Stanislaus County's teen birth rate went up in 2000 but remained much lower than in the mid-1990s, new state figures show.

The rates were down in Merced and Tuolumne counties and slightly up in San Joaquin County, the California Department of Health Services reported.

Statewide in 2000, there were 48.1 births for every 1,000 women ages 15 to 19, down from 50.2 the year before, the agency reported.

"The good news demonstrates that California's prevention programs and initiatives work," Gov. Davis said.

Stanislaus County's rate of 54.4 births per 1,000 teen women was up from 51.8 in 1999. The rate was 69.8 in 1995 and declined steadily through 1999.

Despite the one-year uptick, efforts to prevent teen pregnancy are showing good results, said Cle Moore, associate director of the county Health Services Agency.

Those efforts include information on contraception, after-school activities that keep teens out of trouble, and help for parents in discussing sex with their teen children.

"If you talk to teens, they are fairly knowledgeable," Moore said. "They feel there needs to be more open communication, not just with their parents, but with others."

Merced County had 66.1 births per 1,000 teen girls in 2000, down from 71.7 the year before. In 1995, it tied Yuba County for the third-highest rate in California, 99.5.

San Joaquin County's rate was 60.7 in 2000 and 60.1 in 1999, both well below the 78.8 in 1995.

Tuolumne County had the sixth-largest drop in the state in 2000 -- 23.9 compared with 30.5 the year before. Its rate was 48.2 in 1995.

Tuolumne's small population makes it hard to rely entirely on statistics, said Kathy Amos, program and services manager for the county Public Health Department. Still, she said, efforts to prevent teen pregnancy are making progress.

Amos said health workers urge teens to delay sex, but will provide information about contraception if this advice falls short.

Tuolumne County teens also get messages about delaying sex through recreation programs, schools and churches, she said.

"It's going to take a lot of education and a lot of effort to continue (the decline)," Amos said.

Jill Castle, clinical services manager for the Tuolumne County department, said the declining birth rate also could be a result of welfare reform. No longer can someone expect unlimited public aid after having a child, she said.

Stanislaus County has put money into after-school programs and other activities with the goal of keeping girls from getting pregnant.

"There are many diverse reasons why teens engage in risky behavior," the county's Moore said. "There are multiple strategies, and they are based on input from parents, teens, community-based groups as well as faith-based organizations."

The state report does not count mothers younger than 15, nor does it say how many pregnant teens chose abortion.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

Reprinted by permission of Modesto Bee.