Gov. Bryant Addresses Issue of Teen Pregnancy in MS

Mississippi ranks among the top in the nation for teen pregnancies. Monday, Governor Phil Bryant was in Gautier addressing an issue that’s become a major problem in our state.

Teen pregnancy has cost the State of Mississippi $159 million since 2008, with that money going toward everything from public health to child welfare. Bryant says, "As teenage girls become mothers, they still act like teenage girls. Often times, they don’t tell anyone they’re a mother until late into the pregnancy."

As a result, many teen mothers do not get the necessary prenatal care and wind up giving birth to premature babies or children with complications. Bryant also says, "This is personal with me. I’ve seen these children who have had such tragic circumstances because they made a bad decision. What we’re simply trying to tell them is make adult decisions when you become an adult."

The Mississippi Girls Health Initiative is working closely with the legislature and the Governor’s office to get a set of bills passed this session that would provide $1.2 million in funding for community colleges to initiate programs that will help educate teens and to hire a nurse practitioner for the healthcare staff so young people will have someone to talk with. Vivian Dailey, founder of Mississippi Girls Health Initiative, says, "It is extremely important for them to have people in their community college environment, where they are every day or most days of the week, that are easily accessible to them."

Health officials and the Governor’s office are confident that by reaching out to these teens and providing them with more education, they can lower the teenage pregnancy rate in Mississippi. The Governor is also working on an initiative to hold teenage fathers more accountable and ensure they pay suitable child support.