MONROE - While the state teen birth rate reached its lowest level in more than three decades, the numbers are a mixed bag in this part of the state. Green County has seen a slight increase in teen births, while Lafayette County experienced a more significant decline in recent years.
The latest numbers on teen births are from a new state report released recently by the Department of Health Services and are based on 2009 data.
Lafayette County teen birth numbers were back to their 2003 low of 8, after a bumpy five years between 2004 and 2009, when teen birth numbers rose and fell twice.
"As you can see, we aren't in any sort of 'bottom-of-the-barrel' ranking," said Debbie Siegenthaler, Lafayette County Health department director.
The county's number of teen births was 8 in 2009, the lowest in 20 years, but matching 2003. Teen births jumped to 19 in 2004 and fell to 9 the following year, before creeping back to 14 in 2008. The county had 14 teen births in 1999, but hit a high of 20 in 2001.
Green County, however, is seeing a return to its county highs.
Births to teens residing in Green County was 37 in 2009, compared to 38 in 1999 and 30 in 2008. The number of teen births has fallen below 30 in only three years of the last 20 years: 26 in 2000, 27 in 2003 and 28 in 2004.
Birth rate, the number of births per 1,000 females between ages 15 to 19, is another way to look at the statistics.
The birth rate of the county's teen births, jumped to slightly more than 30 in 2009,up from 25.3 in 2008, according to information from RoAnn Warden, Green County Health Department director.
"Green County's teen birth rate (for 2009) is very similar to Wisconsin's teen birth rate (of 29.3)," Warden said. "We are fortunate to have health services for all ages including teenagers."
The race of all the teens in Green and Lafayette counties was listed as white.
In 2009, there were 5,855 births to Wisconsin teens, a decrease from 6,096 teen births in 2008. The state saw more than 7,000 teen births in 1999.
Teen births represented 8 percent of births overall in the state in 2009, a drop from 14.8 percent in 1975.
Of the 37 births to teens in Green County in 2009, 12 were to teens ages 15 to 17 and 25 were to teens ages 18 to 19. Of the eight births in Lafayette County, two were to teens ages 15 to 17 and six were to teens ages 18 to 19.
The birth rate for Wisconsin girls ages 15 to 19 declined from 35.4 in 1999 to 29.3 in 2009, according to the state report. The decline has been steady, with the teen birth rate at 31.3 in 2008.
The national rate was 41.5 in 2008, the most recent statistics available.
The report showed that the marital status of teen mothers has shifted in the past 20 years, with more births to unmarried teens. The births to unmarried teens rose from 84 percent in 1999 to almost 90 percent in 2009.
The largest state decline occurred among black teens: From 117.9 per 1,000 teens in 1999, to about 86.8 in 2009.
Among white teens, the rate decreased from 24.4 to 17.7 per 1,000. The teen rate among Hispanic/Latina teens was 87.8 per 1,000 in 1999 and 81.0 per 1,000 in 2009. Among American Indian teens, the rate was 88.7 per 1,000 in 1999 and 84.4 per 1,000 in 2009.
The report also shows that the number of teens having babies in Wisconsin reached its lowest number in 34 years in 2009. In 1975, the number of births to girls under age 20 was more than 9,600, compared to 2009 when there were around 5,800 births to teen mothers.
The state report also noted that babies born to teens are generally more likely to die in infancy. In 2009, the infant mortality rate was 11.3 per 1,000 births to mothers under age 20, compared with 5.5 per 1,000 births to mothers aged 20 and older. In 2008, the rates were 10.8 per 1,000 births to teens and 6.6 per 1,000 births to mothers 20 and older.
The latest numbers on teen births are from a new state report released recently by the Department of Health Services and are based on 2009 data.
Lafayette County teen birth numbers were back to their 2003 low of 8, after a bumpy five years between 2004 and 2009, when teen birth numbers rose and fell twice.
"As you can see, we aren't in any sort of 'bottom-of-the-barrel' ranking," said Debbie Siegenthaler, Lafayette County Health department director.
The county's number of teen births was 8 in 2009, the lowest in 20 years, but matching 2003. Teen births jumped to 19 in 2004 and fell to 9 the following year, before creeping back to 14 in 2008. The county had 14 teen births in 1999, but hit a high of 20 in 2001.
Green County, however, is seeing a return to its county highs.
Births to teens residing in Green County was 37 in 2009, compared to 38 in 1999 and 30 in 2008. The number of teen births has fallen below 30 in only three years of the last 20 years: 26 in 2000, 27 in 2003 and 28 in 2004.
Birth rate, the number of births per 1,000 females between ages 15 to 19, is another way to look at the statistics.
The birth rate of the county's teen births, jumped to slightly more than 30 in 2009,up from 25.3 in 2008, according to information from RoAnn Warden, Green County Health Department director.
"Green County's teen birth rate (for 2009) is very similar to Wisconsin's teen birth rate (of 29.3)," Warden said. "We are fortunate to have health services for all ages including teenagers."
The race of all the teens in Green and Lafayette counties was listed as white.
In 2009, there were 5,855 births to Wisconsin teens, a decrease from 6,096 teen births in 2008. The state saw more than 7,000 teen births in 1999.
Teen births represented 8 percent of births overall in the state in 2009, a drop from 14.8 percent in 1975.
Of the 37 births to teens in Green County in 2009, 12 were to teens ages 15 to 17 and 25 were to teens ages 18 to 19. Of the eight births in Lafayette County, two were to teens ages 15 to 17 and six were to teens ages 18 to 19.
The birth rate for Wisconsin girls ages 15 to 19 declined from 35.4 in 1999 to 29.3 in 2009, according to the state report. The decline has been steady, with the teen birth rate at 31.3 in 2008.
The national rate was 41.5 in 2008, the most recent statistics available.
The report showed that the marital status of teen mothers has shifted in the past 20 years, with more births to unmarried teens. The births to unmarried teens rose from 84 percent in 1999 to almost 90 percent in 2009.
The largest state decline occurred among black teens: From 117.9 per 1,000 teens in 1999, to about 86.8 in 2009.
Among white teens, the rate decreased from 24.4 to 17.7 per 1,000. The teen rate among Hispanic/Latina teens was 87.8 per 1,000 in 1999 and 81.0 per 1,000 in 2009. Among American Indian teens, the rate was 88.7 per 1,000 in 1999 and 84.4 per 1,000 in 2009.
The report also shows that the number of teens having babies in Wisconsin reached its lowest number in 34 years in 2009. In 1975, the number of births to girls under age 20 was more than 9,600, compared to 2009 when there were around 5,800 births to teen mothers.
The state report also noted that babies born to teens are generally more likely to die in infancy. In 2009, the infant mortality rate was 11.3 per 1,000 births to mothers under age 20, compared with 5.5 per 1,000 births to mothers aged 20 and older. In 2008, the rates were 10.8 per 1,000 births to teens and 6.6 per 1,000 births to mothers 20 and older.