Preggo pause

Teen births reach all-time low in U.S. — drop 13% in city

If you watch (MTV’S) teen mom shows, you see that all the girls’ lives are train wrecks because of sex

Bronx mom Gloria Malone

TEEN BIRTHS ARE at an all-time low nationwide — and New York delivered live the ninth-lowest rate among the states, a new federal study found.

New York reported 23 births per 1,000 teens in 2010, a decline of 13% over three years, according to the National Center for Health Statistics.

New Hampshire had the lowest rate in 2010, while Connecticut ranked fourth lowest and New Jersey fifth lowest.

The highest rate of teen births was again recorded in Mississippi.

The new report builds on the gov- ernment’s announcement last November that the overall birth rate for teen moms dropped 9% in 2010 to the lowest rate on record.

The bad economy and pregnancy prevention programs are pushing the trend, experts said.

“In the past, teens didn’t seem to respond (to economic turmoil), but they have been responding like other age groups,” report author Stephanie Ventura said.

She also cited increased use of “dual contraception” — the use of a condom along with birth control pills.

Bronx mom Gloria Malone, who gave birth to daughter Leilani at age 15, credited pop culture as another factor in the decline.

“All teens watch MTV, and if you watch their teen mom shows, you see that all the girls’ lives are train wrecks because of sex,” Malone told The News.

“Being a teen mom is really tough,” said Malone, now 21, a junior at Baruch College and author of the teenmomnyc.com blog. “I think it’s better education and people watching these shows.”