| 116th Year, 13th Issue | Thursday, November 4, 2004 | Sparta, North Carolina |
As the state reports the continuation of a 13-year downward trend in teen pregnancy rates, Alleghany County reported one of the lowest rates in the state in 2003, according to statistics reported by the North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services.
The county’s rate overall for teen pregnancies was 22.8 per 1,000 people, which was the second lowest in the state. Watauga County had the lowest rate statewide for teens age 15 to 19, stats show, at 19.7 per 1,000.
“The low number can not be attributed to one specific thing,” explained Danny Staley, director of the Appalachian District Health Department. “We could attribute (the number to) traditional family values or the families actually being involved in their teen’s lives.”
In comparison to local counties, Ashe, Surry and Wilkes, Alleghany County’s number of reported pregnancies among 15- to 19-year-old teens is significantly lower. Alleghany’s six pregnancies resulted in the rate of 22.8 per thousand, while Ashe’s 40 reported pregnancies result in a 63.4 per thousand rate. Neighboring counties Wilkes and Surry have higher numbers, showing 132 reported pregnancies among teens from 15 to 19 years old, resulting in a 65.5 rate per thousand in Wilkes and 158 reported pregnancies, resulting in a 75.2 rate per thousand.
In the state, the counties with the highest percentage rate of
pregnancies among 15 to 19 year olds per thousand are Robeson with a
rate of 88.8 per thousand, Lee with 90.5 per thousand, Greene with 95.2
per thousand and Vance with 104.1 per thousand.
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