CDC Vital Signs offers recent data and calls to action for important public health issues.
Featured Issue: Preventing Teen Pregnancy in the US
More than 400,000 teen girls, aged 15-19 years, give birth each year in the US. The media often glamorize teens having sexual intercourse and teen parenting, but the reality is starkly different. Having a child during the teen years carries high costs—emotional, physical, and financial—to the mother, father, child, and community. Parents, educators, public health and medical professionals, and community organizations all have a role to play in reducing teen pregnancy. During the past 20 years, the rate of teen girls having children has dropped by about 40% to its lowest level since records began being kept 70 years ago. Despite this good news, there is still much work to do, because teen pregnancy has such a huge impact on the future of America's children.
More Issues
Making Health Care Safer: Reducing Bloodstream Infections
Bloodstream infections in patients with central lines are largely preventable when healthcare providers use CDC-recommended infection control steps.
High Blood Pressure and Cholesterol
Heart disease, stroke, and other cardiovascular (blood vessel) diseases are among the leading cause of death.
Adult Seat Belt Use in the US
Motor vehicle crashes are the leading cause of death for people ages 5 – 34.
HIV Testing in the US
Of an estimated 1.1 million people living with HIV, as many as 1 in 5 don't know they are infected.
Access to Health Care
A record number of Americans are uninsured or underinsured.
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About Vital Signs
CDC launched a new program called CDC Vital Signs, which includes an MMWR Early Release, a fact sheet and website, a media release, and a series of announcements via social media tools.
Vital Signs will be released the first Tuesday of every month. Issues include colorectal and breast cancer screening, obesity, alcohol and tobacco use, access to health care, HIV testing, seat belt use, cardiovascular disease, teen pregnancy and healthcare-associated infections, asthma, and foodborne disease.
Contact Us:
- Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
1600 Clifton Rd
Atlanta, GA 30333 - 800-CDC-INFO
(800-232-4636)
TTY: (888) 232-6348
24 Hours/Every Day - cdcinfo@cdc.gov
