Teen Pregnancy, Ages 15-17

Measure

Rate (per 1.000) of pregnancies to Hall County teen residents ages 15-17 at the time of the event.

Why is this indicator important?

Infants born to teen mothers tend to have lower birth weight and greater incidence of infant mortality.  Pregnant teens are less likely to seek and receive timely prenatal care. 

Teen pregnancies are considered to reflect other health behaviors and societal concerns within a community such as inadequate health and sex education, lower socioeconomic status, abuse of alcohol and drugs, poor academic progress, history of sexual abuse, lack of birth control, and low self-esteem.  The impact of teen pregnancy is significant for teen parents, their children and the community.  Teen parents are more likely to experience social and economic disadvantage which may last throughout their lives. 

Children of teen parents face significant disadvantages throughout their lives as well.  They are more likely to struggle in school, both academically and behaviorally.  They are more likely to grow up in single-parent households, spend time in the justice system, and become teen parents themselves; thereby continuing the cycle of social and economic disadvantage.


For more information about Teen Pregnancy in Georgia see the Georgia Family Connection Partnership's Best Practices Fact Sheets - Preventing Teen Pregnancy (Winter 2006)

How are we doing in Hall County?

• The teen pregnancy rate in Georgia declined steadily for the past 10 years, until 2006.

• The rate of teen pregnancies in North Health District II dropped every year since 2000, until 2006.

• Hall County teen pregnancies have declined steadily, but remain higher than the rate in surrounding counties and the state.

• Hall County's teen pregnancy rate in 2007 is 44.2 per 1,000 compared to the state rate of 38.0.

• There were 1141 teen pregnancies to girls ages 15-17 in Hall County in 2007.

• The teen pregnancy rate in Hall County continues to decline, but not as fast as the Georgia rate, and is still significantly above the state rate.

• The teen pregnancy rate in Hall County varies greatly by race/ethnicity with the rate for Hispanic/Latino girls over 78 per 1,000 in 2007.  However, this number is dropping from a high of 122 per 1,000 in 2004.

What does research tell us we can do to improve this indicator?

• Support health and sex education programs for young people 
• Encourage use of contraceptives for sexually active teens 
• Provide ready access to health information and birth control
• Encourage communication between parents and their children