CUMBERLAND COUNTY -- Teen pregnancies in the Tar Heel state are declining according to findings released by the Sexual Health Initiatives for Teens earlier this month.

At the Cumberland County Health Department, fewer and fewer teens are coming in for prenatal care, but health officials say, they ARE coming in to learn about preventing pregancy instead.

"In the program we learned about ways to protect ourselves, different STDs, and even the parts of our body that we didn't really know they were," said teen, Daijyah Ray. 

The teen pregnancy rate in Cumberland County fell over 13 percent from 2015 to 2016. Some researchers attribute the drop to the increased use of birth control, but those with the County Health Department say, it's also thanks to a fairly new program, North Carolina Youth Connected.

"We're teaching teens with this evidence-based curriculum, to tell them about teen pregnancy, healthy relationships, and STD facts, to give them a comprehensive lesson, so that they're able to make the best decisions possible," said Teen Health Educator, Tamra Morris. 

The program also includes abstinence-based curriculum. The goal is to provide a variety of options for preventing teen pregnancy.

"Whatever services as far as birth control, prenatal care, maternity care, and STD testing and treatment," said Teen Health Educator Advocate, Maryssa Sadler. "It is all confidential and free or low-cost whenever they come into the Teen Clinic as well." 

Some teens in the North Carolina Youth Connected program say they're using what they've learned to inform other teens too.

"Things that you may have been thinking about, but when you act upon it, you think about what you've learned in the program, and that can save you or protect you," Daijyah Ray said.