Teen Birth Rate is the number of births to females in the age group per 1,000 of the age group female population.
Numerator
The number of births to females in the age group per year.
Denominator
The population of females in the age group per year.
Data Interpretation Issues
The teen birth rate includes live births to teen-aged mothers. It does not include all pregnancies, only those that resulted
in a live birth.
Why Is This Important?
Early pregnancy and childbearing is closely linked to a host of other critical social issues, including poverty and income
disparity, overall child well-being, out-of-wedlock births, and education, to name just a few. Simply put, if more children
in this country were born to parents who are ready and able to care for them, we would see a significant reduction in a host
of social problems afflicting children in the United States, from school failure and crime to child abuse and neglect.
Teen childbearing is costly to the public sector - federal, state, and local governments and the taxpayers who support them.
Reducing teen pregnancy will enhance overall child well-being. The children of teen mothers bear the greatest burden of teen
pregnancy and childbearing, and are at significantly increased risk for a number of economic, social, and health problems.
Preventing teen pregnancy is critical to improving not only the lives of today's young women and men but also to enhancing
the future prospects of their children. Indeed, one of the surest ways to improve overall child well-being is to reduce the
proportion of children born to teen mothers.
Linking Teen Pregnancy Prevention to Other Critical Social Issues, March 2010, National Campaign to Prevent Teen Pregnancy.
Washington DC.
Healthy People 2010 Objective 9.7:
Adolescent pregnancy (per 1,000 population, ages 15 to 17 years) U.S. Target for 2010: 43
Other Objectives
New Mexico's Community Health Status Indicators, Healthy People 2010 Obj. 9.10 - Increase the proportion of sexually active,
unmarried adolescents aged 15-17 who use contraception that effectively prevents pregnancy and protect against disease.
Healthy People 2010 Obj. 25.1 - Reduce the proportion of adolescents and young adults with Chlamydia.
How Are We Doing?
The rate of births to 15-17 year old girls in New Mexico has decreased steadily from 46.4/1,000 girls in 1990 to 29.2 in 2010.
Northern New Mexico health regions consistently had the lowest teen birth rates, while the southeastern region had the highest
rates. Hispanic teens have the highest birth rates both in New Mexico and nationally. Almost half of the population of females
ages 15-17 years in New Mexico is Hispanic, yet they account for 70% of the births to this age group. (The State of Health
in New Mexico 2011).
Birth rates to NM teens 15-17 years by race/ethnicity 2000-2010:
Birth rates for American Indian teens decreased by 31% Birth rates for Hispanic teens decreased by 31% Birth rates for African American teens decreased by 44% Birth rates for White teens decreased by 48%
How Do We Compare With U.S.?
The New Mexico teen birth rates are more than 50% higher than the comparable U.S. rates. There was a slight increase in the
middle of the last decade, but rates appear to have dropped off again. The most recent teen birth rates (2010 in NM and 2009
for the U.S.) are the lowest on record.
What Is Being Done?
Clinical reproductive health services are provided at all local health offices, and some community health centers and school-based
health centers and a detention center. Services are also provided with a network of medical care providers through provider
agreements where the Program provides medical supplies and contraceptives and the clinician provides medical care and oversight.
NM DOH Family Planning Program funds the Teen Outreach Program (TOP) at 27 sites in 10 counties. TOP is a service learning
program designed to prevent teen pregnancy and academic failure while promoting positive youth development. TOP sites are
in Taos county, San Miguel county, Bernalillo county, Dona Ana county, Luna county, Sierra county, Chaves county, Valencia
county, Cibola county, and Torrance county. These sites also implement Raices y Alas parent-teen communication workshops.
The workshops are designed to increase parents' confidence in talking with their children about sex and sexual health topics.
In addition to this programming, these State agencies provide teen pregnancy prevention programming:
Office of School and Adolescent Health provides primary care and behavioral health care at School Based Health Centers. Family
planning services are provided where approved by the school district.
Children Youth and Families Department (CYFD) in collaboration with New Mexico Teen Pregnancy Coalition, supports the Young
Father's Program, which is a network of mentorship and support services for high-risk young males 26 years of age or younger.
CYFD also supports other fatherhood programs statewide.
Public Education Department supports the Graduation, Reality and Dual-Role Skills (GRADS) Program a vocational, in-school
drop out recovery and intervention program for pregnant and parenting adolescent families, pregnancy prevention programs for
traditional students, Career Readiness, Youth Development and on-site childcare.
Effective June 1, 2011 the Human Services Department changed the family planning waiver to a state plan service, which expands
Medicaid coverage to: 1) cover men whose income is below 185 percent of the federal income poverty level; and 2) cover men
and women without age restriction.
Evidence-based Practices
The New Mexico Department of Health and the New Mexico Teen Pregnancy Coalition recommend these strategies to reduce teen
pregnancy:
Family Planning Services offer access to confidential reproductive health services at low or no cost. In NM, services are
provided at all local public health offices, and some community health centers and school-based health centers.
Service learning programs engage youth in constructive activities to build on their strengths and interests, and increase
their motivation to delay childbearing by providing positive alternatives and leadership opportunities. The Teen Outreach
Program (TOP) decreases teen pregnancy and increases school success, with curriculum-guided activities and community based
volunteer service throughout the school year.
Adult-teen communication programs give adults information and skills to communicate effectively with young people about reducing
risky sexual behavior. Parents influence teen decisions about sex more than their friends, the media, or their siblings.
Raices y Alas, a two-hour workshop for parents of adolescents, is designed to increase parents' confidence in talking with
their children about sex and sexual health topics.
Comprehensive sex education like Cuidate! teach that abstinence is the best method for avoiding sexually transmitted infections
and unintended pregnancy, and also teach about the use of condoms and contraception. These programs help youth to make responsible
decisions and to develop healthy life skills and healthy relationships.
Male clinical and educational services provide access to reproductive health care for men and promote the importance of men's
role in teen pregnancy prevention.
More Information
New Mexico Teen Pregnancy Coalition 505-254-8737 http://www.nmtpc.org
National Campaign to Prevent Teen Pregnancy http://thenationalcampaign.org/default.aspx
Other Program Information
New Mexico Teen Pregnancy Coalition 505-254-8737 http://www.nmtpc.org
National Campaign to Prevent Teen Pregnancy http://thenationalcampaign.org/default.aspx
New Mexico Department of Health Family Planning Program 505-476-8882 http://www.nmhealth.org/phd/fp/index.htm
Related Indicators
Related Relevant Population Characteristics Indicator Profiles:
Birth Certificate Data, Bureau of Vital Records and Health Statistics (BVRHS), New Mexico Department of Health.National Vital Statistics System (NVSS) public use data file.
Teen Birth Rate - Girls Age 15-17, by County 2008-2010
County
Births per 1,000 Girls, Age 15-17
Lower Limit
Upper Limit
Note
Numerator
Denominator
Bernalillo
25.8
24.2
27.3
1,034
40,136
Catron
0.0
WARNING: Data not stable.
0
11,154
Chaves
42.6
36.8
48.4
198
4,648
Cibola
44.3
34.8
53.9
79
1,783
Colfax
34.0
20.6
47.4
24
705
Curry
53.8
45.8
61.8
164
3,050
De Baca
9.8
0.0
29.0
WARNING: Data not stable.
1
102
Dona Ana
39.5
36.5
42.5
640
16,215
Eddy
43.5
36.6
50.3
149
3,428
Grant
46.8
36.6
57.0
77
1,644
Guadalupe
44.0
17.3
70.6
WARNING: Data not stable.
10
227
Harding
34.8
0.0
101.7
WARNING: Data not stable.
1
29
Hidalgo
42.8
21.6
64.0
15
350
Lea
56.7
49.9
63.6
248
4,370
Lincoln
37.3
25.4
49.3
36
965
Los Alamos
5.2
0.6
9.7
WARNING: Data not stable.
5
970
Luna
65.5
54.0
77.0
116
1,771
McKinley
35.0
30.5
39.6
218
6,221
Mora
29.3
9.3
49.4
WARNING: Data not stable.
8
273
Otero
28.7
23.3
34.0
107
3,732
Quay
58.3
38.0
78.5
30
515
Rio Arriba
42.4
34.5
50.3
105
2,477
Roosevelt
31.7
23.4
40.0
54
1,705
Sandoval
22.1
18.9
25.4
177
7,999
San Juan
35.3
31.4
39.1
317
8,989
San Miguel
25.8
19.2
32.4
57
2,207
Santa Fe
27.8
24.1
31.5
208
7,479
Sierra
36.3
19.8
52.7
18
496
Socorro
43.4
32.0
54.8
53
1,221
Taos
27.5
19.6
35.5
45
1,633
Torrance
20.1
11.4
28.8
20
997
Union
25.1
5.3
44.9
WARNING: Data not stable.
6
239
Valencia
28.4
23.8
33.0
143
5,039
NM
33.1
32.2
34.1
4,363
131,764
US
20.1
Record Count: 35
Births to Adolescent Girls Age 15-17 per 1,000 Girls Age 15-17 in the Population by County, New Mexico, 2008-2010
The counties are shaded according to whether the county rate is lower, higher, or the same as the New Mexico statewide overall
rate. A county rate is considered statistically higher than the state overall if the lower limit of the county rate 95% confidence
interval was higher than the state rate. A county rate is considered statistically lower than the state overall if the upper
limit of the county rate 95% confidence interval was lower than the state rate.
Data Notes
U.S. data are for 2009.
Data Sources
Birth Certificate Data, Bureau of Vital Records and Health Statistics (BVRHS), New Mexico Department of Health.National Vital Statistics System (NVSS) public use data file.
Births to Adolescent Girls Age 15-17 per 1,000 Girls Age 15-17 in the Population by Small Area, New Mexico, 2008-2010
A "Quartile" map assigns areas to four groups. Each group includes the SAME NUMBER of areas. Group membership and map color
are based on the rank order of area rates, from the lowest rate to the highest. The bottom 25% (bottom quartile) of areas
has the lowest rates, the next 25% has the second lowest rates, the next 25% has the second highest rates and the top 25%
of areas has the highest rates. Areas with the darkest color have the highest rates. Percentile maps such as this assign areas
to different groups regardless of how close the rates actually are. In other words, just because two areas are in different
groups doesn't necessarily mean that their rates are significantly different. For small area background information and reference
maps, please visit: http://ibis.health.state.nm.us/resources/SmallAreaMethods.html
Teen Birth Rate Girls Age 15-17, by Race and Ethnicity 2008-2010
Race
Births per 1,000 Girls Age 15-17
Lower Limit
Upper Limit
Numerator
Denominator
American Indian/Alaska Native
34.9
32.2
37.5
650
18,631
Asian/Pacific Islander
11.4
7.0
15.7
26
2,285
Black/African American
21.0
16.7
25.2
91
4,343
Hispanic
48.5
46.8
50.2
3,014
62,197
White
12.8
11.7
13.8
565
44,308
New Mexico
33.1
32.2
34.1
4,363
131,764
United States
20.1
Record Count: 7
Data Notes
U.S. data are for 2009.
Data Sources
Birth Certificate Data, Bureau of Vital Records and Health Statistics (BVRHS), New Mexico Department of Health.National Vital Statistics System (NVSS) public use data file.
Teen Birth Rate Girls Age 15-19, by County 2008-2010
County
Births per 1,000 Girls, Ages 15-19
Lower Limit
Upper Limit
Note
Numerator
Denominator
Bernalillo
47.6
46.0
49.2
3,170
66,604
Catron
20.1
2.7
37.6
WARNING: Data not stable.
5
249
Chaves
74.4
68.6
80.3
574
7,713
Cibola
84.8
74.8
94.9
251
2,958
Colfax
58.1
44.7
71.5
68
1,171
Curry
90.7
82.8
98.6
459
5,061
De Baca
59.2
23.6
94.8
WARNING: Data not stable.
10
169
Dona Ana
64.6
61.6
67.5
1,737
26,908
Eddy
77.0
70.1
83.9
438
5,688
Grant
76.2
66.3
86.2
208
2,728
Guadalupe
58.3
34.7
82.0
22
377
Harding
20.9
0.0
61.6
WARNING: Data not stable.
1
48
Hidalgo
70.6
49.7
91.4
41
581
Lea
91.4
84.8
98.0
663
7,253
Lincoln
65.6
53.5
77.7
105
1,601
Los Alamos
10.6
5.6
15.6
17
1,610
Luna
102.1
91.2
113.0
300
2,938
McKinley
63.0
58.3
67.6
650
10,323
Mora
42.0
23.5
60.5
19
452
Otero
57.2
51.4
63.0
354
6,193
Quay
103.0
82.6
123.4
88
854
Rio Arriba
74.5
66.4
82.5
306
4,110
Roosevelt
56.2
47.7
64.7
159
2,830
Sandoval
38.5
35.2
41.8
511
13,274
San Juan
67.2
63.2
71.2
1,002
14,916
San Miguel
48.3
41.4
55.3
177
3,662
Santa Fe
48.3
44.6
52.1
600
12,411
Sierra
69.2
51.9
86.5
57
824
Socorro
78.0
66.3
89.6
158
2,026
Taos
49.1
40.9
57.2
133
2,711
Torrance
40.5
31.0
50.0
67
1,654
Union
52.9
30.9
74.9
21
397
Valencia
52.4
47.6
57.2
438
8,362
NM
58.6
57.6
59.6
12,811
218,656
Record Count: 34
Data Sources
Birth Certificate Data, Bureau of Vital Records and Health Statistics (BVRHS), New Mexico Department of Health.
Page Content Updated On 04/17/2012,
Published on 06/14/2012
New Mexico Department of Health Family Planning Program, P.O. Box 26110, Santa Fe, NM 87502. Susan Lovett, Program Manager, (505) 476-8882, susan.lovett@state.nm.us
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