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Teen Pregnancy Prevention Month
May is Teen Pregnancy Prevention Month! This month is recognized as a time to look at how teen pregnancy rates have changed over time and understand why this is still an important topic. Did you know that the United States has seen a decline in teen pregnancy rates, but the rate is still higher than many other developing countries? This shows us that there is still work to be done!
Let’s look at some local data, in 2017 the Knox County teen pregnancy rate was 21.2, and the state of Tennessee had a 30.2 teen pregnancy rate. While these rates have declined over the years, due to various efforts, we still see that the teen pregnancy rate is high among different areas of the population in Knoxville and Tennessee as a whole.
Many teen pregnancies are unintended and having a baby at a young age can be tough. Having a baby at any point in your life is expensive, and it can be a financial burden on a teen who may just be starting out in the work force or beginning college. So, what can you do to bring awareness to Teen Pregnancy Prevention Month? Firstly, you can educate yourself on the teen pregnancy rates in your area and use local resources like the mybodymyfuture website. Also, don’t be afraid to ask questions about teenage pregnancy. Most importantly, we encourage you to always make safe and healthy choices!