Teenage Pregnancy

Teenage Pregnancy (RHI)

Mission Statement

To build confidence and self esteem in young adults.

To respect each person as an individual and to establish goals today that will benefit our teens in the future.

To many teens in Shiawassee County become pregnant. 1 in 5 teenage girls in the U.S. will become pregnant before they graduate from high school.

In addition to the personal impacts in the teenager and the baby, teen pregnancy also has a real and substantial impact on many parts of our community.

	Social Well Being
	Health and Healthcare System
	Economy and Job Market
	Educational Institution
	Social Service Agents

Pregnancy for a teenager can be a profound event with long term implications for the young mother, father, family, and friends. Statistics prove that children born to unmarried teens face a greater challenge growing up than those born to older married couples.

Health:

Pregnant teens are more likely to:

	obtain inadequate prenatal care
	have inadequate nutrition
	increased pregnancy complications
	sexually transmitted diseases
	higher risk of low birth weights
	more infant health problems overall

Social:

Teens do not always have:

	good support systems
	parenting knowledge
	parenting skills
	coping mechanisms to deal with stress

Economic:

Teen mothers are less likely to finish high school leading to lower paying jobs and:

	limited job skills
	they are more likely to be financially dependent upon family and eventually on assistance programs
	Nearly 80% of the mothers will go onto welfare within two years of the child's birth.
	75% of unmarried teen mothers will be on welfare within five years of the birth of their first born.

OVER THE LAST 2 YEARS a group of youth and adults in Shiawassee County have come together to better understand the implications of teen pregnancy and see what might be done to address the impact on our community. The group felt that teen pregnancy occurred due to these reasons:

	Poor communications on issues of sexual behavior and reproductive health to youth from parents and other adult figures.
	Lack of self esteem within in some teens.
	Widespread acceptance of teenage sexual activity in relationships by the teen population.
	Inconsistent sex education.
	Lack of interventions that respond to various teen issues as they related to pregnancy.
	Teenage pregnancy limits the future opportunities for the teen parents.
	Greater societal acceptance of the teen mother and her child both before and after the birth of the child.
	Pregnancy Rates: Shiawassee County is 15.5% higher than the State of Michigan mean average.
	1985 - Shiawassee County ranked third when compared to three surrounding counties in pregnancy rates.
	1997 - Shiawassee County moved up to the second highest pregnancy rate in a similar comparison.

What will the Rural Health Initiative do for our county?

Community Awareness Building

Increase the community awareness of the negative impact in teen pregnancy on the community as a whole by providing speakers to go to local community groups.

Teen Education:

Provide educational speakers to schools, teen groups, and churches to discuss the importance of abstinence and goal setting.

	Provide educational activities to strengthen and support current reproductive health programs already in use.
	Build on each individual's support system and self esteem.
	Educate youth on the negative implications of teen pregnancy.

Mentoring Program:

Initiate mentoring programs for pre teens and teens.

Mentoring through peers as well as adults.

Shiawassee County Health Department

110 East Mack Street

Corunna, Michigan 48817

(989) 743-2355

1-800-859-4229

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