Teen birth rate drops in county
Largest percentage decrease among Hispanic teenagers
BY TERRY FLORES tflores@kenoshanews.com
Births to teenagers in Kenosha County continue to drop, with the most marked decrease occurring among local Hispanics in 2005, according to newly released state data.
That information comes on the heels of a report in Tuesday’s News that births to unwed mothers have reached an alltime high — though most of that increase has been attributed to older unmarried women having babies.
The most recent figures, released by the Wisconsin Department of Health and Family Services, reflect an overall decline in the number of births to teens ages 15-19. There were 185 births to teens in Kenosha County in 2005 compared with 199 in 2004. Girls and young women who gave birth last year comprised about 3.2 percent of the female teen population compared with nearly 3.5 percent the previous year.
The decline was almost entirely attributable to a significant reduction in the number of Hispanic teens giving birth.
Last year, there were 33 births to Latinas, ages 15-19, compared with 60 in 2004. The number of births among black teens remained the same at 39, while births to white teens actually increased from 93 in 2004 to 110 in 2005.
Kenosha’s figures appear favorable compared with statewide numbers that showed a slight increase in the number of births to teens.
Statewide in 2005, 6,093 teens under the age of 20 gave birth compared with 6,086 in 2004.
For teens age 15-17, the birth rate was 17 per 1,000 females, a rate that county and school officials continue to monitor closely. While the birth rate in the 15-17 age group has shown a trend downward, it has often fluctuated. In 2004, the rate was 21.8.
Still, it’s much lower than 10 years ago, when the birth rate to teens under the age of 18 was as high as 45.9.
“I think it’s very encouraging when you take a look at how high it had been in the past,” said Gary Brown, executive director of Kenosha Family and Aging Services.
Norris Jones, minority academic affairs specialist for the Kenosha Unified School District, said he, too, is encouraged by the downward trend of teen births.
Jones oversees programs in Unified geared toward empowering black and Hispanic students. According to Jones, as more opportunities open up to young minority women, whether academic, social, or athletic, the chances for them to engage in unhealthy behaviors lessen.
But whether those programs are having a direct impact remains to be seen.
“I’d like to see more of a trend (over the next few years),” Jones said.
Jones said candid talk about teen issues has increased in the minority community, with health fairs and citywide teen conferences about sex, AIDS, sexually transmitted diseases, abstinence, drug abuse and the overall health for both adults and teens.
“We’ve started talking about some things more openly like pregnancy,” he said. “Those conversations are really starting to take place. Houses of faith are having more candid discussions. There’s been a fear before because these subjects are so taboo in the communities.”
Ben Ortega, executive director of the Spanish Center, said a number of factors could be affecting the number of births among young Latinas, including more families just moving out of the area. But the cultural taboos about sex are being addressed, especially at parenting programs offered through the center, he said.
“We make a conscious effort to talk to our parents about sex and sexuality, and it is really an eye-opening experience for them, because that is something that just wasn’t discussed when they were growing up,” Ortega said.
He said that within the Hispanic community, in general, more girls are beginning to see the difficulties young mothers go through.
“The girls don’t want to go through the same things. I think you’ve also got to look at the boys taking responsibility as well,” Ortega said. “I don’t think sexual activity has diminished, but they’re taking more precautions. What I always worry about is the girls and the sexual predators taking advantage of them.”
