Teen Pregnancy
Teen pregnancy is closely linked to a host of problems, both for the parents and for the child. While higher than the state average, the teen pregnancy rate in the Hampton Roads region has declined since 2000.
Why is This Important?
Teen pregnancy is a critical public health issue that affects the health, educational, social and economic future of the mother and child. Teen pregnancy is closely linked to numerous other critical social issues as well -- welfare dependency, out-of-wedlock births, responsible fatherhood, and workforce development are all of particular concern. Adolescents are less likely to seek prenatal care because they are afraid or embarrassed. This factor and the immature physical nature of adolescents result in higher rates of low-birth weight babies than in other age groups. As the offspring of adolescent mothers grow, they are more likely than other children to have health and cognitive problems and to be the victims of neglect or abuse.
How is Hampton Roads Doing?
The
rate of teen pregnancy
in the Hampton Roads
region has dropped since
2000, although it has
been consistently higher
than Virginia's overall
average. In 2000, the
Hampton Roads region
had a teen pregnancy
rate of 78.0 per 1,000
females age 15 to 19;
in 2009, the rate was
57.6, while the state
average was 54.4. The
Southside region (61.8)
had the highest rate
of teen pregnancy in 2009.
What Influences Teen Pregnancy?
Several factors influence teen pregnancy rates. Young women may be at higher risk for teen pregnancy if they:
- Use alcohol and/or other drugs, including tobacco products.
- Drop out of school.
- Lack a support group or have few friends.
- Lack involvement in school, family, or community activities.
- Perceive little or no opportunity for success.
- Live in a community or attend a school where early childbearing is common and viewed as the norm rather than as a cause for concern.
- Grow up under impoverished conditions.
- Have been victims of sexual abuse or assault.
- Have a mother who was age 19 or younger when she first gave birth.
- Begin dating early. (Dating at age 12 is associated with a 91 percent chance of being sexually involved before age 19, and dating at age 13 is associated with a 56 percent probability of sexual involvement during adolescence.)
Adolescents become sexually mature (and fertile) approximately four to five years before they reach emotional maturity. Adolescents today are growing up in a culture in which peers, TV and movies, music, and magazines often transmit either covert or overt messages indicating that unmarried sexual relationships (specifically those involving teenagers) are common, accepted, and at times expected behaviors.
Data Definitions and Sources
Virginia Pregnancy Rate: Virginia Department of Health (VDH), Division of Health Statistics
Virginia Department of Health: Teenage Pregnancy Prevention Initiative
See the Data Sources and Updates Calendar for a detailed list of the data resources used for indicator measures on Hampton Roads Performs.
