Mississippi has highest teen birth rate, CDC says

[Wetzelbill]

Look at all the Red states on that graph in the top ten. -WB

ATLANTA – Mississippi now has the nation's highest teen pregnancy rate, displacing Texas and New Mexico for that lamentable title, according to a new federal report released Wednesday.

Mississippi's rate was more than 60 percent higher than the national average in 2006, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said. The teen pregnancy rate in Texas and New Mexico was more than 50 percent higher.

The three states have large proportions of black and Hispanic teenagers — groups that traditionally have higher birth rates, experts noted.

The lowest teen birth rates continue to be in New England, where three states have teen birth rates at just half the national average.

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20090107/ap_on_he_me/med_teen_births

[pleah]

1. I suppose it has nothing to do with the fact that they have

run off, (made it almost impossible to get and abortion), all the abortion doctors in the state.

[RB TexLa]

2. I thought it was much higher than that every where. Sarah Palin said it happens in every single

family in America. :shrug:

[Hannah Bell]

3. gee, new england v. the south/sw.

now i wonder why the difference....

[Kalyke]

7. The difference isn't education - it's lack of abortion doctors/clinics.

[cali]

8. that's hardly the whole of it.

it's also health care programs like Dr. Dynosaur in Vermont and education. It certainly isn't all about abortion services.

[Hannah Bell]

14. i wasn't thinking education. or lack of clinics.

i was thinking percent of population low-income.

[NightWatcher]

4. what happens when you cross those rates with education rates?

[Bake]

5. We're Number One!!!

Sigh.

Bake

[NightWatcher]

6. have you done your part to help make your state #1?

[Bake]

12. Nope. I'm happily married and waay too old for that!

And besides, I got fixed years ago.

:hi:

Bake

[Fumesucker]

9. But, but.. they are second or third most religious state..

Surely this cannot be so, faith makes people more responsible and more moral, not less.

Not to say that correlation implies causation.

http://www.usatoday.com/graphics/news/gra/gnoreligion/flash.htm

[aikoaiko]

10. I really hate whent they include 18 and 19 year olds in these tabulations

But I have no reason to the rankings would change at all. I just think it is a mischaracterization to include adults who are teens with minors who are teens.

[kiva]

13. My complaint also.

There's a huge difference between 14 and 19, and conflating a kid who's barely in high school and not old enough to work or drive with someone who is by all legal measure an adult is ridiculous. I've often wondered why these studies do this, seems very manipulative.

[WI_DEM]

11. According to McCain and Palin MS would be "the real America" congrats!