Preventing Teen Pregnancy,

Promoting Healthy Youth

Youth

Considerable growth takes place during the teen years – physically, mentally and emotionally. Young people deserve accurate information from trusted sources, and guidance from caring adults. Here are some resources developed just for teens.

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PARENTS

Parents and caring adults know it’s a very different world for today’s teens. You have hopes and dreams for the children in your life, as well as legitimate concerns. The good news is that you have a lot more influence than you think. Here are some resources that may help.

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PROGRAMS

An effective prevention strategy includes quality health education and services – programs that are medically accurate, evidence-based and focused on the developmental needs of teens. Program resources are available that can be used with a variety of groups and settings.

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Though high teen birth rates persist in Oklahoma, school health programs are working to improve those numbers!

Oklahoma’s 2021 teen birth rate for ages 15-19 declined by 9% from 2020. The birth rate for younger teens, aged 15-17, decreased from 10.1 in 2020 to 8.8 in 2021. The birth rate for older teens, aged 18-19, increased slightly from 48.1 in 2020 to 48.2 in 2021. Oklahoma’s teen birth rate (age 15-19) decreased by half in the past decade, dropping from 50.4 in 2010 to 24.1 in 2021. Even so, the state had the 4th highest teen birth rate in 2021, ranking 47th among all states. [Birth rates are the number of births per 1,000 females of the same age range.]

Oklahoma’s annual teen birth numbers and rates were cut in half in the decade between 2010 and 2020, yet it remains among a handful of states with the highest teen birth rates in the nation. Bottom line: while other states have made prevention a major priority, investing in educational programs and access to reproductive health services that really work, Oklahoma has not allocated state funding for teen pregnancy prevention in well over a decade.

The good news in Oklahoma is at the community level where quality health education programs and teen clinic services are being expanded, thanks to funding from federal initiatives, foundations, tribes and local sources. Those efforts have been the catalyst behind Oklahoma’s success in dramatically reducing teen birth numbers and rates in recent years.

Community-wide adolescent sexual health initiatives in the Tulsa and Oklahoma City metro areas have led the way — expanding school-based health education programs, teen-friendly clinics and opportunities for youth and adults to be active partners in prevention. Ensuring that all young people, especially those at higher risk, have access to relevant sexual health education and services that address their developmental needs remains the overarching goal of these initiatives.

For downloadable factsheets, along with links to program information and effective prevention initiatives, check the Fast Facts and Resources sections of this website.