Pregnancy rates for Hispanic teens rising

Associated Press:

Births to Hispanic teens in Georgia soared over the past decade, while teen birth rates dropped for white and black teens, state health researchers reported.

The Hispanic pregnancy rate among 15- to 17-years-old went up nearly 62 percent between 1994 and 2003, according to the state Department of Human Resources.

During the same period, the rates for all girls in that age group dropped 41 percent. The drop was 48 percent among non-Hispanic blacks, and 46 percent among non-Hispanic whites.

Cecilia Galvis, head of the Hispanic Health Coalition of Georgia, said some Hispanics have retained cultural norms for early childbirth. Also, strong Catholic ties make Hispanic girls less likely to have abortions or use contraceptives.

"Some of them come from rural areas in Mexico where it's a part of the culture to have children very young," Galvis told The Atlanta Journal-Constitution. "They are considered too old at 25 to have children."

In 2002, one in seven Latina girls ages 15 to 19, gave birth, according to state data. If the trend persists, Hispanic girls would have 5,000 babies in 2020 - more than doubling the number born in 2002, according to the Georgia Campaign for Adolescent Pregnancy Prevention.

Health officials monitor teen pregnancy rates because young mother are more likely to have low-birth-weight babies and to drop out of school.

Hispanic Teen Pregnancy and Birth Rates: Looking Behind the Numbers