The City of Alexandria’s latest adolescent pregnancy rate declined 1.1 percent between 2007 and 2008, continuing an overall downward trend over the past 10 years. Since 1999 Alexandria’s adolescent pregnancy rate has decreased 21 percent, declining from 54.2 pregnancies per 1000 females to 43 pregnancies per 1000 females, ages 10 to 19 years old.
The Alexandria Campaign on Adolescent Pregnancy, a coalition of interested citizens, agencies and community groups concerned about teen pregnancy, has received ongoing support from the City to engage in an aggressive education and outreach program since 1999. ACAP promotes the message that parents, families and adolescents play a critical role in preventing adolescent pregnancy in Alexandria.
ACAP has implemented a number of outreach tools to provide information about adolescent pregnancy prevention to the community:
- ACAP offers a text messaging line (text the word SEX to 30644) for teens to submit questions and get the facts they need to make healthy, safe decisions about their relationships and choices.
- ACAP’s Web site, www.alexgetreal.com, includes helpful tips and information for both parents and teens, and contains interactive features such as streaming videos, podcasts, games, and surveys.
- ACAP produces Get Real, a magazine developed for teens and by teens that focuses on important youth issues.
- ACAP regularly provides workshops and training for youth serving professionals, parents, youth and community members.