The rate of teens giving birth has dropped in Kalamazoo and Battle Creek as well as statewide. But officials with the Michigan League for Public Policy say more work still needs to be done.
The Right Start Policy report is called Teen Births in Michigan, its Cities and Townships: We Cannot Afford to Slow Down Progress.
The Kids Count in Michigan Project Director for the Michigan League for Public Policy Alicia Guevara Warren told WMUK’s Gordon Evans that data shows fewer teens are having sex, and more of the teens engaging in sex are using contraception.
Guevara Warren says limiting teen births is important because giving birth to a child before age 20 makes it much more likely that a mother will live in poverty. It also makes it more difficult to finish high school and college. Guevara Warren says the children born to teen mothers also face worse outcomes.
The rates of teens giving births track closely with poverty rates. Guevara Warren says higher rates of births to teens are concentrated in poorer areas of the state. She says a racial disparity continues with higher rates for African-Americans and Hispanics.
The report shows that Kalamazoo had a 15% drop in its teen birth rate, and a 20% drop in Battle Creek. Guevara Warren says the report breaks down the numbers by region in an attempt to compare what’s working in different parts of the state.
Guevara Warren says the focus should be on “results-based, evidence-driven” programs to drive down the teen birth rate. Guevara Warren says resources should be targeted for at-risk teen such as those in foster care and the juvenile justice system. Guevara Warren says the state should also ensure that young people who do engage in sex have access to contraception.
