Hispanic Teen Pregnancy Rate Jumps in Montgomery County
Rockville, MD - Friday July 27, 2007 5:38 am

Montgomery County officials say a jump in the number of young Hispanic mothers is behind an overall increase in the county's teen birthrate. A report presented to county leaders on Thursday shows that overall births among women aged 15 to 19 in the county were up by 16 percent between 2002 and 2005, bucking a national and statewide trend.

The report says births among Hispanic women 18 to 19 have increased more than 30percent in the past decade.

Latino advocates told county officials that it's often difficult to educate Hispanic teens about birth control.

They say teen pregnancy is not seen as a big deal in the Hispanic community and that many low-income and undocumented teen moms don't see pregnancy as a barrier to goals like an education or career.

http://www.wjla.com/news/stories/0707/442792.html