Teen Birth Rates Rise, Oklahoma Now Has 5th Highest Birth Rate in Nation

Teen birth rates in Oklahoma rose again, making the state the fifth highest in the nation for births among girls ages 15 to 19. The OICA said state legislative and agency budget cuts over the past&nbsp;2 years have led to the loss of effective <a href="http://www.healthyteensok.org/" target="_blank">pregnancy prevention programs</a> in the state.

Wednesday, September 15th 2010, 11:26 am

By: News 9


News9.com

OKLAHOMA CITY – Teen birth rates in Oklahoma rose again, making the state the fifth highest in the nation for births among girls ages 15 to 19.

According to the Oklahoma Institute for Child Advocacy (OICA), the state's birth rate for older teens -- ages 18 to 19 -- jumped in 2007 from sixth highest to second highest in the country, just behind Mississippi. The age group represents two-thirds of all Oklahoma teen births each year.

The rise in the number of births for older teens helped push Oklahoma from sixth to fifth highest teen birth rate overall.

Between 1991 and 2005, Oklahoma's teen birth numbers actually declined. The trend reversed in 2006, with a dramatic 12 percent increase between 2005 and 2007.

"This is disappointing news, but not surprising news," said Sharon Rodine, Director of Youth Initiatives for the Oklahoma Institute for Child Advocacy. "Other states are stepping up their efforts while Oklahoma is doing less."

The OICA said state legislative and agency budget cuts over the past two years have led to the loss of effective pregnancy prevention programs throughout the state.

"We know programs that work. We've been running programs that work and we have data from OU Health Sciences Center that shows our programs work, and funding gets cut and we can't continue the programs," said Rodine.

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