By: Diana Johnsen
djohnsen@kcautv.com
The numbers show it.
In Woodbury County the number of teen births is going down.
According to the Iowa Department of Public Health in 2010 there were 130 teen births per 1,000 women. In 2011, that 130 dropped to 89.
But what could be the cause?
It's hard to say.
"There's not a lot of community prevention efforts going on right now. It's a little surprising to us that it is what the numbers show," said Tyler Brock, Deputy Director at Siouxland District Health.
Garrett Boardman, a sex education speaker is in charge of "Draw the line, Respect the line", a pregnancy and STD preventative program put on by the Lutheran Social Services of Iowa.
"We really try to give young people the chance to think about where their limit is and what they're comfortable in doing and how to say no and get out of those "risky" situations," he said.
Boardman said there could be many factors that could play into the decrease.
One thing he has noticed during his talks is more young people are asking questions and are curious about the topic.
"Young people are sexualized at a much younger age whether that is through the media or entertainment, there's a lot more questions out there as well. I think young people are also seeking out that information as well," said Boardman.
He said the decrease is nice, something that he hopes will keep going.
"Sex is everywhere for young people. There's a lot of pressure around that. I think with that as well though that people need to have that accurate information," he said.
If you'd like to learn more about the "Draw the line, Respect the line" program call the Lutheran Social Services of Iowa in Sioux City at (712) 255-2505.
