Fox News doc says not enough ’15 to 19′ year-olds are having kids: ‘The fertility is down’

https://lemmy.world/post/45445434

Fox News doc says not enough ’15 to 19′ year-olds are having kids: ‘The fertility is down’ - Lemmy.World

Fox News Senior Medical Analyst Marc Siegel made some eyebrow-raising comments lamenting that birth rates are down among teenagers aged 15 to 19. On Thursday, the National Center for Health Statistics reported that the U.S. fertility rate fell to another record low. The agency reported that the number of births per 1,000 women of childbearing age declined from 53.8 in 2024 to 53.1 last year. The latest figure represents a continuation of a decades-long decline in fertility rates. Siegel joined Friday’s edition of America’s Newsroom, where Dana Perino said that while the continuing trend is not surprising, “the numbers might feel a little shocking.”

If you watch the video, it’s much less strange in context (in fact, it’s not strange at all, although the guy himself is a religious crackpot). The reason he mentions “15 to 19” at all is because that’s a specific demographic in a statistic that he used, among other things, to suggest that people are having kids much later than they used to, but he doesn’t specifically talk about declining teen pregnancy like it’s a bad thing. Like seriously, watch the video; I don’t know what the fuck Mediaite is doing with this headline except for ragebait. I genuinely thought there would be even a little hint of weirdness, but no?? Somebody else please watch the clip and tell me what they think is wrong with it re: teen pregnancies.

The clip is 2:08 long; I encourage anyone who thinks this is bullshit apologia to watch it. I’m legitimately shocked that I’m having to defend something someone said on Fox News. The whole time watching it I was wondering when they were going to get to the shocking, deranged part.

(Side note: the host looks like a bootleg Rhea Seehorn.)

Edit: The Mediaite transcript of the quote below is wrong in a subtle but, I think, very important way. Please see edit in comment below.

So calling it a “problem” was just a poor choice of words?

maybe people who had living wages would be able to afford more kids… but something tells me they won’t address that. they’ll simply take away birth control and abortion.

fucking ghouls