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Mercer County trying to curb teen pregnancy rate

August 24, 2012|By STEPHANIE MOJICA | smojica@amnews.com

Stephanie Mojica

HARRODSBURG — There are more teenage mothers in Mercer County than in most other regions of central Kentucky, which has prompted the health department to renew its efforts to bring abstinence-based education into the public schools.

On Thursday, David Mahan, a nationally-known abstinence speaker from Columbus, Ohio, addressed about a dozen concerned adults at the Mercer County Extension Office. Today, he will present assemblies to about 1,200 students at King Middle School, Ninth Grade Academy, Burgin Middle School and Burgin High School. Mahan’s visit is possible through a $6,000 Title V State Abstinence Education Grant, said Emily Steer, community health educator with the health department.

Mahan, 38, fathered his first child when he was 18 and encourages young people all over the country not to make the same mistakes he and so many others have made. While he married the mother of his child, had three more children with her, and recently celebrated their 18th wedding anniversary, Mahan said these days too many people are having children and not building a support system that encourages both parent and child to thrive in life.

Mahan said teen birth rates are on the rise everywhere, and these days about 42 percent of American children are born to unmarried parents.

“The No. 1 indicator for poverty in America is whether the child has a father at home,” Mahan said. “The issue runs a lot deeper than just kids having sex with other kids.”

In 2010, 33 teen girls in Mercer between the ages of 15 and 19 delivered babies, according to the Kentucky Office of Vital Statistics. Since there were 669 teen girls between 15 and 19 living in the county during that time, the teen birth rate is about 4.6 percent. On the other hand, Garrard, Anderson and Jessamine counties had about a 4 percent birth rate among teen girls 15 to 19 while Boyle County’s rate was about 3 percent. At 6.2 percent, Lincoln County was the only neighboring community with a higher teen birth rate than Mercer.

“We offer free condoms and birth control here, but we really try to promote abstinence especially with teenagers,” Steer said outside of the meeting. “Abstinence is the only 100 percent effective method to prevent sexually-transmitted diseases and unwanted pregnancies.”

Mahan and Steer both emphasized that sex education begins at home.

“Some parents put off discussing sex, values and expectations until their child becomes a teenager,” Steer said.

“By that time, it can be too late. In 2005, one out of three teens in grade 9 reported they had had sex at least once. Conversations can begin as early as age 6 and should continue through the teenage years. The ‘talk’ is not a one-time event.”

So you know

In 2010, 33 teen girls in Mercer between the ages of 15 and 19 delivered babies, according to the Kentucky Office of Vital Statistics. Since there were 669 teen girls between 15 and 19 living in the county during that time, the teen birth rate is about 4.6 percent. On the other hand, Garrard, Anderson and Jessamine counties had about a 4 percent birth rate among teen girls 15 to 19 while Boyle County’s rate was about 3 percent. At 6.2 percent, Lincoln County was the only neighboring community with a higher teen birth rate than Mercer.

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