The teen birth rate in Arkansas has been declining, but racial and ethnic disparities persist. African-American, non-Hispanic teens (41.5 per 1,000) had a birth rate almost 50% greater than the rate among white, non-Hispanic teens (28.5 per 1,000).  The percent of African-American and White, non-Hispanic teens reporting sexual activity declined; however, a greater percentage of African-American teens reported ever having sexual intercourse, current sexual activity, and lack of any birth control method compared to their white counterparts. Lower socioeconomic conditions such as low education and low family income have been linked to high teen birth rates.  According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the median income among African-American households is less than half the median income among White, non-Hispanic households, and African-Americans have lower percentages of high school graduates and persons with a Bachelor’s degree or higher.

• Arkansas Department of Health
• Arkansas Department of Education
• Arkansas Department of Higher Education
• Arkansas Foundation for Medical Care
• Arkansas Children’s Hospital
• The  Center for Youth and Families
• UAMS Obgyn Department
• UAMS Collage of Public Health

Providing family planning counseling and services for those teens that decide to be sexually active has be an essential component of the continued decline in teen births.  Providing funding of programs that promote sexual risk avoidance that can be offered in our schools has also been a major component of our efforts.  Providing data and information to health providers and the community to help them assess where they should put their efforts and their resources is an enabling factor.  We are looking at trying to provide more resources to communities and to school nurses, so they can shape the health education according to the needs and wants of the school or community.

Strategy 1: Develop a communication strategy to promote adolescent health.

Strategy 2: Develop a data kit on teen pregnancy for health professionals, educators, and policy makers.

Strategy 3: Examine attitudes, perceptions and barriers towards contraception use of target population.

Strategy 4: Develop or adopt a provider and staff contraceptive/LARC (Long-Acting Reversible Contraceptives) training program for Local Health Units.

Teen Pregnancy in Arkansas Data Deck Spring 2018:

https://www.healthy.arkansas.gov/images/uploads/pdf/Spring_2018_Teen_Pregnancy_Data_Deck_FINAL.pdf