The month of May is recognized as 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.

 Nationally, teen pregnancy rates have declined by 73% since 1991. In Orange County, teen birth rates have declined as well. For the year 2016, there were 11,302 births in Florida with 753 births in Orange County. In 2017, there were 10,815 births in Florida with 729 births in Orange County to teens between 13-19 years of age¹.  According to Power to Decide, a 501(c)(3) tax-exempt organization that campaigns to prevent unplanned pregnancy, Florida still ranks 24^th in teen pregnancy rates. 

Poster Contest

To promote teen pregnancy prevention awareness, the Health Department’s Family Planning and Prenatal program is sponsoring a Teen Pregnancy Prevention Awareness poster contest for middle and high school students in grades 6-12. Also, throughout the month of May, the department will present an abstinence program for middle and high school students, and host focus group sessions to get input from teens. 

Parents 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. Furthermore, parents can encourage their teens to make wise decisions. Tips on how to communicate with your teen and teen pregnancy prevention information can be found at https://powertodecide.org and www.stayteen.org.