Services and Clinics

Over 40% of all pregnancies in New Mexico are unintended. Over 60% of pregnancies to 18-19 year old teenagers are unintended.¹

In 2005, New Mexico Department of Health Family Planning Program-funded clinics served over 44,000 clients.²

In 2001, there were 125,780 females (approximately one-third of the female child-bearing population in NM) at risk for unintended pregnancies and in need of publicly supported contraceptive services and supplies³, only 43% of those in need are currently being served in New Mexico Department of Health Family Planning Program-funded clinics.⁴

Eighty-one percent (81%) of the clients served in 2005 in the New Mexico Department of Health Family Planning Program-funded clinics were below 100% poverty.²

Teen Facts:

In 2003, New Mexico ranked 1st in birth rates for 15-19 year olds at 63 per 1,000. The U.S. rate is 42 per 1,000.⁵

In 2000, 64% of New Mexico teen pregnancies resulted in live births; 21% abortions; 15% miscarriages and stillbirths.⁶

In New Mexico, teen birth rates declined 11% between 1998-2003.⁷

The four risk factors consistently associated with teen pregnancy are: early school failure, early behavioral problems, family dysfunction, and poverty.⁸

Costs:

In New Mexico, serving a woman in a Family Planning clinic costs approximately $150 a year compared to an average managed care cost of $3,754 for labor and delivery.

Cost benefit analysis indicate that for every dollar spent on family planning, $4—$27 are saved depending on the population model used.

In New Mexico, society pays between $525 million and $650 million in economic value to support teenage mothers compared to older, age 20-24 mothers.⁹

If all New Mexico teenage mothers could be persuaded to delay childbirth until they are at least 20 years old, but their social and economic conditions were to remain, the savings to society would be approximately $235 million.⁹

References:

1.    Pregnancy Risk Assessment Monitoring Surveillance Report Year 2000 Births. New Mexico Department of Health, Public Health Division, Family Health Bureau, Maternal & Child Health Epidemiology Program. Santa Fe, NM. Published August 2003, Available at: http://www.health.state.nm.us/phd/prams/report_surveillance/Y2000_survrpt.pdf

2.     New Mexico Department of Health Family Planning Program Annual Report (FPAR) 2005.

3.   Contraceptive Needs and Services , 2001-2002. The Alan Guttmacher Institute 2004. Available at http://www.guttmacher.org/pubs/win/index.html

4.   New Mexico Department of Health Family Planning Program Need Assessment 2005. A section of New Mexico Department of Health Family Planning Program Title X Grant Proposal, Santa Fe, NM..

5.     Kids Count 2006. Available at  http://www.aecf.org/kidscount/sld/compare_results.jsp?i=10&dt=4&yr=14&va=a&s=8&dtype=&x=179&y=12

6.   U.S. Teenage Pregnancy Statistics. Overall Trends, Trends by Race and Ethnicity And State-by-State Information. The Alan Guttmacher Institute 2004. Available at: http://www.guttmacher.org/pubs/state_pregnancy_trends.pdf.

7.   Challenge 2005. Reducing Teen Pregnancy in New Mexico. New Mexico Department of Health Family Planning Program, Santa Fe, NM.

8.   Facts at a Glanc (October 1997). Child Trends, Inc., Washington, D.C.

9.  Ganderton PT. The Economic Cost of Teenage Pregnancy in New Mexico: New Estimates. May 2006. A study produced for the New Mexico Department of Health, Public Health Division, Family Planning Program.

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