Greene County’s teen pregnancy rate continues to decline.

According to the latest information from the Iowa Department of Public Health’s Vital Statistics Division, in 2014, Greene County had less than five births to mothers ranging in ages of 15-19, which is a 60 percent decrease from 2013. Anytime a county reports five or less births, it is considered “unreportable”. The trend has been steadily going down since 2010 when a study by the Population Health Institute at the University of Wisconsin reported that Greene County had the highest teen pregnancy, per capita in Iowa, with 17 births.

New Opportunities Community Adolescent Pregnancy Prevention Program (CAPP) staff believes that a combination of accurate sexual health education in middle and high schools, increased access to health care and collaboration with other community providers have helped to decrease the number of teen pregnancies.

CAPP serves five counties, with four of five counties, including Greene, reporting five or less births to teen moms. Those counties include Audubon, Guthrie and Pocahontas.