With access to reliable birth control and fertility treatments, women in Pennsylvania are choosing to delay childbirth longer than they did two decades ago, write Carly Mallenbaum and Mike D’Onofrio for AXIOS Philadelphia.
According to new CDC data, the average age of a mother in the state is now 30 years old, which is slightly above the national average of 29.7 years old. This marks an increase of approximately two years for Pennsylvania compared to 2004, when the average birthing age was closer to 28 years old.
Nationally, teenage pregnancies and births among women in their 20s fell to record lows last year, while the birth rate rose for women over 30. Additionally, women between 30 and 35 had a birth rate of 95.4 per 1,000, surpassing the 91.4 rate for those in their late 20s.
“Fertility declines with age, but 35 is not a cliff by any stretch,” said Emily Oster, an economist and bestselling author of pregnancy and parenting books. “Plenty of people have kids in their late 30s, but it might take a little more work and you might want to be thoughtful about your timing.”
For more on what’s behind this generational shift—and what it means for families, healthcare, and the future—read the full story at Axios Philadelphia.
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