What does this measure?
The number of pregnancies among females ages 15 to 19, expressed as a percentage of females in that age group.
Why is this important?
Pregnancy can derail a young woman's life, preventing her from furthering her education or growing up to be self-sufficient. Babies born to teen mothers are at higher risk of having a low birth weight and of infant mortality compared to babies born to older mothers. They are also at risk of lower cognitive development, poor educational outcomes and living in poverty.
How is our region performing?
In 2008, the percentage of teen pregnancies in the 7-county region was 5%, lower than the 6% rate statewide. Rates in Monroe and the surrounding counties have remained flat since 2000. Livingston has consistently had the lowest rate of all counties in the region at 2%, while Monroe remains the highest at 6%.
Notes about the data
Rates do not represent a unique count of pregnancies—a female may have more than one pregnancy within a given year.