Nearly three decades ago, teen pregnancy was scarily rising in the state of Massachusetts, worrying parents and state officials.  The trend over the last few years has shown a steady decline nationally and locally.

According to the reports on Boston.com from  Guttmacher Institute, a reproductive health research group, Massachusetts has one of the lowest rates with 37 teen pregnancies per 1,000 babies born in the commonwealth. So which states ranked the highest? New Mexico average 80 per 1,000, taking the top spot for teen pregnancy rates in the US. Texas and Arkansas also topped the list.

The decrease is being attributed to campaigns about awareness and education surrounding prevention and safe sex among teens.

While it's good news for the state that the decline continues, the CDC does report that disparities do still exist among socioeconomic conditions. Some factors that contribute to higher rates of teen pregnancy include

  • low education
  • low income
  • neighborhood segregation
  • neighborhood income level inequality

For information regarding prevention and local education for teens, you can contact Citizen for Citizens Family Planning in Fall River.  The organization provides services based on a sliding scale for uninsured and under-insured.

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