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  • Title: Intermediate determinants of racial differences in 1980 U.S. nonmarital fertility rates.
    Author: Cutright P, Smith HL.
    Journal: Fam Plann Perspect; 1988; 20(3):119-23. PubMed ID: 3417001.
    Abstract:
    There are four major determinants of racial differences in nonmarital fertility rates in the U.S.: differential sexual activity (exposure to risk); differential in spontaneous and induced abortion; differential contraceptive use (including method efficacy); and differential legitimation, through marriage, of births conceived out of wedlock. Racial differences in all four indicators encourage higher black than white nonmarital fertility rates in every age-group examined; however, the relative contribution of each determinant to differences in nonmarital fertility varies according to age. The gap between whites and blacks in contraceptive use is of greatest concern to policy-makers, because family planning effectiveness can, at least theoretically, be changed by program effort. However, even if black women and white women had equivalent levels of contraceptive use, sexual activity and recourse to abortion, there would still be substantial racial differences in nonmarital fertility rates because of the greater propensity among whites to legitimate premaritally conceived births. There are 4 major determinants of racial differences in nonmarital fertility rates in the US: differential sexual activity (exposure to risk); differential in spontaneous and induced abortion; differential contraceptive use (including method efficacy); and differential legitimation, through marriage, of births conceived out of wedlock. Racial differences in all 4 indicators encourage higher black than white nonmarital fertility rates in every age group examined; however, the relative contribution of each determinant to differences in nonmarital fertility varies according to age. Among whites, the estimated proportion of sexually active women increases from 30% of the 15-19 age group to 52% of the 20-24 age group and then remains stable through ages 25-29. Among blacks, sexual activity increases modestly with each successive age group, from 53% of women aged 15-19 to 60% of those aged 20-24 to 66% of 25-29 year-olds. Nonuse of contraceptives declines with age among both white and black never-married women. Legal induced abortion ratios among unmarried women increase with age for both whites and blacks. Whereas the proportion of women who legitimate births conceived out of wedlock declines sharply with increasing age among whites, the proportion stays very low for blacks in all 3 age-groups. The gap between whites and blacks in contraceptive use is of greatest concern to policy makers, because family planning effectiveness can, at least theoretically, be changed by program effort. However, even if black women and white women had equivalent levels of contraceptive use, sexual activity and recourse to abortion, there would still be substantial racial differences in nonmarital fertility rates because of the greater propensity among whites to legitimate premaritally conceived births.
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