Nevada’s teen birth rate is down 28 percent

By Emily Richmond

Wednesday, May 4, 2005 | 11:21 a.m.

Nevada's teen birth rate has dropped 28 percent since 1991, a decline touted by health educators and community advocates observing today's National Day to Prevent Teen Pregnancy.

The Silver State still has the nation's 11th highest birth rate for girls ages 15 to 19, however, said Mary Rosenthal of the Southern Nevada Area Health Education Center. In 2003 there were 48.3 births per 1,000 girls ages 15 to 19, compared with 69.9 in 1991. Teen birth rates have shown a similar decline in Clark County, to 50.6 in 2003 from 72.7 in 1991.

The nation's teen birth rate is down 33 percent since 1991, according to the National Center for Health Statistics. The federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's biennial Youth Risk Behavior Survey indicates teenagers are waiting longer before having sex and are more likely to use contraception when they do.

Rosenthal credited the drop in Nevada's teen birth rate to aggressive efforts by both public and private agencies at the local and state level.

A variety of studies and reports, including the Nevada Youth Risk Behavior Survey, suggest several reasons for the declining teen birth rate. Teenagers say they are waiting longer to have sexual intercourse for the first time although they are taking part in other forms of sexual contact, including oral sex. More sexually active teenagers also say they are using birth control.

Campaigns aimed at educating teenagers to the health risks of sexually transmitted diseases also appear to be having an effect, Rosenthal said.

But more needs to be done, she said.

"People may think, 'Oh good, we're no longer No. 1,' but 11th is still not good enough," said Rosenthal, who also chairs the Clark County Teen Pregnancy Prevention Coalition's steering committee. "We have a lot of work ahead of us."

There does not appear to be a corresponding abortion rate increase that would account for the drop in teens giving birth.

Nevada's rate of total induced abortions spiked in 2001, reaching a high of 298 per 1,000 live births. That was a noticeable spike over the rate of 230.5 per 1,000 live births in 1998. But the rate dropped to 283.5 the following year and was last calculated in 2003 at 258.7.

The highest percentage of induced abortions, 30 percent, are performed on women ages 20 to 24, according to the state health division's database.

Of all induced abortions, the percentage performed on girls ages 15 to 17 has steadily declined, to 5.8 percent in 2003 from 7 percent three years earlier. The percentage of abortions for women ages 18 and 19 is also down, to 10 percent in 2003 from 11.6 in 2001.

Laura Deitsch, program manager for Planned Parenthood of Southern Nevada, said easier access to contraception is a factor in declining teen birth rates. But there needs to be even more community involvement in prevention efforts, Deitsch said.

"We need area businesses to step up to the plate and get involved," Deitsch said. "We're talking about their potential future employees."

The consequences of teen births can be severe, for the mother, baby and community as a whole, said Robbie Keeley, coordinator of the HIV/AIDs program for the Southern Nevada Health Education Center.

"Taxpayer dollars may be paying for this pregnancy," Keeley said.

Teen mothers are less likely to receive prenatal care, raising the likelihood that their babies will have low birth weights. That, in turn, increases the risk of infant mortality or poor health. Teen mothers are less likely to stay in school, making it harder for them to get the skills they need to be productive members of society or become a good parent, Keeley said.

And it's not just about the girls.

Planned Parenthood has launched several education programs for teenage boys and young men, aimed at improving their awareness of the consequences of sex, Deitsch said. The programs have included workshops for a local church and visits to group homes, Deitsch said.

One place Planned Parenthood cannot visit is Clark County School District campuses. Since 1998 the district's sex education curriculum has been "abstinence based," and only certified health teachers or a school nurse may conduct the classes. Parental permission is required for students to enroll in the required sex education class, which is taught for one semester in the eighth grade and again for a semester in high school. Outside guest speakers are not allowed, per district regulation.

While that classroom approach has been criticized by some health advocates as too narrow, there has been a concerted effort by district officials to work with the coalition, Rosenthal said.

The coalition is crafting a staff development day for Clark County School District employees next fall, Rosenthal said. The goal is to ensure consistency in what's being taught in the district's health classes and improve the skills and comfort level of educators, she said.

Clark County School Board member Sheila Moulton said she was pleased with the overall drop in Nevada's teen birth rate and cited the district's approach to sex education as a contributing factor.

"Abstinence has consistently been our message and it appears we're seeing success," Moulton said. The district's existing sex education curriculum is sufficient, Moulton said.

"The ultimate responsibility for teaching students about sex and the consequences rests with the parents, where it should be," Moulton said. "We can reinforce the message but the families are the real key to teaching morals and values."

Allie Smith, executive director of Class!, a monthly publication authored by Clark County high school students, said articles that deal with sex-related themes draw the most response from readers. Class! regularly runs first-person essays from teen mothers and fathers who share the difficulties of the experience, Smith said.

"When kids hear it from their peers it's a very powerful message," Smith said.

The back page of this month's issue encourages students to go online to www.teenpregnancy.org, a Web site sponsored by the National Campaign to Prevent Teen Pregnancy. At the site students can take an online quiz that offers tips on dealing with peer pressure.

"Students have questions about sex and sometimes, for one reason or another, they don't feel like they can get the answers at home," Smith said. "The more honest information that's out there, the better for everyone."