Letters: How we can all help cut teen pregnancy

South Carolina is full of success stories. From champion college sports teams to resilience after a natural disaster, we’re standing strong in more ways than one. Sitting quietly amongst these successes is a fact often overlooked: Since the early 1990s, we’ve seen a 61 percent decline in teen births.

For the past 12 years, the S.C. Campaign to Prevent Teen Pregnancy has been working to improve the health and economic well-being of individuals, communities and the state through the prevention of teen pregnancy. We provide advocacy, education and training to community leaders, teachers and other caring adults to help achieve our mission.

Especially during National Teen Pregnancy Prevention Month in May, we encourage parents, teachers, ministers, our young people and others to play a role in continuing the conversation. Adults should take the opportunity to have courageous conversations with young adults about relationships, love and sex. Young people should take the time to talk with the trusted adults in their lives and ask important questions instead of simply relying on what they read on the Internet.

We hope you all will continue to educate yourself and get more involved in reducing teen pregnancy. We need responsible adults and mentors to positively influence the young people in our state. A new group of young people become teenagers every year, so the time is now to make a difference.

Visit teenpregnancysc.org for more information about our organization and notrightnowsc.org for tips for parents and teens.