Watauga's teen pregnancy rate NC's lowest
by Kellen Moore
Watauga County ranked 90 out of 100 North Carolina counties in its teen pregnancy rate for 2010, according to data released this month.
In the same time period, North Carolina's teen pregnancy rate plummeted to the lowest level in state history.
Local and state advocates are hoping the trends continue and plan to formally announce in January a goal to reduce teen pregnancy even further.
In 2010, 32 girls between 15 and 19 became pregnant in Watauga County, or 0.99 percent, according to the data from the N.C. Department of Health and Human Services and the Adolescent Pregnancy Prevention Campaign of North Carolina.
The figures give Watauga County the honor of having the lowest rate in the state, excluding the 10 counties with fewer than 20 pregnancies that statisticians deemed unstable. The counties with fewer than 20 pregnancies included Alleghany and Avery.
Onslow County, on the coast, had the highest teen pregnancy rate at 8.66 percent of girls 15 to 19.The state average was 4.97 percent, the data shows.
The pregnancy rates include live births, abortions and reported miscarriages.
Kay Phillips, executive director of the prevention campaign, cited changes in sex education enacted in 2009 as a reason for the decrease.
“North Carolina has gotten smarter about investing in comprehensive programs that are proven to help young people avoid sex and be responsible about contraceptive use when they eventually become sexually active,” Phillips said. “Now we're seeing the payoff, and it's great news for North Carolina.”
The prevention campaign estimated that the major reduction in teen pregnancies during the last two decades has saved more than $7.7 billion to state taxpayers.
Local health and youth organizations are also carefully tracking the trends.
Jennifer Greene of the Appalachian District Health Department pointed to the Youth Risk Behavior Survey conducted with 1,124 Watauga High School students earlier this year.
According to the survey, 37 percent of respondents reporting having had sex in their lifetime, with percentages highest among seniors and lowest among freshmen.
Nearly three in four respondents also said they had discussed sex with their families or other adults.
“This is really an important note because we know that having discussion with parents or trusted adults will help students receive accurate information and know their parent's thoughts and values about sexual behavior,” Greene said.
The Children's Council also offers a teen parenting program aimed primarily to reduce second pregnancies, said Crystal Kelly, drop-out prevention coordinator.
In Watauga County, eight of the 32 pregnancies were repeat pregnancies, or pregnancies by teen moms who already had children.
Kelly said that Western Youth Network and Children's Council programs would need to see continued decline to know how their programs are working.
“While the statistics are low, there is still a need for more services and collaborative efforts for the high-risk population that exists currently,” Kelly said.
And despite the progress made, North Carolina still has the 14th highest teen pregnancy rate in the nation.
Advocates plan to formally announce in January a goal to reduce teen pregnancy by 30 percent by 2020.
In the same time period, North Carolina's teen pregnancy rate plummeted to the lowest level in state history.
Local and state advocates are hoping the trends continue and plan to formally announce in January a goal to reduce teen pregnancy even further.
In 2010, 32 girls between 15 and 19 became pregnant in Watauga County, or 0.99 percent, according to the data from the N.C. Department of Health and Human Services and the Adolescent Pregnancy Prevention Campaign of North Carolina.
The figures give Watauga County the honor of having the lowest rate in the state, excluding the 10 counties with fewer than 20 pregnancies that statisticians deemed unstable. The counties with fewer than 20 pregnancies included Alleghany and Avery.
Onslow County, on the coast, had the highest teen pregnancy rate at 8.66 percent of girls 15 to 19.The state average was 4.97 percent, the data shows.
The pregnancy rates include live births, abortions and reported miscarriages.
Kay Phillips, executive director of the prevention campaign, cited changes in sex education enacted in 2009 as a reason for the decrease.
“North Carolina has gotten smarter about investing in comprehensive programs that are proven to help young people avoid sex and be responsible about contraceptive use when they eventually become sexually active,” Phillips said. “Now we're seeing the payoff, and it's great news for North Carolina.”
The prevention campaign estimated that the major reduction in teen pregnancies during the last two decades has saved more than $7.7 billion to state taxpayers.
Local health and youth organizations are also carefully tracking the trends.
Jennifer Greene of the Appalachian District Health Department pointed to the Youth Risk Behavior Survey conducted with 1,124 Watauga High School students earlier this year.
According to the survey, 37 percent of respondents reporting having had sex in their lifetime, with percentages highest among seniors and lowest among freshmen.
Nearly three in four respondents also said they had discussed sex with their families or other adults.
“This is really an important note because we know that having discussion with parents or trusted adults will help students receive accurate information and know their parent's thoughts and values about sexual behavior,” Greene said.
The Children's Council also offers a teen parenting program aimed primarily to reduce second pregnancies, said Crystal Kelly, drop-out prevention coordinator.
In Watauga County, eight of the 32 pregnancies were repeat pregnancies, or pregnancies by teen moms who already had children.
Kelly said that Western Youth Network and Children's Council programs would need to see continued decline to know how their programs are working.
“While the statistics are low, there is still a need for more services and collaborative efforts for the high-risk population that exists currently,” Kelly said.
And despite the progress made, North Carolina still has the 14th highest teen pregnancy rate in the nation.
Advocates plan to formally announce in January a goal to reduce teen pregnancy by 30 percent by 2020.