West Virginia's Youth: Focus on Sexual and Reproductive Health Print

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Across the United States, young people are at risk for unintended pregnancy and sexually transmitted infections (STIs) including HIV. West Virginia’s teen birth rate is higher than the national average, and young African American women living in the state have disproportionately high birth rates. Men who have sex with men are at the highest risk for HIV in West Virginia. Young people suffer the majority of sexually transmitted infections, with African Americans disproportionately affected. Because the risk for negative sexual health outcomes is a reality, comprehensive sexuality education and access to contraception are more important than ever to the health of West Virginia’s youth.

West Virginia’s Youth: Demographics and Sexual Behavior

  • Of West Virginia’s population of just over 1.8 million people, almost 400,000 are under age 18. Over 165,000 are between the ages of 18 and 24.
  • The majority of youth in West Virginia are white, with fewer than 10,000 non-white youth residing in the state.[1]
  • There are an estimated 17,000 sexually active teenagers in West Virginia.[2] A higher percentage of West Virginia high school students report having had sex than the national average – 53 percent vs. 47 percent.[3]
  • Thirty-nine percent of West Virginia high school students report having had sex in the last three months, vs. 34 percent of students nationwide.
  • Sixty-one percent of students in West Virginia report using a condom at last intercourse, similar to the national average.

West Virginia’s Teens Give Birth At Higher Than Average Rates

  • West Virginia’s teen pregnancy rate of 67 pregnancies per 1000 young women ages 15-19 is lower than the national teen birth rate of 84.[4]
  • However, West Virginia’s teen birth rate of 43.4 births per 1000 young women is higher than the national average of 40.5, with older teenagers driving the difference – the rate for girls ages 18-19 is 77 in West Virginia, compared to 70 nationally.[5]
  • Between 1992 and 2000, West Virginia’s pregnancy rate dropped less than the national rate dropped - 21 percent vs. 24 percent.[4]
  • West Virginia’s birth rate also dropped less than the national rate – 25 percent vs. 34 percent.[4]
  • Young African American women in West Virginia suffer disproportionate rates of teen pregnancy – 103 pregnancies per 1000 young women vs. 66 pregnancies per 1000 young women among white teenagers. [4]

HIV Disproportionately Affects African Americans in West Virginia [6]

  • Over 1400 people are living with HIV or AIDS in West Virginia.
  • African Americans suffer at greatly disproportionate rates. Although they make up only three percent of the population, they comprise almost 30 percent of the state’s reported HIV and AIDS cases.
  • About 30 percent of HIV and AIDS cases were among those ages 13-29.
  • Men who have sex with men accounted for half of West Virginia’s reported HIV/AIDs cases, while 16 percent acquired the virus through intravenous drug use and 17 percent, through heterosexual contact.

West Virginia Youth Suffer High Rates of Sexually Transmitted Infections [7]

  • Young people ages 15-24 experienced 76 percent of West Virginia’s reported chlamydia infections.
  • Young people ages 15-24 experienced 57 percent of West Virginia’s reported gonorrhea infections.
  • Young people ages 15-24 experienced 31 percent of West Virginia’s reported syphilis infections.
  • African American youth suffer at greatly disproportionate rates of sexually transmitted infections, with ten times the rate of Chlamydia for white youth, and twenty times the gonorrhea rate.

West Virginia’s Abstinence-Only Programs Are Ineffective and May Even Harm Youth

  • West Virginia schools are not required by law to teach sexuality education, but must teach HIV prevention education in grades 6-12.
  • West Virginia received over $385,000 in federal Title V funding for abstinence-only education in Fiscal Year 2006. In addition, West Virginia received $600,000 in CBAE funds in Fiscal Year 2007.
  • Federally funded abstinence-only programs, including the ones used in West Virginia, cannot include information about the health benefits of contraception and condoms for sexually active youth and must teach that sex outside of marriage is likely to have harmful physical and psychological effects. Abstinence-only programs also must emphasize marriage as the only appropriate context for sex.[8]
  • Recent research on abstinence-only programs has found them ineffective, with no impact on reducing teen pregnancy, delaying sexual initiation, or reducing STIs.[9,10]
  • Because of its abstinence-only education programs and its lack of laws and policies protecting GLBTQ students, the Gay Lesbian Straight Educators Network (GLSEN) gives West Virginia a grade of F in serving GLBTQ youth.[11]
  • Research on comprehensive sexuality education has consistently shown that young people who receive complete and accurate information about abstinence, condoms, and contraception were not more likely to have sex or acquire an STI.[12,13]
  • Recent research on comprehensive sexuality education found that youth who received the latter were significantly more likely to use condoms if sexually active, and were significantly less likely to be involved in pregnancy.[10,13]

Conclusion

West Virginia’s youth are at risk for pregnancy, HIV, and STIs; youth of color and GLBTQ youth are at disproportionate risk for negative sexual health outcomes. Research shows that comprehensive sexuality education and access to contraceptive services can help young people protect their health and well-being. Further, there are a number of culturally relevant science-based programs than can successfully assist youth of color to reduce sexual risk taking.[12,13]

References

  1. U.S. Census Bureau Public Information Office. “Census 2000 Data for the State of West Virginia.” Accessed from http://www.census.gov/census2000/states/wv.html on May 12, 2008.
  2. Guttmacher Institute. “Contraception Counts:West Virginia.” Accessed from http://www.guttmacher.org/
    pubs/state_data/states/west_virginia.html     on May 12, 2008.
  3. Eaton et al. Youth risk behavior surveillance, United States 2007. Morbidity & Mortality Weekly Report, Surveillance Summaries 2008; 57(SS-4):1-136.
  4. National Campaign to End Teen and Unplanned Pregnancy. “State Profile: West Virginia.” Accessed from http://www.thenationalcampaign.org/state-data/state-profile.aspx?state=westvirginia on May 12, 2008.
  5. Martin JA et al. “Births: Final Data for 2005.” National Vital Statistics Reports 2007: 56(6) 1-104. Accessed from http://www.cdc.gov/nchs/data/nvsr/nvsr56/nvsr56_06.pdf on May 12, 2008.
  6. Shahbandy M. HIV/AIDS Surveillance Summary Report Update. West Virginia Department of Health and Human Services, HIV/AIDS/STD Program. Accessed from http://www.wvdhhr.org/idep/pdfs/aids/Year-End%202007%20HIV-AIDS%20Summary0408.pdf on May 12, 2008.
  7. West Virginia Department of Health and Human Services. Infectious Disease Epidemiology Program. “Rates for Chlamydia, Gonorrhea, and Syphilis, 1/1/2007-12/21/2007.” Accessed from http://www.wvdhhr.org/idep/STD_ProjectArea_2.pdf on May 12, 2008.
  8. Personal Responsibility & Work Opportunity Reconciliation Act of 1996. Title V, §510(b)(2)(A-H) of the Social Security Act.
  9. Trenholm et al. Impacts of Four Title V, Section 510 Abstinence Education Programs. Princeton: Mathematica Policy Research, 2007. Accessed from http://www.mathematica-mpr.com/publications/PDFs/impactabstinence.pdf on April 15, 2008.
  10. Kohler et al. “Abstinence-only and Comprehensive Sex Education and the Initiation of Sexual Activity and Teen Pregnancy.” Journal of Adolescent Health, 42(4): 344-351.
  11. Gay Lesbian Straight Education Network. State of States: West Virginia. Accessed from http://www.glsen.org/binary-data/GLSEN_ATTACHMENTS/file/387-1.pdf on August 15, 2008.
  12. Kirby D. Emerging Answers 2007. Washington, DC: The National Campaign, 2007 to Prevent Teen and Unplanned Pregnancy. Accessed from http://www.thenationalcampaign.org/EA2007/EA2007_sum.pdf on March 1, 2008.
  13. Alford S. Science and Success: Sex Education and Other Programs That Work to Prevent Teen Pregnancy, HIV & Sexually Transmitted Infections. Washington, DC: Advocates for Youth, 2003.

Written by Emily Bridges, MLS
2008 © Advocates for Youth

 

Tags: Topic: Adolescent Reproductive and Sexual Health Topic: Adolescent Sexual Behavior Topic: State Facts Type: State Facts