Down With Teen Pregnancy, Up With Mobility: Teen Pregnancy Prevention Efforts in Gaston County, North Carolina
Dobbins, C.C.; Kenney, B.N.; Meier, C.E.; Taormina, V.V.
North Carolina Medical Journal 77(6): 388-393
2016
ISSN/ISBN: 0029-2559 PMID: 27864484 DOI: 10.18043/ncm.77.6.388Document Number: 291376
Unintended pregnancies are typically associated with poor health outcomes for mothers and babies, and they also limit the social mobility of women and their families. Gaston County has achieved great success in reducing both teen pregnancies and unintended pregnancies among low-income women through the Gaston Youth Connected project and the local health department's push to increase accessibility to long-acting reversible contraception. Reductions in the racial disparities in teen pregnancy rates, higher graduation rates for females, and fewer pregnancies among low-income women all indicate a potential for better reproductive health to increase the social mobility of Gaston County women. The ability to clearly connect health outcomes to long-term social improvements helps create sustainable community buy-in and should be a priority in public health initiatives.