National Day to Prevent Teen Pregnancy is May 2, 2012
Hundreds of thousands of teens nationwide are expected toparticipate in the eleventh annual National Day to Prevent Teen Pregnancy on May 2, 2012. The purpose of the National Day is to focus the attention of teens on the importance of avoiding too-early pregnancy and parenthood through an interactive online quiz and game.
On the National Day, teens nationwide are encouraged to visit StayTeen.org to participate in several online activities—including the popular National Day Quiz—that challenge them to think carefully about what they might do “in the moment.” The message of the National Day is straightforward: Sex has consequences.
The U.S. teen pregnancy rate has declined 42% from its peak in 1990 and is now at a nearly 40-year low. In addition to the overall national declines, the teen pregnancy rate (mothers <20 years old) has also decreased in Shelby County. According to the 2010 Vital Statistics for Iowa, the rate of infants who are born to mothers less than 20 years old is 59.8 per 1,000 births. This is down from the 2009 rate of 75. Shelby County continues to have one of the lowest teen birth rates in the state of Iowa.
“The nation continues to make extraordinary progress in preventing too-early pregnancy and parenthood, but we must not mistake these impressive gains with victory,” cautions Rachel Birks, RN. “It is still the case that nearly three in ten teen girls in this country become pregnant before age 20…“When it comes to convincing young people that adolescence should be a time for education and growing-up not pregnancy and parenthood, there is much yet to be done. We hope that—in some modest way—the National Day will help teens think carefully about sex, relationships, contraception, the possibility of pregnancy, and the lifelong challenges of being a parent.”
The National Campaign to Prevent Teen and Unplanned Pregnancy is a nonprofit, nonpartisan initiative supported almost entirely by private donations. Their mission is to promote values, behavior and policies that reduce both teen pregnancy and unplanned pregnancy among young adults. By increasing the proportion of children born into welcoming, intact families who are prepared to take on the demanding task of raising the next generation, our efforts will improve the well-being of children and strengthen the nation. Please visit www.TheNationalCampaign.org to find out more.
HCCMS Family Health Services offers confidential reproductive and general health services at little to no cost. Charges are based on insurance status and income. Our Shelby County office is located at 2712 12th Street, Harlan, Iowa. For more information, call 755-4312.