Teen Pregnancy Rates in Wilkes and NC Drop

Teen pregnancies in Wilkes and in all of North Carolina dropped over the past year. North Carolina’s teen pregnancy rate fell 11% last year, hitting a record low for a 6^th consecutive year, according to new data provided by the North Carolina State Center for Health Statistics and released by the Adolescent Pregnancy Prevention Campaign of North Carolina (APPCNC). Statewide, 11,178 girls ages 15-19 experienced a pregnancy in 2013. In other words, only 3.5% of 15-19-year-old girls in North Carolina experienced a pregnancy last year.  Other highlights from the newly released data include: Reduced pregnancies among girls of all racial and ethnic backgrounds--white, black, and Hispanic teen pregnancies dropped; The teen birth rate dropped by 11% and the teen abortion rate dropped by 13%; and 75% of counties saw teen pregnancy decrease in 2013.  North Carolina’s teen pregnancy rate is 67% lower than when it peaked in 1990.  In Wilkes County, the 2013 pregnancy rate was 38.1 per 1,000 15-19 year old girls, or 75 total pregnancies. This shows an improvement over the past two years; in 2012, the teen pregnancy rate was 48.8. In 2011, the teen pregnancy rate was 53.9. We have seen a decrease of 9.5% in pregnancies of 15-19 year old girls from 2011. Plus, Wilkes County has seen a 21.3% decline in teen pregnancies from 2012-2013. Our county ranked 44 out of 100 counties, moving up from spot 30 last year. A higher rank indicates a lower teen pregnancy rate. Local successes are due in part to partnerships with the Adolescent Pregnancy Prevention Campaign of North Carolina and their assistance with the implementation of the WISE (Working to Institutionalize Sex Education) curriculum, programs such as Wise Guys and Smart Girls by Communities In Schools, changes to the local Board of Education policy and changes in curriculum taught in schools.