Orange County NC Website
3 <br />who are unemployed, those who live with only one parent, and <br />those whose parents are not college graduates. <br />Available data suggest that only one - quarter of the <br />difference in the relative likelihood that a black teen will <br />give birth is accounted for by black /white differences in <br />sexual activity. Black teens tend to delay the use of <br />contraception longer after initiating intercourse and to use <br />contraception less consistently. These differences account <br />for half of the racial differences in early childbearing. <br />This data confirms that teens who have the most to lose <br />if they become pregnant are less likely to engage in sex and <br />Are more likely to use birth control if the are sexually_ <br />active. <br />Compounding the problem are the - serious effects of teen <br />pregnancy on the young women and their male partners, <br />families, children, and communities. Half of all teen <br />mothers never finish high school. Eighty -five percent of <br />young children with mothers who are 15 -21 and single, and <br />over one -third of those in young two - parent families, are <br />living below the poverty level. Rates of low birth weight <br />babies and infant mortality are substantially higher among <br />unmarried women, teenagers, and school drop -outs. <br />Through the Minority Involvement Project, we are working to: <br />o increase the ability of participating teens to identify <br />reasons to avoid pregnancy and to realistically assess the <br />consequences of pregnancy, <br />o provide them with information and services to prevent <br />pregnancy, <br />o help them develop and implement life goals aside from <br />parenthood, <br />o improve parent -child communication about sexuality, and <br />o increase familiarity with, and reduce suspicion of, our <br />services. <br />If we are successful in achieving these objectives, we should <br />be able to impact significantly on teen pregnancy among <br />program participants. In addition, the project should have a <br />positive impact on a wide range of other issues, including <br />infant mortality, drug and alcohol abuse, delinquency, <br />unemployment, and school drop -out. We believe that an <br />intensive program such as this is essential if we are to <br />truly address the cycle of poverty in orange County. <br />Low - income, minority boys and girls, ages 9 -17, are the <br />target population of the MIP. These adolescents are <br />at -risk because they are poor, because they are black, <br />and because they are more often than not children of teen <br />mothers. <br />