September 15, 2008—Columbia, SC: Following 14 years of successful declines in teen pregnancy rates, the South Carolina Department of Health and Environmental Control has reported an increase in the number of pregnancies to teens of all races in South Carolina. According to the 2006 statistics, 10,604 girls in South Carolina ages 10-19 became pregnant. Since 2004, the rate of teen pregnancy in South Carolina increased from 33.1 per 1,000 to 35.9 per 1,000 or 8%; the number of teen pregnancies also increased from 9,543 to 10,604 or 11%.

Although teen pregnancy rates in South Carolina declined by 19% between 1994 and 2006, the progress made appears to have stalled and positive trends from the past decade are beginning to reverse. Forrest L. Alton, Executive Director of the South Carolina Campaign to Prevent Teen Pregnancy, states, "As with many public health issues, our efforts to prevent teen pregnancy became somewhat complacent when data improved. The SC Campaign to Prevent Teen Pregnancy has remained adamant about a proactive and solution-focused approach to positive youth development and teen pregnancy prevention. This is certainly no time for us to become complacent about such a serious issue."

South Carolina is beginning to see alarming trends for the state of its youth. In fact, teen pregnancy is not the only issue of concern. Health indicators across the board are starting to decline and state trends are worsening for child well-being issues such as infant mortality and remain disturbing for others such as children living in poverty, according to a Kids Count report released earlier this year. Alton emphasizes the important role that all South Carolinians play in the lives of our youth. "In order for South Carolina to thrive, we need to lower teen pregnancy rates as this issue is critically linked to a host of other social issues including drop-out rates, incarcerated youth and poverty. As a community we must all recommit ourselves to the young people of our state; continue to fund programs that have proven effective; and, eliminate those that do not work," he said.

Officials at SC Department of Health and Environmental Control see an increase in teen pregnancy as a huge setback for South Carolina. "The costs of teen pregnancy are far greater than the expenses incurred at the time of the delivery of the baby," noted Janet Sheridan, Director of Family Planning Services.
The costs of teen pregnancy include a high likelihood that the teen mother will end up on Medicaid, a lifetime of missed opportunity and decreased earning potential for the teen mother, myriad health issues for the baby including a higher likelihood of being born low birth weight, and economic consequences that extend to all of South Carolina's taxpayers. It is estimated that the consequences of not investing in teen pregnancy prevention cost the state's taxpayers $156 million in 2004 alone.

The distressing data trend did not come as a total surprise to Sheridan. "Since 2001, the reduction in funding for the family planning program totals approximately $14 million. Staffing is down by hundreds of nurses, social
workers and health educators and over 30 DHEC family planning clinics across the state have been closed."

Officials from the South Carolina Campaign to Prevent Teen Pregnancy point to strong reductions in teen pregnancy rates throughout the 1990's as reason to remain optimistic. When asked about the future of teen pregnancy prevention programming in the state, Alton commented, "Teen pregnancy is preventable, but not without a sustained commitment and investment in our state's youth. Each of us – policy makers, educators, providers, community members, and caring adults – must refocus and intensify our efforts to prevent teen pregnancy in South Carolina. It's imperative that we continue to invest in programs that research has shown to be effective and programs that are inclusive of the needs of all young people."

Additional data points of interest:
• The counties with the highest number of teen pregnancies in 2006 include: Greenville (938), Richland (793), Charleston (738), Spartanburg (700) and Horry (509).
• The counties with the highest rate of teen pregnancy in 2006 include: Allendale (62), Chester (53.9), Marion (51.5), Bamberg (51.1) and Dillon (50.3).
• Nearly two-thirds of all teen pregnancies in South Carolina are to 18-19 year olds.
• Of the 10,604 teen pregnancies in 2006, 27% were repeat teen pregnancies.
• The progress South Carolina made in reducing teen childbearing between 1991 and 2004 saved taxpayers an estimated $92 million in 2004 alone.

About the South Carolina Campaign:
The mission of the SC Campaign is to prevent adolescent pregnancy in South Carolina through education, technical assistance, advocacy, public awareness, and research. To achieve its mission, the SC Campaign works with a variety of programs – public, private, school and community based – in each of the state's 46 counties.

For more information, visit www.teenpregnancysc.org.