Abstract
This paper examines the socio-demographic characteristics and the state of sexual health in the US South, a region comprised of 10 states: Alabama, Georgia, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee, Virginia, and West Virginia. The results show that the region is home to 18 percent of the US population, but its residents are statistically significantly more likely to have lower educational attainment and to live in poverty than other US residents. In addition, residents of the US South have poor sexual health compared to their counterparts living in other regions. Teenagers who live in the US South are more likely to get pregnant and have babies than teenagers in other regions. Likewise, the rates of Chlamydia and Gonorrhea among females age 15 - 19 were higher in the US South than elsewhere in the US. This poor sexual health cost the 10 US South states an estimated $2.3 billion in 2008. The paper concludes with a discussion of the sexual health challenges and opportunities in the US South in light of new federal funding streams that allow for the use of evidence-based approaches in sexual health programs.
Highlights
The United States has the highest rates of teenage pregnancy and sexually transmitted diseases among all developed nations (Stanger-Hall & Hall, 2011)
This paper examines the current challenges faced by young people in the South related to their sexual health and the opportunities to address such challenges
The US South is a relatively fast-growing region, but its population is associated with high poverty, a high teenage pregnancy rate, a high teenage birth rate, a high percentage of low birth-weight babies, high rates of sexually transmitted infections and HIV, and a heavy economic burden caused by unintended pregnancies
Summary
The United States has the highest rates of teenage pregnancy and sexually transmitted diseases among all developed nations (Stanger-Hall & Hall, 2011) This is even more severe in the southern region of the US, which has higher rates of teenage pregnancy and teenage births; a higher percentage of babies of low birth weight; and higher rates of sexually transmitted infections than other regions of the country. Sexual health is not about physical health, it comprises fulfilling sexual relationships, the freedom to choose one’s mate, autonomy over one’s reproductive life, and much more. Sexual health affects both the individual and society. Sexual health is tied to gender equality and women’s access to key institutions such as education, housing, and the labor (Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency, SIDA, 2008)
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