 percent drop from 2008, according to the National Center for Health Statistics.
The drop follows a 2 percent fall in births that occurred between 2007 and 2008, which pushed the nation’s fertility rate below 2.1 per woman, meaning Americans were no longer giving birth to enough children to keep the population from declining.
That drop prompted speculation that the fall was the result of the recession–a notion supported by an analysis of data from 25 states, including Maryland and Virginia, that was released in April by the Pew Research Center. The report found that states that tended to suffer most from the recession had the biggest declines in births.
The Associated Press agrees:
Forget the Dow and the GDP. Here’s the latest economic indicator: The U.S. birth rate has fallen to its lowest level in at least a century as many people apparently decided they couldn’t afford more mouths to feed.
The birth rate dropped for the second year in a row since the recession began in 2007. Births fell 2.6 percent last year even as the population grew, numbers released Friday by the National Center for Health Statistics show.
“It’s a good-sized decline for one year. Every month is showing a decline from the year before,” said Stephanie Ventura, the demographer who oversaw the report.
…
“When the economy is bad and people are uncomfortable about their financial future, they tend to postpone having children. We saw that in the Great Depression the 1930s and we’re seeing that in the Great Recession today,” said Andrew Cherlin, a sociology professor at Johns Hopkins University.
In perhaps one of the most creative responses, Catholic News Agency reports that the birthrate decline proves that the Obama administration’s stimulus plan didn’t work, while simultaneously bemoaning that it will cause Social Security to bankrupt:
“This decline in births is more evidence that the stimulus package, hailed by the current administration as the solution to our economic ills, is not working,” [Steve Mosher, president of Population Research Institute] asserted. “Every drop in the birth rate affects the baby boomers as well, for it hastens the day that the social security trust fund goes insolvent.”
Still, there is always a silver lining: now appears to be a great time to invest in companies that manufacture contraceptives.
Mini Roundup: The anti-choice crowd finally got the government to release that “pro-abstinence study” they claimed was being suppressed, and it turns out all it said was most parents teend believe in waiting until marriage to have sex. So now we know that teens and parents think sex should happen only after marriage. Too bad that doesn’t stop teens from having sex at all.
Aug 30
- Azad announces audit of maternal deaths – Sify
- Beijing asks parents to register second child – Sify
- Ads to use moms who lost their children to promote safe sleeping practices for … – Kansas City Star
- Thousands of girls miss out on cervical cancer jab – Yourcanterbury.co.uk
- FRC Action PAC applauds Alaska’s vote for parental notification rights to abortion – News-Medical.net
- Feds listen, release pro-abstinence study – OneNewsNow
- Blogs Comment On Women’s Suffrage Anniversary, Military Abortion Ban, Other Topics – Medical News Today (press release)
- Give your man condoms and ensure he uses them — HIV-positive woman – Jamaica Observer
- Unwanted daughters – The Hindu
- Virginia’s abortion debate turns to South Carolina rules – Roanoke Times
- Statistics – Australia observed high teenage pregnancy rate – Healthy Living
- Health reform puts women in harm’s way – Albany Times Union
- More Evidence That Breastfeeding Is Good for Mom’s Health – Babble (blog)
Aug 29
- HIV said to differ in blood, semen – Seattle Times
- UN chief addresses Melbourne summit – Sydney Morning Herald
- Child mortality, maternal care PNG minister’s focus – Radio Australia
- Growing girls into powerful women – The State
- Childline member stresses family planning – Calcutta Telegraph
- Cervical cancer death rates alarming – Fijivillage
- Doctors accused of brawl over woman in labour – The Guardian
- 600+ Health Experts Convene at Groundbreaking Global Maternal Health … – PR-USA.net (press release)
- US birth rate in 2009 reaches record low amid recession woes – Catholic News Agency
- JTA wants national education campaign – Jamaica Observer
- Smaller Babies Delivered By Depressed Mothers – Medical News Today (press release)
- Lois Capps, activists rally in support of women’s reproductive rights – The Daily Sound
- Focus on Family says anti-bullying efforts in schools push gay agenda – Denver Post
- Health, sex-ed curriculum right for Helena – Helena Independent Record
- Teaching proposed agenda won’t help children – Helena Independent Record
- Cuccinelli & Abortion – Fredericksburg.com (blog)
- At Glenn Beck rally, strong but vague feelings – Salon
- Dead mothers: Too many American women die giving birth – Houston Chronicle
- China’s growing HIV crisis, a result of social stigma – NDTV.com
Aug 28
- Birth Control Is Bad for the Environment – The Stir (blog)
- Most Teenagers Against Premarital Sex – Philadelphia Bulletin
- Beck, others exhort conservatives to action at Washington rally – Los Angeles Times
- Demonstrators in D.C. Agree on Two Things: the Military and God Are Good – TIME
- Common-sense oversight for Virginia abortion providers – Washington Post
- Of course we must fight for women around the world – The Guardian
- Sexually transmitted infections: education is the answer, not outrage – The Guardian
- Hazards of adolescent pregnancy – Malaysia Star
- Anger over cervical cancer vaccine for girls of 12 – Daily Mail
- Google Search Trends Correlate With Abortion Rates, Policies – PR-CANADA.net (press release)
- Spanish bishop denounces abortion in Catholic hospitals – Spero News
- MP CM Shivraj Singh Chouhan advocates family planning – MSN India
- Did Urban Outfitters Submit To Pro-Life Demands? – Care2.com (blog)
- Teen pregnancy on the rise – Sydney Morning Herald
- Fears that early exposure to porn will lead to greater risk of disease later – Sydney Morning Herald
- Teenage baby boom sparks call for better sex education – Sydney Morning Herald
- Breastfeeding: Becoming a Healthier Nation From the Start – Huffington Post (blog)
- Breastfeeding cuts maternal diabetes risk – Press TV
- Sally Mauk: Nurses know Haiti’s desperate needs remain – The Missoulian
- Is the “abstinence only” educational initiative to reduce teen pregnancies just? – Helium
- Is the “abstinence only” educational initiative to reduce teen pregnancies just? – Helium
- ‘Stand up for what you believe in,’ Palin tells Hershey group – Allentown Morning Call
- Birds and bees join ABCs: More sex education coming to Cleveland County public … – Shelby Star
- Obama’s jaded perspective on rights – RenewAmerica
- Meet MLK’s Glenn Beck-loving niece – Salon
- Florida Qualifies For Federal Sex-Ed Funds, but Must Apply – The Ledger
- Palin stresses family values at Pa. gathering – Philadelphia Inquirer
- Church rebukes minister for same-sex weddings – San Francisco Chronicle
- New laws on abortion and KC Zoo take effect – Kansas City Star
- Loyola Researches Announce Breakthrough In HIV Study – EDGE Boston
- Nebraska Abort Law Gone; US Skips Repro Rights – Women’s eNews
- Online community supports HIV orphans – Knoxville News Sentinel
- Birth Control Stocks: A Recession Play – FavStocks (blog)
Aug 27
- Mental health problems arise in abused mothers even after partners leave – Craegmoor News
- Harper government begins rollout of maternal-health plan in Africa – Globe and Mail
- Pakistani Female Flood Victims Struggle to Find Health Care – Voice of America
- Black Abortion Advocates Attack Alveda King, Say Martin Luther King Not Pro-Life – LifeNews.com
- Recession may have pushed US birth rate to new low – The Associated Press
- FIRST-PERSON: Do they really want to make abortion ‘safe’? Baptist Press – Town Hall
- AIDS Group Files Complaint Against Larry Flynt Over Condom-less Porn – The Frisky
- Controversy Continues Over Pro-Life Flag In Nyack – Patch
- Editorial: Social issue aside, vaccine is cancer preventive – Post-Bulletin
- Utah Proposes Medicaid Cuts for C-Sections, Epidurals – GlobalShift
- Breast-Feeding Keeps Diabetes at Bay – MedPage Today
- Civil Rights Leader Says KKK and Tea Party Have To Be Used ‘Interchangeably’ – CNSNews
- African American Leaders Outraged by ‘Religious Right’ Moves to Overturn Roe v … – PR-CANADA.net (press release)
- ‘Condoms everywhere!’ Dayton’s Planned Parenthood endorsement riles religious … – Minnesota Independent
- Political ads surpass 2006 levels as attacks mount – The Associated Press
- Illinois AG Ignores Requests to Enforce Parental Notification – Opposing Views
- Minnesota Pro-Life Group: Mark Dayton Misleading Voters on Abortion Position – LifeNews.com
- How the ‘Ex-Gay’ Movement Fosters HIV Infection – EDGE Boston
- MP in sex education ‘attack’ row – BBC News
- Palin rebukes Obama, Crist over abortion – Washington Times (blog)
- Polish Parliament Hearing Held Regarding Women Traveling for Abortions – Ms. Magazine
- New Jersey Democrats to Hold September Vote to Restore Planned Parenthood $ – LifeNews.com
- The Real Cost of Birth Control – U.S. News & World Report (blog)
- Conference on reproductive and child health underway – Ghana News Agency
- US birth rate falls again, a possible effect of economic downturn – Washington Post (blog)
- Dr. Alveda King: ‘Coretta Scott King Knew That Her Husband Was Pro-Life’ – CNSNews
- 600+ Health Experts Convene at Groundbreaking Global Maternal Health … – PR Newswire (press release)
- Wasserman Endorsed by Planned Parenthood Advocacy Fund – Patch
- Black Christians Debate Abortion as Civil Rights Issue – Christian Post
- Maputo protocol work in progress – Zimbabwe Independent
- Internet Searches For ‘Abortion’ More Common In Areas With Restrictive … – Medical News Today (press release)
- Alaska parental notification initiative passes with ‘crucial’ Catholic support – Catholic News Agency
- Ariz. Conservatives Enact Several Bills Related To Reproductive Rights – Medical News Today (press release)
- Challenge likely on parental notification – OneNewsNow
- Vitamin A makes breastfeeding with HIV more risky: Study – Sify