May is Teen Pregnancy Prevention Month – why we care

From Hawaii KIDS COUNT

Pregnant teens are at a higher risk of dropping out of school and living in poverty, as well as putting their goals for the future on hold. Their babies are at a higher risk for being born at a low birth weight, having various health problems and developmental delays, performing poorly in school, and experiencing child abuse and neglect.

In the last few years, Hawaii’s rate of teen births experienced a decline from 46 per 1,000 teens in 2000, to a low of 36 per 1,000 in 2005.  This was followed by a drastic increase in 2007, with a rate of 41 per 1,000 teens.  Here are some statistics reflecting the most current data available from the KIDS COUNT Data Center on teen pregnancy:

• In 2008, Hawaii ranked 23rd nationwide, with a rate of 42 per 1,000 births to teens between the ages of 15-19.
• In 2007, Kauai County led the state on the rate of teen pregnancies among women ages 15-19, with 65.6 per 1,000 women, followed by Hawaii County (63.8), the City and County of Honolulu (62.5), and Maui County (54.4).
• In 2008, Hawaii’s rate of teen births between the ages of 15 to 17 was below the national average (Hawaii’s 19 compared to 22 per 1,000 females nationwide); however, the number of teen births between the ages of 18 to 19 has surpassed the national average.
• In 2008, Hawaii was ranked 11th in the nation for teen births to women who were already mothers, 17 per 1,000 teens.

For more information on Hawaii's profile or to see Hawaii’s ranking across states, go to http://datacenter.kidscount.org/. You can subscribe to the Hawaii KIDS COUNT E-Bulletin newsletter by sending an email to kcadmin@hawaii.edu with the phrase “Subscribe to Hawaii KIDS COUNT E-Bulletin” in the subject field.