Worcester Co. Health Dept. recognizes Teen Pregnancy Prevention Month
May is National Teen Pregnancy Prevention Month and the Worcester County Health Department wants all teens as well as parents to be knowledgeable about prevention.
According to the the National Campaign to Prevent Teen and Unplanned Pregnancy in the U.S., about 1 in 4 teenagers get pregnant before the age of 20. Maryland ranks 31st in the nation as far as teen pregnancies, but nationally and locally, statistics are on the decline.
In Worcester County since 2012, numbers have dropped from 26.6% to 11.5% in 2014. Dawn Richardson of the Worcester County Health Department says we can keep these numbers down, by talking about preventative measures and focusing on the teens future. And it all starts at home.
47 ABC spoke with Richardson and he says, “Keep that line of communication open and two model that behavior as parents, we need to model to our kids what a healthy relationship looks like because I truly believe that that plays a big part.”
Richardson says there are state funded programs available in Worcester County Middle and High Schools as far as information and statistics on pregnancy rates.
