Why Is This Important?
Teenage mothers are more likely to face higher rates of pregnancy-related morbidity, are less likely to receive prenatal care, and experience greater hardships that negatively impact their children’s lives and their own. 2022 NC SHIP, pg. 90.
Story Behind the Curve
According to the National Campaign to Prevent Teen and Unplanned Pregnancy, teen childbearing costs taxpayers in North Carolina over $325 million annually, and nationally the annual cost is over $9.4 billion. Additionally, pregnancy and birth are significant contributors to high school dropout rates among girls, with only about 50 percent of teen mothers receiving a high school diploma by age 22, compared to 90 percent of women who do not give birth as a teen. Teen mothers are also more likely to rely on public assistance, be poor as adults, and more likely to have children with poorer health outcomes over the course of their lives than children born to older mothers. 2022 NC SHIP, pg. 92
Partners
Helping Each Adolescent Reach Their Spark (H.E.A.R.T.S) |
https://www.heartsnc.org/ |
NC DHHS Adolescent Pregnancy Prevention Program |
https://www.teenpregnancy.ncdhhs.gov/appp.htm |
NC DHHS Personal Responsibility Education Program (PREPare) for Success |
https://www.teenpregnancy.ncdhhs.gov/prep.htm |
North Carolina Area Health Education Centers (NC AHEC) |
https://www.ncahec.net/about-nc-ahec/statewide-work |
North Carolina School Health Training Center (NCSHTC)-ECU |
https://hhp.ecu.edu/ncshtc/ |
Nurse-Family Partnership |
https://www.nursefamilypartnership.org/ |
Sexual Health Initiatives for Teens (SHIFT) NC- Gaston Youth Connected |
https://www.shiftnc.org/initiatives/gaston-youth-connected |
Teen Health Connection |
https://teenhealthconnection.org/teens-and-tots/ |
What Works
- Engage community. Community input is essential to understanding what issues are impacting unintended pregnancy
- Ensure access to information and services for youth sexual health
- Examine school sex education policies to ensure they include information on how to avoid teen pregnancy and sexually transmitted infections (STIs)
- Increase access to educational programs for youth in juvenile justice and foster care systems on pregnancy and STIs
- Increase access to long-acting reversible contraceptives, such as IUDs and implants, as well as condoms
- Increase education for teen mothers to prevent second pregnancies
- Make contraceptives available on-site in schools
- Require medically accurate sex education
Description of Indicator Data
NC State Center for Health Statistics, Vital Statistics
Additional Data Needed at Local Level
- Number of organizations in community that have similar interest in teens and reproductive health
- Number of teens in community
- Demographic profile of teens in community
- Number of middle and high schools
- Location of contraceptive health services (public and private)
- Number of youth-serving businesses