The Utah Department of Health reported Tuesday that Utah teen birth rates have risen for the first time in 10 years.
Thirty-one of every 1,000 Utah girls ages 15-19 gave birth in 2006. This is up slightly from 2005. Utah's rate still continues to remain below the national rate of 42 births per 1,000, however. When broken down by race and ethnicity, the highest birth rates continue to occur among Hispanic girls.
"Kids need to be provided healthy options that would work best for them, " said Jennifer Mayfield, Utah Department of Health adolescent health coordinator.
While abstinence and protection are still the best preventive measures, Mayfield stressed that parents need to be involved with and talk to their children about pregnancy prevention.
"If it [teen pregnancy education] is not reinforced at home, its not as effective and very difficult to change," she said.
The average birth rate for the BYU/Provo area from 2004-2006 is 5.4 per 1,000, well below the state average. South Utah County's average birth rate for the same time period, however, is well above the state average.
It is important to note that while birth rates reflect pregnancy rates, birth rates only count actual births while pregnancy rates count live births, fetal deaths and abortions.
"There are some challenges faced by teenagers, especially those still in school," said Lance Madigan, public information officer for the Utah County Health Department. "The biggest thing we're concerned about is that teen mother's have the right resources to have healthy babies."
Madigan also said the Utah County Health Department encourages young mothers to get involved with the state-run "Baby Your Baby" program, which provides health services from prenatal to infants, and the federal "Women, Infants and Children" program, which promotes nutrition.
"Teen pregnancy is a big problem in part because teenagers aren't educated properly about sex," said KL McLoughlin, who recently published a book about teen pregnancy.
While abstinence programs have good intentions, they, "aren't honest and not respectful, and not effective," McLoughlin said.
" I think that they are ineffective and full of scare tactics," she said. "Teens are not stupid. Frank, honest conversations about sex and sexuality are what needs to happen, including abstinence."
McLoughlin stressed that with any decision a pregnant teen makes, there come a lot of consequences. The effect of these consequences depends a great deal on what kind of support they have, especially from family.
"I really think all options need to be met with compassion," McLoughlin said.
May is National Teen Pregnancy Prevention Month. For more information visit www.health.utah.gov.
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