The Barnwell County Teenage Pregnancy Prevention Council supports legislation, organizations, and programs designed to help young people become responsible, capable and self-sufficient adults. Our primary goal is the reduction of teenage pregnancy which severely restricts life options for the teens involved and their children.

The Barnwell County Teenage Pregnancy Prevention Council was organized January 1988 by a service agency to assist the community in addressing the problem of teenage pregnancy. This council is part of the state wide effort to reduce the problems of teenage pregnancy.

We Believe:

• That we have an obligation to provide our children adequate education about  their sexuality that will enable them to become socially responsible citizens.
• That abstinence must be highly regarded by our community and our teenagers.
• That comprehensive health education can help solve this problem.
• That AIDS is a real and present danger for sexually active teens.

As a council, we advocate and support the activities that help decrease the problems associated with teenage pregnancy.

Teen Pregnancy Statistics:

    Parental Involvement:

• 85% of South Carolina registered voters believe that parents should be the primary source of sex education for their children.

• Only 55% of parents in South Carolina report that they have educated their children on how to prevent pregnancy and  HIV / AIDS.

• Teens who are closely connected with their parents are more likely to wait until they are older to begin having sex, have fewer sexual partners, and use contraception more consistently.

• Teens say that parents influence their decisions about sex more strongly than friends or any other source.

• In South Carolina in 2002, more than 53, 788 grandparents had primary care responsibilities for their grandchildren.

Comprehensive Sex Education:

• 81% of South Carolina registered voters support school-based sex education which includes information on both abstinence and contraception.

• The majority of South Carolina voters feel that instruction on topics such as abstinence, sexually transmitted diseases, contraception and relationships should begin no later than middle school.

Sexual Activity:

• 56% of high school students surveyed in SC have had sexual intercourse. By the time they are seniors this figure increases to 71%.

• 21% of SC high school students surveyed have had sexual intercourse with 4 or more people during their life.

• 22% of sexually active SC students surveyed drank alcohol or used drugs before their last sexual intercourse.

Poor School Performance:

• Less than 4 in 10 teen mothers who begin their families before age 18 ever complete high school

• Children of teen mothers are 50% more likely to repeat a grade, less likely to complete high school.

• In 2002, 98% of births to 10-14 year olds, 94% of births to 15-17 year old, and 77% of births to 18-19 year olds were supported by the South Carolina Medicaid system.

• Each baby born to a South Carolina teen costs taxpayers almost $22,000 per year.

South Carolina Data: Every 55 minutes a South Carolina teen gets pregnant.

Teen Pregnancy Prevention Curriculum used in Barnwell County:

6th grade:  Health Smart

7th grade: Draw the Line Respect the Line

8th grade: Project SNAPP

9th grade: Teen Outreach Program