Teen pregnancy rate drops but Nevada still leading nation

Shaunta Grimes

Friday, Dec. 10, 1999 | 10:26 a.m.

The rate of pregnancy among Nevada girls 15 to 17 years old has dropped, but the state still has the highest overall teen pregnancy rate in the nation.

The Nevada Public Health Foundation said this week that pregnancies for that age group dropped from 63 for every 1,000 girls in 1996 to 48 for every 1,000 girls in 1998.

This means the foundation has met its goal of reducing the per-1,000 pregnancy rate among girls that age to fewer than 50 by the year 2000. Despite meeting the goal, the foundation acknowledges that it still has a big challenge ahead, given Nevada's overall national ranking.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in Atlanta reported that in 1998 Nevada saw a 6.3 percent drop in pregnancy among girls 15 to 19 years old. The rest of the country experienced a similar drop, however, keeping Nevada No. 1.

According to Nevada's Office of Vital records, black girls have shown the greatest rate of decline in pregnancies in the past five years, dropping from 122 in 1,000 in 1992 to 80 in 1,000 in 1998.

White girls had the second greatest rate of decline, going from 51 in 1,000 in 1992 to 30 in 1,000 in 1998. The rate among Indian girls declined also, from 67 in 1,000 in 1992 to 48 in 1,000 in 1998.

The rates for Asian and Hispanic girls increased, however. Teen pregnancies in the Hispanic community rose from 85 in 1,000 in 1992 to 124 in 1,000 in 1998. The rate for Asian teens rose from 33 in 1,000 in 1992 to 56 in 1,000 in 1998.

The next goal for the Nevada Public Health Foundation is to see the Nevada teen pregnancy rate reduced to 35 in 1,000 for girls 15 to 17 years old over the next five years. More than 70 community action teams have been formed to help get families and the community involved in the effort to lower teen pregnancy rates.

By July 2000 the teams will begin lobbying lawmakers at the community, state and national levels for support and resources for teen pregnancy prevention.

The Nevada Welfare Division says that more than 70 percent of the fathers of babies born to teenage mothers are over age 20. The foundation has developed a statutory rape program designed to educate law enforcement officers, educators and counselors on this situation.

The foundation has also developed television and radio commercials on date rape prevention. These messages primarily target teenage boys and men.

"Positive Choices, Positive Futures" is a workshop for parents designed to teach them about teen pregnancy.