Healthy Teens Coalition of Manatee Recognizes Teen Pregnancy Prevention Month in May
Manatee County, FL— May is National Teen Pregnancy Prevention Month and the Healthy Teens Coalition of Manatee (HTC), in partnership with the Manatee County Youth Commission, will receive local government proclamation presentations recognizing the importance of this initiative, locally, as per the following schedule of meetings:
- Monday, May 4th at 7:00 PM, Palmetto City Council, 516 8th Ave. W., Palmetto
- Tuesday, May 5th at 9:00 AM, Manatee County Commissioners, Manatee County Government Building, 1112 Manatee W., Bradenton
- Tuesday, May 12th at 5:45 PM, School Board of Manatee County, School Board Building, 215 Manatee Ave. W., Bradenton
- Wednesday, May 13th at 8:30 AM, Bradenton City Council, 101 Old Main St. W., Bradenton
In addition, on May 19th at 4:30 PM, the Healthy Teens Coalition will host the third annual Manatee County Teen Pregnancy Prevention Recognition and Awards Reception at the Renaissance on 9th, 1816 9th St. W., in Bradenton.
The event will honor those who have made significant contributions to reducing teen pregnancy rates and improving the health and welfare of local youth. This year’s awardees are:
- Adult of the Year: Lynette Edwards, Chair, Children’s Services Advisory Board of Manatee County
- Young Adults of the Year: Marquel and Willie Simmons, Health Educators
- Nonprofit of the Year: Manatee Glens
- Elected Official of the Year: Charlie Kennedy, Manatee County School Board
The HTC’s newest cohort of Teen Health Educators will also be recognized, as they graduate from the program’s training cycle. The Teen Health Educator program trains young leaders to provide evidence-based, accurate information on various teen health topics to their peers. To RSVP for the event, email [email protected] or call 941-714-7541 ext. 311.
Observed each May by states and communities throughout the country, National Teen Pregnancy Prevention Month seeks to involve communities in promoting and supporting effective teen pregnancy prevention initiatives.
While Manatee County has seen a decrease in teen birth rates over the last four years, the county’s rate remains higher than the state average. And the rate of repeat births to mothers aged 15-17 is almost double that of the state (13.1 per 1,000 in Manatee, as compared to 7.7 for Florida).
Although Manatee County has historically experienced high teen pregnancy rates, live births to teen mothers have dropped by 38% between 2011 and 2014. This encouraging decrease has been demonstrated after the community’s strong focus on intensive programming to reduce teen pregnancies, which began in early 2011 via broad non-profit, school, and county partnerships.
The Healthy Teens Coalition of Manatee is dedicated to empowering teens with the knowledge and skills to make informed choices about their health and wellbeing. Through partnerships with the community, the HTC engages young people, parents, community leaders, and policy-makers on issues that affect teen health.
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