Thanks To The State's Birth Control Program, Colorado's Teen Pregnancy Rate Plummeted

Colorado state officials recently found that a program that provides contraception to low-income women played a large role in the 40 percent drop in teen birth rate in Colorado.

Colorado Family Planning Initiative, which is located in 68 family planning clinics in Colorado, gives low-income women intrauterine devices (IUDs) or implants at little or no cost.

From 2009 to 2012, teen abortion rate dropped by 35 percent in the counties with access to the program.

Additionally, the amount of people who took advantage of Colorado WIC, a nutrition program for low-income moms and their babies, decreased 23 percent from 2008 to 2013.

Governor John Hickenlooper said the initiative has saved Colorado millions, but "more importantly, it has helped thousands of young Colorado women continue their education, pursue their professional goals and postpone pregnancy until they are ready to start a family."

Teenagers don't need an adult present to receive contraceptives from the clinic, so critics are concerned about what this program means for a parent's role in a child's sex life.

Other critics deny that the statistics are real in the first place.

Colorado's birth rate is declining quicker than it is in the rest of the US, even though states overall are also experiencing a trend of lower birth rates thanks to easy access to contraceptives.

As of 2012, Colorado is ranked 19th in states with the lowest teen birth rate, compared to being 29th in 2008.

H/T: Vox, Photo Courtesy: We Heart It