Teen Pregnancy Rates Rise in 26 States

Mississippi has displaced Texas as the state with the highest teen pregnancy rate, according to a federal report released Wednesday.

The latest report shows a significant increase in teen birthrate for 26 states in 2006, the most recent year for which data are available. Mississippi’s birth rate soared 60 percent higher than the nation’s average, with Texas and New Mexico close behind with 50 percent higher rates of pregnancy. Some experts have blamed increased federal funding for abstinence-only education, which seems like a no-brainer. This is the first significant spike in teen pregnancy in 15 years. [MSNBC & USA Today]