Unplanned Pregnancy in West Virginia is a Serious Problem.
Unplanned
pregnancy is a serious social problem in West Virginia.
About 43% of West Virginia births are the result of an unplanned
pregnancy. Studies show that unplanned pregnancy is at
the root of a number of important public health and social challenges.
Children born from unplanned pregnancies are at increased risk
of low birth weight, developmental delays, and poverty.
And this translates into high public sector costs for health
care, social services, and education in West Virginia.
The majority of unintended pregnancies occur among single women,
but close to 30% also occur among married women. Women
between the ages of 20-29 are most vulnerable to an unintended
pregnancy.
To study unintended pregnancy, the causes, and the potential remedies, the West Virginia Perinatal Partnership has partnered with The National Campaign to Prevent Teen and Unplanned Pregnancy. Our focus of this study is on women ages 20-29. The National Campaign to Prevent Teen and Unplanned Pregnancy is a nonpartisan, nonprofit organization based in Washington, DC that has experience and expertise in studying the issue in other states. For more than a decade, the National Campaign has worked to reduce teen pregnancy—and is now expanding its mission to also focus on preventing unplanned pregnancy among young adults.
In early 2008, West Virginia professionals, policy makers, and young adults participated with the National Campaign on a Learning Tour—as one site in a series of meetings with national, state, and community leaders across the country— to ask these experts how they saw the problem of unplanned pregnancy among single, young adults. This diverse cross-section of leaders, professionals, providers, policy-makers, and advocates were generous with their time and offered many thoughtful insights about how best to address the challenge of unplanned pregnancy in the United States. The findings from this Learning Tour are helping to inform the work of The National Campaign. We also believe that these insights will be helpful to colleagues who are working on this critical social problem across the country. Read the report of the West Virginia meetings.
For more than a decade the births to West Virginia teens had consistently declined, and between 1991 and 2004 teen births had dropped by 24%. Then, in 2006, the rate of teen childbearing in the state increased, with alarming social and economic costs. A white paper addresses the problem: Study on the Incidence of Teen Pregnancy and Childbearing in West Virginia (October 2008). The purpose of this report is to 1) highlight the incidences and effects of teen pregnancy and childbearing in West Virginia as compared to the national landscape, and 2) identify strategies and policies aimed at reducing teen pregnancy.
We are now in the second year of a statewide project, funded by the National Campaign, to reduce unplanned pregnancies among young adults, based upon the findings of the study conducted in April 2008. The goal of the project is to reduce unplanned pregnancy in West Virginia through initiatives in public policy, community colleges, and in-home visitation programs. Policy issues include expansion of Medicaid coverage of contraceptives, improvement of public school education on how to have healthy pregnancies and babies, expansion of insurance contraceptive coverage for dependent children, and the promotion of other teen prevention strategies in WV. The community and technical college initiative focuses on developing strategies to educate community college students about the impact of unplanned pregnancies on degree completion and increasing their knowledge of ways to prevent unplanned pregnancies. The demonstration project begun in 2008 with in-home visitation programs will be continued. In-home educators will be trained on the protocols and materials on spacing pregnancies to be used with families in their programs.
For further information please contact
Cinny Kittle
Downloads Relating to Unplanned Pregnancy
Teen Pregnancy and Childbearing in West Virginia. A 2011 report from WVFREE that presents the latest data regarding teen sexuality, pregnancy and childbearing in West Virginia and nationally; illustrates the health risks as well as the social and economic costs of teen childbearing, and identifies and promotes best practices and policies that improve health education, increase contraceptive access, and expand resources for teens and teen parents. [View the Webinar associated with this paper.]
U.S. Teenage Pregnancies, Births and Abortions: National and State Trends and Trends by Race and Ethnicity. This 2010 publication by Alan Guttmacher Institute on Teen Pregnancy by state and ethnicity is available on line. One finding is that • Among states with available data, Arkansas had the highest pregnancy rate among non-Hispanic white teenagers (67 per 1,000). Pregnancy rates among this group were also high in other Southern states: Tennessee, South Carolina, Kentucky, West Virginia and Mississippi (60–63 per 1,000). Meanwhile, Minnesota had the lowest rate among non-Hispanic white teenagers(29 per 1,000), followed by Wisconsin, North Dakota and Pennsylvania (31–34).
Diploma Attainment Among Teen Mothers New Child Trends research finds that one in three (34 percent) young women who had been teen mothers did not earn a high school diploma or a GED, compared with only 6 percent of young women who had not had a teen birth. "Earning a high school diploma or GED reduces the risk of subsequent teen pregnancy, which has been linked to even poorer outcomes," said Kate Perper, M.P.P., lead author of the study. "Higher parental education is also linked to improved outcomes among children that may reduce their risk of early sexual activity and teen pregnancy, thus reducing intergenerational cycles of disadvantage."
A Study on West Virginia Health Education and Teen Perinatal Outcomes. A report from Edvantia in response to State Legislative HRC 53
Spacing between Pregnancies is a Healthy Choice. Waiting until the youngest child is two years old before becoming pregnant again is healthy for moms, babies, and families. (PDF)
The Adolescent Pregnancy – Risks and Complications. A Powerpoint presentation by Brenda Dawley, MD, February 2009.
West Virginia Department of Health and Human Resources Family Planning Program. A Powerpoint presentation by Denise Smith, Director of Family Planning, WVDHHR, February 2009.
Unplanned Pregnancy in West Virginia. A Powerpoint presentation with facts and figures about the extent of the problem and issues of concern to the WV Perinatal Partnership, updated February 2009.
Medicaid Matters: A Medicaid Waiver for Family Planning Can Improve Health and Save Dollars. A white paper prepared by the WV Center on Budget and Policy, 2008.
Study on the Incidence of Teen Pregnancy and Childbearing in West Virginia. White paper published in October 2008.
Report of the Learning Tour in West Virginia. A summary of meetings on unplanned pregnancies among young adults, held in April 2008.
Unplanned Pregnancy Among 20-Somethings: Key Facts and Consequences. A PDF authored by The National Campaign to Prevent Teen and Unplanned Pregnancy
Unplanned Pregnancy Among 20-Somethings: The Full Story. A PDF authored by The National Campaign to Prevent Teen and Unplanned Pregnancy
Unintended Pregnancy in West Virginia: 1996-2006. A PowerPoint presentation by Melissa A. Baker, M.A., Office of Maternal, Child and Family Health, WV Bureau for Public Health
Unplanned Pregnancy Among 20-Somethings: The Full Story
Briefly: Strengthening America’s Family Planning Safety Net in the Context of Health Reform
The Mikulski Amendment: Preventive Services for Women
Family Planning Provisions in Current Federal Law and Other Health Reform Proposals
Direct Medical Costs of Unplanned Pregnancy and Cost Effectiveness of Preventing Unplanned Pregnancy
National Campaign Statement on the Senate Finance Committee’s Vote on Health Reform