If you check the statistics, you would see an alarming difference in teen pregnancy rates in the Valley.

Teen Pregnancy Prevention's Katie Baird says, "They are higher in Harrisonburg than other parts of the Shenandoah Valley, especially the 15 to 17 year old rate."

It turns out they are much higher. The pregnancy rate among 15- to 17-year-old girls in Harrisonburg is double Virginia's state rate. Baird says she has an idea of why Harrisonburg rates are so high.

She says, "Teen pregnancy is usually linked to poverty. The poverty rate in Harrisonburg is pretty high."

Baird also says parents in Harrisonburg may have a more difficult time talking to their kids about teen pregnancy.

She adds, "We live in an area that is a little more conservative than other parts of the state. So sometimes people are a little more reluctant to talk to their children about things like sex, sexual behaviors, and what the outcomes of those could be, especially as a teenager."

The prevention center offers middle and high school students a few programs to help them learn about teen pregnancy and how it affects their lives. Baird says the most important factor is for parents to get more involved in their childrens' lives.

She says, "Time and time again it comes up in national surveys that parents are the most influential people when it comes to the choices their children make about sexual activity."

Although teen pregnancy rates are high in the Valley, they are actually on a decline in general. There were 49 teen births in every 1,000 pregnancies in Harrisonburg in 2003. This year, that number has dropped almost 30 percent.