TEEN-AGE PREGNANCY RATES

The United States has the highest teen pregnancy rate in the Western industrialized world. Nationally 1.1 million teen-age girls become pregnant each year. One-fifth of these pregnancies occur within the first six months after initiation to sex. According to the Coalition Concerned With Adolescent Pregnancy, more than one-third of the nation’s present 14-year-olds will have at least one pregnancy before age 20.

Nevada ranks first, followed by California for having the highest teen pregnancy rates in the country. However, births to California teens rank 25th (about 55,00 per year) because the state has the highest number of abortions.

In 1986, there were 3,089 births to Orange County teens, representing 0.85% of the total 119,229 teen-age population less than 19 years old. Based upon 1980 California statistics, the agency estimates that there were also 3,984 abortions and 1,057 miscarriages, for a total of 8,130 teen pregnancies. San Diego county’s 316,781 teen-age population accounted for 3,617 teen births in 1986.

Orange County’s 3,089 births accounted for 8% of the state’s 37,612 total births. Approximately 2,073 teen mothers were 18-19 years old. Teen-agers 15-17 years old accounted for 976 births, while 40 infants were born to girls less than 15 years old.

In 1985, there were 3,047 teen births in Orange County, compared to 3,084 teen births in 1983 and 3,641 in 1980.

In 1986, Orange County had approximately 37,612 births, of which 2.4% were without prenatal care. Hispanic births accounted for 12,784 or 5.7% of births without prenatal care. Although teen prenatal care statistics are not reported by ethnicity, health care agency officials maintain that Hispanic teens deliver without any professional prenatal care more than any other ethnic group.

In 1986, teen births were reported in every high school district within the county. Santa Ana Unified ranked first, with an estimated 23.9 fertility rate per 1,000 for 286 actual births, followed by: Anaheim Union in second place with an 11.8 fertility rate (per 1,000 females)* for 228 births; Fullerton Joint Union (110 actual births at a fertility rate of 10); and Garden Grove Unified (8.9 fertility rate and 107 births).**

Saddleback Unified School District ranked lowest in births among 10-to-17-year-olds, with a 1.7 fertility rate and 11 actual births, followed by Irvine Unified with a 1.9 rate for 9 births, and the Laguna Beach Unified School District with a 2.6 fertility rate and 2 births.

The overwhelming majority of Americans, including 94% of all California parents, approve of sex education in the public school system. Local data indicates that 75% of Orange County residents also favor sex education. But only 10% of students nationally are exposed to a meaningful and comprehensive program. Out of 28 Orange County school districts, only Los Alamitos Unified and Capistrano Unified offer a comprehensive K-12 family life education curriculum.

* Teen fertility rate represents only births to these females, not pregnancies, since reliable abortion data is not available. Estimated females also includes those in public, private and parochial schools, as well as those not attending any school.

** Figures represent births by residence of mother grouped by school boundaries.

Sources: Coalition Concerned With Adolescent Pregnancy; Orange County Health Care Agency’s program on Understanding Pregnancy and Parenting--Better Efforts to Assist Teens; Office of Planning and Policy Coordination