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Advocacy eLetter
G-CAPP Policy and
Advocacy News
US Teen Birth Rate at an All-Time Low
The US teen birth rate has hit an all-time low, according to the June 2007 Child Trends publication Facts at a Glance. Based on data from the National Center for Health Statistics, the US teen birth rate was 40.4 births per 1,000 females ages 15-19 in 2005, down from 60 births per 1,000 females in 1990. Birth rates are at an all-time low for White, Black and Hispanic teens.
The teen birth rate has declined in all the states since 1991, but teens in some states are still much more likely to have a baby than teens in other states, with the highest rates being found in the South and Southwest. Georgia ranks 43rd, with the 8th highest teen birth rate in the nation.
Gwinnett Youth Health Survey Released
The Gwinnett Coalition for Health and Human Services conducted a survey in 2006 of more than 32,000 middle school and high school students covering a wide range of health topics, including sexual behavior. The recently-released results indicate that some youth are engaging in sexual activity at younger ages. Among middle schoolers, 8% said they have had sexual intercourse and 3.7% had three or more partners. Among those surveyed who reported being sexually-active, one in five began having sex at age 14 or younger, and more than 33% of sexually-active middle school youth reported they had their first sexual experience by the completion of the sixth grade. The report recommends that parents talk to youth about sex and relationships before they reach high school.
There is a lack of data, both locally and nationally, regarding sexual activity among younger adolescents and this new survey sheds light on this important issue. For more information, see this recent Atlanta Journal Constitution article.
Georgia a Leader in Pre-Kindergarten
Southern states have typically lagged behind other regions in many areas of educational performance, but states in the South have greater enrollment, higher standards and more funding in state-funded pre-K than other regions. This will lead to economic and educational gains in the region, according to a Southern Education Foundation report, Pre-Kindergarten in the South: the Region's Competitive Advantage in Education. The report highlights Georgia’s program, which has consistently ranked at the top of the nation in terms of both enrollment and high-quality standards for the last several years. Georgia was the first state in the nation to offer voluntary preschool to all 4-year-olds. In 2007, 27% of all three and four-year-olds were enrolled in Georgia Pre-K.
G-CAPP Fast Fact
Early sexual activity among youth has been linked to a greater number of sexual partners over time and an increased risk of teen pregnancy and STDs.
Source: 14 and Younger from the National Campaign to Prevent Teen Pregnancy
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