Teen pregnancy rate on the decline in Richmond and Scotland County

Richmond County Daily Journal, Rockingham, N.C.
·3 min read

Jun. 2—LAURINBURG — Across North Carolina, there has been a steady decline in births for 15-19 year old teenagers across all races and ethnicities since 2011.

That data holds true for Richmond and Scotland County, although Richmond County is still far higher than the state average and neighboring counties.

In 2020, the teen pregnancy rate in Richmond County was 55.3 per 1,000 15-19 year olds, which was an increase over 41.9 in 2019. The state average is 22.9 (it was at 50 in 2011), with Scotland at 32.5 and Anson County at 50.1

"However, teen pregnancy rates for ages 15-17 have reached record lows [less than 20] for Richmond County in several years since the implementation of the REACH program in Richmond County middle and high schools," according to the 2022 Richmond County Health Assessment book. "In addition, pregnancy rates for teens aged 18-19 and repeat pregnancies have continued to be high since 2014."

In the health assessment, the Richmond County Family Planning Clinic reported that requests for contraceptive services peaked in 2019 and have since decreased. A graph in the book states that the 2020 and 2021 decrease in numbers could be affected due to COVID-19 restrictions at the time.

Two teens decide to help

Every May, communities nationwide observe Teen Pregnancy Prevention Month to encourage service providers and families to work with youth to lower teen birth and pregnancy rates.

Work to prevent teen pregnancy in the United States is making a positive impact. Locally, access to quality care and comprehensive reproductive education are available to adolescents.

Reflecting the state and nation, Scotland County has seen a reduction in teen birth rates over the past five years. While teen birth rates are declining, teen births persist and there continues to be disparities among various racial and ethnic groups.

Holly Covington and Savannah Chavis, rising 11th graders at Scotland County High School have decided to join in the fight to reduce teen pregnancy in Scotland County. They approached Health Director, Amanda Deaver with an initiative to partner with the Health Department to provide educational resources to combat teen pregnancy.

"The purpose of their initiative is to spread awareness to teenagers regarding topics such as STDs, teen pregnancy, and how teens can live a healthy and productive lifestyle," Deaver said.

The Scotland County Health Department will partner with Ms. Covington and Ms. Chavis to provide educational resources and activities to bring awareness to teen issues in our county.

"As ambassadors for the initiative, Holly and Savannah will share the resources with their peers and the goal is to have a positive impact by bring awareness to our teens," Deaver said.

Scotland County's rates were among those that decreased from 2011 with 64 births per 1000 females population ages 15-19 to 44 teen births in 2022.

"We are pleased with the momentum we are gaining in lowering our teen pregnancy rates," Deaver said. "We offer an Adolescent Pregnancy Prevention Program through the Scotland County Health Department in conjunction with our community partners. This provides an evidence-informed curriculum to provide sexual health education designed to prevent teen pregnancy, STDs, sexual violence, and to increase knowledge about the reproductive system and puberty."

To learn more about these initiatives, call Janna Blue, health educator or Deaver at 910-277-2440. Family planning services at the Richmond County Health Department can be reached at 910-997-8301.