Get the Facts!
FACT: The majority of South Carolina teenagers are sexually active by the 10th grade. (1)
FACT: South Carolina has the 9th highest teen birth rate in the United States among 15-17 year old girls. (2)
FACT: One in five teen pregnancies results in abortion. (3)
FACT: South Carolina teens are at great risk for sexually transmitted diseases (STD's) because, among the sexually active, only about 65% use condoms. Statistics show that 54.4% of sexually-active S.C. students get an STD or HIV. (4)
FACT: Teenage pregnancy is a traumatic event and occurs in all segments of our population, rich and poor alike. Every 55 minutes, a teenage girl becomes pregnant in South Carolina.
FACT: 90% of registered voters in South Carolina feel that sex education should be taught in the state's public schools. (5)
FACT: 81% of South Carolina voters think that sex education in public schools should contain information on both abstinence and contraception. (6)
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1- The Centers for Disease Control, Youth Risk Behavior Survey for S.C. teens, 2003.
2- Kids Count 2003, 2003 Data Book Online.
3- D.H.E.C.
4- South Carolina Profile of HIV, STD, and Teen Pregnancy, Council of Chief State School Officers (CCSSO). S.C. ranks 3rd-highest in the U.S. in rates of Gonorrhea and Syphilis, and 5th-highest in Chlamydia. HIV is the 7th leading cause of death among 20-24 year-olds in the U.S. (Kaiser, HIV/AIDS Policy Fact Sheet, March 2004).
5- Ibid.
6- Alton, F. (2004). South Carolina Speaks 2004. Columbia, SC: South Carolina Campaign to Prevent Teen Pregnancy.