Teen Life Clinic
Reducing Teen Pregnancies
Teen pregnancies can derail young lives, affect subsequent generations and take a social and economic toll. The good news is that U.S. teen pregnancies have declined in recent years. The bad news? Rates remain high across the South, and are particularly high in Richmond County. “Teen pregnancies are almost twice as high in Richmond County as they are nationally,” says Erin Latif, MD, an ob-gyn at Georgia Regents Women’s Center.
A Coalition to Protect Teens
The Centers for Disease Control is funding a campaign called “We Are Change” to reduce the county’s rates by 10% by 2015. The This program is administered by the Georgia Campaign for Adolescent Power and Potential, which works to improve the health and well being of Georgia’s youth.
“We Are Change” consists of 11 youth-serving organizations and five clinical partners in the county. They are working together to implement “evidence-based” programs proven to reduce teen pregnancies, some of which go beyond teaching abstinence.
A Teen Health Clinic
Georgia Regents Women’s Center is sponsoring a Teen Health Clinic three days a week from 3 - 5 p.m. so teens can access the care they need. The clinic is held in the Women’s Center on the 5th floor of the Georgia Regents Medical Office Building at 1447 Harper Street. Walk-ins are welcome.
“We offer teen-friendly, confidential services such as education, STD screenings and treatments, and birth control counseling and services at reduced fees,” says Dr. Latif, the clinic’s director.
“Birth control options include everything from abstinence to pills to the longer-lasting contraceptives recommended by the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists,” (ACOG) she says.
New Recommendations for Teens
The ACOG now recommends that physicians point teens seeking birth control toward intrauterine devices (IUDs) or hormonal implants. “These have proven to be more effective at preventing teen pregnancies since they don’t have to be taken daily,” says Dr. Latif.
Teen Pregnancies By the Numbers
In 2010, the teen pregnancy rate was:
- 34.2 per 1,000 in the U.S.
- 37.7 per 1,000 in Georgia
- 66.5 per 1,000 in Richmond County
To schedule an appointment at the clinic, or for more information, please call 855-579-TEEN or visit changethefacts.org.