Despite national numbers, one Virginia county experiences decreases in teen pregnancy

Teen pregnancy has increased in recent years. Many experts believe the lack of education or the casual attitude toward reproductive health may have contributed to the increase. However, some parts of the country are seeing their educational efforts pay off.

For instance, Chesterfield County, Virginia has experienced a 22 percent decrease in teen pregnancy since 2000, the Chesterfield Observer reports.

Officials from the local health district told the news source that they stress education to help prevent teen pregnancy. Professionals provide information on healthy living habits to young women such as eating right, avoiding sexual behavior at an early age and taking vitamins.

They added that they do not know the exact reason behind the the decline in teen pregnancies in the area. However, they attributed the decline to the collaboration between the health district, hospitals and individuals providers to educate young women on making healthy choices. Lastly, parent-child communication may be critical in curbing teen pregnancy.

A 2009 study from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention shows that a total of 409,840 infants were born to teens between ages 15 and 19.