Bayside Has Lowest Teen Birth Rate In Queens, Report Finds

BAYSIDE, QUEENS — Bayside has the lowest teen birth rate in Queens, according to the Department of Health.

The Northeastern Queens neighborhood saw less than one birth for every 1,000 teen girls in 2017, according to the agency's annual vital statistics report released Monday.

Bayside's teen pregnancy rate puts it well below the citywide rate of 13.8, which refers to the number of births for every 1,000 girls in that age group.

Teen pregnancy has plummeted in New York City over the past decade, following a national trend; the city's teen birth rate dropped 56.2 percent drop from 2008 to 2017, the Department of Health found.

More than 194,000 babies were born to 15-to-19-year-old mothers across the United States in 2017, giving the country a teen birth rate of 18.8 for every 1,000 girls and women that age, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. That rate marked a record low.

The agency suggests that drops have occurred because more teens are avoiding sex and more of those who are sexually active are using birth control.

Patch editor Noah Manskar contributed reporting.