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Teen birth rates have dropped drastically in the United States, says a report released on Thursday from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). About 40 percent decline in births in teenagers since 2006 is observed on an average among all the races in the country.

The report also has it that birth rates dropped down by 50 percent among Hispanic and black over the past decade. However, the rate of "babies having baby" is still high among minorities, noted the officials indicating the need for more work and awareness, according to Reuters.

"While reasons for the declines are not clear, teens seem to be less sexually active, and more of those who are sexually active seem to be using birth control than in previous years," the CDC said. "The United States has made remarkable progress in reducing both teen pregnancy and racial and ethnic differences, but the reality is, too many American teens are still having babies," CDC Director Tom Frieden said in a statement.

A report published last year in the Journal of Adolescent Health has noted that teen pregnancy is high in United States than 21 other countries that were included in the study. About 51 out of 1000 teenage girls in United States were found to have had babies from 2008 through 2011. While Switzerland that ranked last in the list has reportedly had a rate of 8 births per 1000 teen.

The reach of sex education through internet over the decade is said to have brought down the most appreciable decline in teen pregnancy and births. Another important reason happens to be that today's teen have an increased access to contraception. Compared to birth control pills, the only contraception that was used for decades together in the past, techniques like implantable and long-acting injectable contraception methods have proved more effective.

"There has been a change in social norms that has happened in the past 20 years, and the idea of not having sex or delaying sex is now something that can be okay," said Bill Albert, chief program officer for the National Campaign to Prevent Teen and Unplanned Pregnancy, as reported by The Washington Post.