PETERSBURG CELEBRATES LOWEST TEEN PREGNANCY IN 10 YEARS

May 19, 2016

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(PETERSBURG, Va.) Petersburg Health Department is celebrating the lowest teen pregnancy rate in 10 years. In 2009, the pregnancy rate was 103.7 per 1,000 female. To date, the preliminary 2014 rates are 49.7 per 1,000 females for the City of Petersburg. This rate represents a 54% decline since establishing Crater Health District’s Teen Pregnancy Prevention Program.

The Petersburg Health Department provides a number of youth services to assist teens. HealthSpace Teen Clinic and Crater’s Teen Pregnancy Prevention Program are community based initiatives designed to provide educational outreach to youth ages 10-19 years old. Services provided by HealthSpace Teen Clinic are health education, counseling, clinical services, contraception, pregnancy testing, referrals for pregnancies, STD treatment, and sports physicals. The HealthSpace Teen Clinic hours at the Petersburg Health Department (301 Halifax Street, Petersburg, VA 23803) are from 12 pm to 6 pm on Tuesdays and Thursdays. Clinic hours for the Hopewell Health Department (1501 W. City Point Road, Hopewell, VA 23860) are from 3 pm to 6 pm on Wednesdays. Clinic services are by appointment and walk-in.

The Petersburg Health Department continues its focus to provide ongoing collaborations across schools, businesses, City of Petersburg government agencies, community and faith-based organizations. “We are actively engaged with our community partners and the City of Petersburg School System, says Alton Hart, Jr., MD, MPH, Director, Petersburg Health Department. It takes the entire community working together to provide guidance, education and services to continue the City’s decline in teen pregnancies.”

If you would like to become more involved, we are currently accepting members to the Petersburg R.A.P.S. (Reducing Adolescent Pregnancies and STD) Coalition. The coalition is open to anyone interested in championing the efforts to reduce teen pregnancy. Individuals interested in participating in Petersburg R.A.P.S. are encouraged to contact Monique Lindsey at 863-1652 x8985 or Monique.Lindsey@vdh.virginia.gov

Funding for programs is provided by United Way, The John Randolph and The Cameron Foundations, and the City of Petersburg.

For more information about Crater’s Teen Pregnancy Prevention Program, or the HealthSpace Teen Clinic, call 804-863-1652 or visit us online at craterhd.net, or on Facebook /CRATERHD and Twitter @CraterHD.