Jackson County’s teen birth rate is higher than the teen birth rates in Europe, Mexico, the United States, Georgia and surrounding counties.
Although most Jackson County adults (88 percent) feel that unmarried teens should not be sexually active, 70 percent of students in the local schools are sexually active by their senior year.
In addition to teen pregnancy, young people are at a higher risk for sexually transmitted infections like HIV. A recent CDC study found that one in four girls have a sexually transmitted disease. To make matters worse, 38 percent of all sexually active high school students in Jackson County have already had three or more partners.
The community overwhelmingly supports more education and services for young people to prevent teen pregnancies and sexually transmitted infections, according to a recent survey. The study by the Northeast Health District found that the majority of Jackson County residents (87 percent) believe that sexually active teens should be using birth control, however only a quarter (26 percent) believe the community as a whole would support this. In addition, the survey found that 90 percent of residents support more education in the schools on how to prevent pregnancy in the first place including information on both abstinence and birth control.
Teens surveyed said that parents are the biggest influence in their decision about sex and yet a quarter of students in Jackson County (26 percent) feel the adults in their lives do not spend enough time talking to them about important issues such as alcohol, drugs, sex, personal feelings or problems.
These numbers were taken from the Community Opinion Survey (2007), GA Vital Statistics (2005), Jackson County School District BART Report (2004), the CDC (STD information), National Campaign To Prevent Teen Pregnancy (2006 With One Voice National Survey).