Somebody must be doing something right - teen pregnancies are on the decline in Summit County and across the nation.
Statistics from the Ohio Department of Health show pregnancies among girls under age 18 in Summit County dropping from 492 in 2000 to 336 in 2010.
"A big percentage of that comes from the education they're trying to do in the school," said Pregnancy Care of Summit County Resource Development Director Lisa Mastriano "They're trying to get to them at a younger age."
Source: Ohio Department of Health
| Age 10 - 14 | Age 15 - 17 | Age 18 - 19 | Age 15 - 19 | Age 10 - 19 | |
| Summit | 17 (31) | 319 (461) | 724 (837) | 1,043 (1,298) | 1,060 (1,329) |
| Stark | 8 (25) | 204 (334) | 480 (548) | 684 (882) | 692 (907) |
| Medina | 1 (5) | 63 (93) | 129 (160) | 192 (253) | 193 (258) |
| Portage | 2 (5) | 72 (101) | 205 (231) | 277 (332) | 279 (337) |
| Wayne | 2 (5) | 57 (86) | 121 (126) | 178 (212) | 180 (217) |
| Ohio | 401 (715) | 6,886 (10,942) | 15,399 (18,985) | 22,285 (29,927) | 22,686 (30,642) |
The drop in pregnancies may have nothing to do with fewer teens having sex, according to Mastriano. She says more of them are paying attention to many of the same messages being communicated for many years.
"I don't think it's necessarily the abstinence part of it," said Mastriano. "I think it's probably more the fact that there's more girls out there that are being cautious."
Mastriano says her agency is still very busy with teens asking for pregnancy tests, but she's seen a slight shift in demand for services, which include classes as well as assistance with diapers, clothing, bedding and other needs.
