In Brief: CDPH Reports Another Big Drop In Teen Births; Nurse Practitioner Pay On The Rise
CDPH Reports Another Big Drop In Teen Births
The California Department of Public Health has reported another steep drop in the rate of births among mothers between the ages of 15 and 19.
Acording to the data, the adolescent birth rate in California in 2013 was 23.2 per 1,000, the lowest rate ever recorded and an 11% overall decline from 2012. It’s part of a steady decline since 2000, when the adolescent birth rate in California was 46.7 per 1,000.
The nationwide birth rate has dropped as well, from 47.7 per 1,000 in 2000 to 26.5 in 2013. However, the California rate has dropped more precipitously than the U.S. rate.
CDPH officials credit ongoing education with the drop in the adolescent birh rate. The state’s Family Planning, Access, Care, and Treatment Program provides family planning services to state residents of all ages.
"California’s continued success in reducing adolescent births is an excellent example of public health at work,” said CDPH Director Karen Smith, M.D. “By providing adolescents the knowledge, tools and resources to make healthy choices, we can have a positive effect on their options for a successful future."
Nurse Practitioner Pay On Rise
The annual compensation for nurse practitioners has risen modestly over the past four years, according to a new survey by the profession’s primary trade association.
According to data compiled by the American Association of Nurse Practitioners, members who work 35 hours or more a week have seen their base compensation rise 6.3% between 2011 and 2015, from $91,310 to $97,083 this year. Total annual income has risen 10%, from $98,760 to $108,643.
Nurse practitioners and physician assistants are expected to handle more of the tasks of delivering primary care services in the coming years as the U.S. population ages and a shortage of physicians is expected to worsen.
The numbers are the result of a survey of more than 2,200 nurse practitioners nationwide.
Planned Parenthood Launches STD Testing App In California
Planned Parenthood has launched a smartphone app that allows California residents to order an in-home test for chlamydia and gonorrhea, the two most common sexually transmitted diseases.
Users can order the test kit, have it delivered to their home, and receive results through their phones.
If a test comes back positive, Planned Parenthood will also help the user coordinate the prescriptions of appropriate medications from local pharmacies.
Planned Parenthood told the online publication Vox that the app is expected to help those individuals who live in rural areas better protect their privacy, as well as potentially encourage more men to undergo testing for STDs. However, there are concerns that such testing could mean patients might miss out on in-person counseling.
The urine-based tests cost $149. Planned Parenthood said it is pilot testing the app in California and expects to eventually launch the service nationwide.
