LatinaLista – The Centers for Disease Control (CDC) released their annual report on teenage pregnancy rates and found that the teen birth rate for the nation as a whole has increased for the first time in 15 years in 2006 — increasing in over one-half of the states.
The data show teen birth rates were highest in the South and Southwest, with the highest rate recorded in Mississippi (68.4), followed by New Mexico (64.1) and Texas (63.1).
In some cases, rates rose to levels not seen in 30 or more years.
For the first time, a state other than Texas, California or New Mexico leads the count in teen pregnancies. Mississippi now has the dubious distinction.
While the rate for Latina teens has not decreased, the surge in teen pregnancies in Mississippi is being attributed to the shift in population after Hurricane Katrina when many Louisiana residents relocated to the neighboring southern state.
No matter what the cause, the rise in teen pregnancies is not good news.
