Teen pregnancy rates see 'monumental' drop

Teen pregnancy rates are declining in Central Florida, and educators at Planned Parenthood of Greater Orlando said their programs are one reason for the decrease.

The downward trend is a nationwide one, and since 2006 teen birth rates in Osceola, Seminole and Brevard counties are down. Orange County shows the greatest success with a 35 percent decrease.

“A 35 percent decrease in six years is monumental,” said Jenna Tosh, president and CEO of Planned Parenthood of Greater Orlando (PPGO).

Tosh said access to medically accurate information and sex education is the key to preventing teen pregnancy, and PPGO reaches more than 15,000 teens each year through programs in Orange County Public Schools and in their clinics, making a huge impact on the Central Florida community.

Orange County is following the trend across Florida. The sunshine state has a high percentage of teen birth rates – in 2010, it ranked 23 out of 50 states (with 1 being best, 50 the worst). But it has seen a 53 percent decline since 1991, ranking it in the top five for decreasing birth rates in the country. In Orange County, the rate went from 42.9 births for every 1,000 teen girls aged 15 to 19 in 2006, to 27.7 in 2012.

Tosh said the programs PPGO chooses to implement have already shown proven, positive outcomes with teens when used by other organizations. They pair abstinence teaching with education about birth control and safe sex practices.

And not only have teen birth rates gone down, but the 2010 Orange County High School Youth Risk Behavior Survey results show that since 2005, less teens are having sex and more are using birth control when they do.

It’s important to not only give teens access to education, but to link it to medical care as well, which PPGO offers to teens at a reduced rate, Tosh said.

It’s a place teens can feel safe asking for help. It’s a place she felt comfortable going to as a young woman, along with her friends. It can be scary to take the step to protect yourself as a teen if you don’t have a parent or caregiver to talk to, but PPGO is there, she said.

“Teens can rely on Planned Parenthood for professional, non-judgmental, quality care,” Tosh said. “We have one of the most compassionate staffs; we are dedicated to making sure young people have access to the tools to stay safe and healthy.”

A PPGO educator’s goal is to shape attitudes and beliefs about sex and teach teens ways to communicate with partners and friends so they don’t feel pressured into anything. They give one-on-one guidance through their Safer Sex program, and educators have cell phones and Skype accounts to use to talk to teens if they need help, any time.

Ebony Section is a senior educator for the Safer Sex program, and said she likes to call it “girl talk,” because she’s helping young women just like herself.

“They’re able to talk to an educator they trust,” she said.

Section remembers one teen mom with two children already, who came in for help. They got her on birth control, and instantly she saw a difference in her demeanor, her life was truly changed. She had taken control.

“They build that self advocacy,” Section said.

There’s also an anonymous text line to get quick answers about sexual health, or how to make an appointment at PPGO. Teens can reach them on Facebook, too, where staff will respond to posts and private messages. Social media has become an important resource.

“It’s so important to reach teens where they’re at,” said Cristina Calandruccio, community education coordinator.

Another way they do this is through two programs that specifically target African American and Latino teens, who have a much higher rate of teen pregnancy than Caucasian teens. Both base their teachings on addressing parts of their cultures that may put them at risk.

“We work with the unique needs of the teens,” said Yarira Feliciano, program manager for Cuidate!, which reaches Latino teens.

And the best way to help teens is to educate them before they start having sex, so they can feel empowered with the knowledge to make healthy choices.

“Just one bad decision can affect the rest of their lives, just a one-time risk,” Tosh said.