Contact:
Jennifer Howell

Jennifer.howell@flhealth.gov
407-723-5035

@GOHealthyOrange

ORLANDO, FL – During Teen Pregnancy Prevention Month, the Florida Department of Health in Orange County wants to make the public aware of the impacts of unintended teen pregnancy, and the need to reduce the rate of teen pregnancy in Orange County.

The teen birth rate in Florida declined 75% between 1991 and 2018. In Orange County, teen birth rates have declined as well.  For the year 2016, there were 753 births in Orange County to teens.  In 2017, there were 729 births for teens between 15-19 years of age¹. Just this past year, there were 634 births in Orange County to teens between 15-19 years of age¹.

Florida ranks 24^th in teen pregnancy rates along with the states of Delaware and Nebraska with 16.7 per 1,000 girls according to Power to Decide, a 501(c)(3) tax-exempt organization that campaigns to prevent unplanned pregnancy.

Parents need to encourage their teens to make wise decisions. Doing so can have a positive influence on reducing teen pregnancy. Ways this can be achieved are developing strong relationships with your child, having open and honest communication, and close supervision.

Here resources for parents on how to communicate with your teen and teen pregnancy prevention information: https://powertodecide.org.  

Poster Contest

To promote teen pregnancy prevention awareness, the Florida Department of Health in Orange County’s Family Planning and Prenatal program is sponsoring a Teen Pregnancy Prevention Awareness poster contest.  The contest is for Orange County middle and high school students in grades 6-12 (see attachment).

About the Florida Department of Health

The department, nationally accredited by the Public Health Accreditation Board, works to protect, promote, and improve the health of all people in Florida through integrated state, county, and community efforts.

Follow us on Twitter at @HealthyFla and on Facebook. For more information about the Florida Department of Health please visit www.FloridaHealth.gov.