EXCERPT: “Norman County and Mahnomen County have some of the highest rates of teenage pregnancies in Minnesota, according to the 2023 Minnesota Adolescent Sexual Health Report. The latest report is the first look at teen pregnancy rates after the pandemic. While both counties have some of the highest rates of pregnancies for those between the ages of 15 and 19, teen pregnancies across Minnesota are down 71% since 1990. The 10 counties with the highest teenage pregnancy rate are all located in greater Minnesota. Mahnomen County also has one of the highest rates of chlamydia among the 15-19 age group. ‘Mahnomen County generally is high, whether it be STI or pregnancy rates,’ said Amy Van Den Einde, a nurse who works with Polk County Public Health and does educational outreach for reproductive and sexual health. ‘We work across all three counties so that we can cover (all the area) because it is a lot of area.’ Overall, rates of sexually transmitted infections are down after a pandemic peak, but according to the report’s summary, researchers are just beginning to understand the effects that the pandemic had on youth health.” FULL STORY: https://fluence-media.co/46DjnnS
