Pennsylvania

Pennsylvania is the 12th largest state in the United States, with a population of 12.5 million in 2008, of which about 1.4 million were African American and about half a million Hispanic. In 2006, there were 149,090 births in Pennsylvania, including 57,065 to unmarried women, for a birth rate of 12 per 1,000 population and a fertility rate of 60.6 per 1,000 women aged 15–44 years.

Overall, Pennsylvania ranks about average among U.S. states on most economic indicators: unemployment in 2007 was 4.4 percent, ranking 25th; per capita income was $38,788, ranking 19th; median household income was $48,576, ranking 25th; and the poverty rate was 11.6 percent, ranking 32nd.

The state is home to several well-known research hospitals and medical schools, and is well supplied with physicians (297 per 100,000 residents, ranking 9th among U.S. states). However, poverty is higher among African American (35 percent) and Hispanic (34 percent) residents than among Caucasians (12 percent), and this is reflected in many factors relating to maternal and child health, where African American and Hispanic women fare less well than Caucasian women.

Ipas, an international organization whose purpose is to protect women's rights, ranks Pennsylvania 42nd among U.S. states on women's and reproductive health issues. Reasons include restrictive laws governing abortion (mandatory counseling, mandatory waiting period, prohibition of state funding for abortions, mandatory parental involvement in minors' abortions); failure to require private insurers to fund contraceptive services; and lack of confidential family planning services for minors. The teen pregnancy rate is notably higher for African Americans (78.2 per 1,000 births) and Hispanics (94.7 per 1,000 births) than for Caucasians (21.8 per 1,000 births), and infant mortality is over twice as high for African Americans (14.4 per 1,000 live births) than for Caucasians (6.1 per 1,000 live births).

The abortion rate is 14 per 1,000 women, and African American women receive a disproportionate share of abortions (42 percent). Abortion provider availability is rated as fair with one provider for each 30,001–50,000 women of reproductive age (age 15–49). African American and Hispanic women are less likely than Caucasian women to begin prenatal care in the first trimester (57 percent of African American and 61 percent of Hispanic women do so, as compared to 80 percent of Caucasian women). African American and Hispanic women were also more likely to have a preterm birth: in 2006, 16.8 percent of births to African Americans and 12.8 percent of births to Hispanics were preterm, versus 10.8 percent for Caucasians.

Famous mothers from Pennsylvania include Ethel Barrymore (1879–1959), whom many consider to be the finest stage actress of her generation. One of her three children, Ethel Barrymore Colt, is also an actress. The actress and singer Shirley Jones has three children; she and son Shaun Cassidy are the only mother and son to each have a number-one song hit. Additional famous mothers from the state include the actresses Grace Kelly (1929–82); three children); Jayne Mansfield (1933–67); five children, including the actress Mariska Magdolina Hargitay); the actress, writer, and director Elaine May (1932-); one child, the actress Jeannie Berlin); popular singer Patti Labelle (1944-); one child and three adopted children), and the operatic mezzosoprano Marilyn Horne (1934-); one child).

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