G-CAPP Announces 15 by 15 Statewide Teen Pregnancy Reduction Goal

G-CAPP has launched the 15 by 15 statewide reduction goal, to achieve a 15% reduction in the adolescent pregnancy rate for girls ages 15 to 19 in Georgia by year 2015.

Why do we need a goal?

In Georgia, a broad range of prevention efforts have proven effective in achieving significant reductions in the teen pregnancy rate.

• Over the past decade in our state, the pregnancy rate for 15 to 19 year old girls declined 30%.
• In spite of this progress, Georgia has the 8th highest adolescent pregnancy rate in the nation.

The 15 by 15 goal is a call to action to ensure that our state does not become complacent about adolescent pregnancy.  We must continue to invest resources and attention in adolescent pregnancy prevention efforts in order to maintain the downward trend in the rates in Georgia.

What would a 15% reduction mean?

•  In 2005, for girls ages 15 to 19 in Georgia, the adolescent pregnancy rate was 67 per 1,000.
•  A 15% reduction would make the rate 57 per 1,000 girls ages 15 to 19.

How are we doing?

• In 2005, the year the 15 by 15 goal was launched, the state had just achieved a 3.6% reduction in the teen pregnancy rate.
• From 2005 to 2006, the teen pregnancy rate increased by nearly 1%. Prior to 2006, Georgia’s teen pregnancy rate had declined every year for well over a decade. This recent up-tick is proof that there is no time for complacency in our state when it comes to teen pregnancy.

Who can support the goal?

 Parents, adolescents, school officials, state and local policymakers, community leaders, adolescent service providers, and all Georgians can support the 15 by 15 goal and help spread the word about the importance of adolescent pregnancy prevention in our state.