Article: Yakima County's Teen-age Pregnancy Rate Falls -- But number of babies born in 1998 increases

The number of babies born in Yakima County went up in 1998, but women are waiting longer to have babies, according to a new state Department of Health report.

The report also shows lower teen-age pregnancy rates, which local health officials credit largely to access to birth control.

Statewide, abortions dropped by 5.3 percent, and even more in Yakima County, which had 7 percent fewer abortions than the year before.

The numbers also indicate that teen-agers are delaying having sex and are using effective birth control, said Gwen Chaplin, president and CEO of Planned Parenthood of Central Washington. "And delaying sex is a good thing," she said.

According to the report published by the Health ...

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