Across North Carolina, there has been a steady decline in births for 15-19 year old teenagers across all races and ethnicities since 2011.
That data holds true for Richmond and Scotland County, although Richmond County is still far higher than the state average and neighboring counties.
In 2020, the teen pregnancy rate in Richmond County was 55.3 per 1,000 15-19 year olds, which was an increase over 41.9 in 2019. The state average is 22.9 (it was at 50 in 2011), with Scotland at 32.5 and Anson County at 50.1
“However, teen pregnancy rates for ages 15-17 have reached record lows [less than 20] for Richmond County in several years since the implementation of the REACH program in Richmond County middle and high schools,” according to the 2022 Richmond County Health Assessment book. “In addition, pregnancy rates for teens aged 18-19 and repeat pregnancies have continued to be high since 2014.”
In the health assessment, the Richmond County Family Planning Clinic reported that requests for contraceptive services peaked in 2019 and have since decreased. A graph in the book states that the 2020 and 2021 decrease in numbers could be affected due to COVID-19 restrictions at the time.
Source : Daily Journal
