Teen Pregnancy Rates Rising With Alaska Leading The Way: CDC Report

Although 18-year-old Bristol Palin has made headlines in recent months for her pregnancy and the birth of her son, Tripp, she has a lot of company -- in her state and in the rest of the nation.

According to the newest numbers from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, teen births increased by 3 percent nationally in 2006, reversing a 15-year decline of more than a third. And Palin's home state of Alaska -- one of 26 states to see a rise -- led the way, with a 19 percent increase in the teenage birthrate from the previous year.

Read the whole story here.

Comments

[cheeriogirl]

I betcha Sarah is just so proud of her state.

And what a role model she is for a mother!

How many mom's do you know who would use their teenage daughter's pregnancy for their own personal gain? Positively mavericky!

[Victoria-HC]

Yes, she is an ideal model Mom, isn't she? Especially for those who struggle so valiantly to raise their daughters to avoid such pitfalls. We really needed Palin to parade and celebrate the very thing we strive against. She CELEBRATED it!!

See the views of a black conservative: "Thank you for nothing, Ms. Palin"
http://issuesviews.blogspot.com/2008/09/thank-you-for-nothing-ms-palin.html

[gastoys]

LOL! Another Liberal Bias Palin hating article.

Here is the actuals on Tean Pregnancy and I find it funny that Alaska is not even on the list, but California the most liberal state in the union is. :)

States ranked by rates of pregnancy among women age 15-19 (pregnancies per thousand):


Nevada (113)
Arizona (104)
Mississippi (103)
New Mexico (103)
Texas (101)
Florida (97)
California (96)
Georgia (95)
North Carolina (95)
Arkansas (93)
States ranked by rates of live births among women age 15-19 (births per thousand):


Mississippi (71)
Texas (69)
Arizona (67)
Arkansas (66)
New Mexico (66)
Georgia (63)
Louisiana (62)
Nevada (61)
Alabama (61)
Oklahoma (60)

Ref: http://womensissues.about.com/od/datingandsex/a/TeenPregStates.htm

[piquet]

Thank you for proving the point about RED states having the highest rates....a­bsolutely precious

[BPCentrisAmerican]

Highest devorce rates also, I guess those shotgun weddings aren't working out.

[kensp]

These stats you cite are 9 years old. Did you read your link before you posted it?

The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention have now joined the Anti-Sarah conspiracy?

[ralph10]

Yahoo just came out with them today.

[MalloMel]

Assuming that you are correct, it looks like the southern states are more than represented. Where is all that jesus stuff that you guys are always talking about? You guys are so full of it, and it is showing.

[BPCentrisAmerican]

I guess the Family Research Council's ideas aren't working out.

[RedNane]

It is the rate of increase..­. you misread what the statistics say.

[zippy2112]

below is data from the cdc site, AK ranks 19 out of 57 US states. The increase was +7.0

ALASKA 44.3

U.S. RATE 41.9

RANK 19

2005 ALASKA RATE 37.3

CHANGE FROM 2005 TO 2006 +7.0

[BlackWidowPilot]

FYI: California is the most populous state in the union. If they were not on the list, that would be a mathematical surprise indeed. Otherwise, in is statistically more than a little predictable.

And speaking of "coanservative Christian family values:"

http://www.armchairsubversive.org

Hypocrisy, thy name *remains* GOP.

Leland R. Erickson

Citizen

[msoverall]

Pay attention, the rates are going up in places where people have been encouraged to move to because of cheap housing. Unfortunately , you have to drive everywhere(you can do a lot in a car) and activities for teens are few and far between. In other words, there is nothing really for these kids to do aside from school but drink and have sex. What am I saying, a nice ring, a dance with Daddy and promising to keep your legs closed, always works.....­..........­..........­.....

[ivoteforsmartpeople]

WORKS??? Maybe on YOUR planet, but not this one!

[scorpioleidy]

Alaska ... we're leading the way in the USA:

- #1 in rapes

- #1 in drugs

- # 1 in teen pregnancy

"Come to Alaska ... Good Times"

[gastoys]

Are you a racist too bcause Alaska has the highest percentage of Native Americans, so what are you saying?

[tel8034]

Gastoys,

How does your point of Native Americans fit in? ..........­....... They were not even mentioned in the comment.

Is this a lame back-door attempt to bring race into the discussion?

But Alaska does have the the most uniformed, and most ill-equipped (between the ears), governor of all the 50 states who also doesn't see the benefits of sex education.

Palin is a big part of Alaska's problem.

[gastoys]

Highest Crime rate is Obama's city Chicago! You are safer in Iraq than Chicago. More people die in Chicago than Iraq.

But yes, you are correct Obama is the Messiah.

[scorpioleidy]

Whoa! - aren't they the me.th. capital, too? They're having good times in Alaska ... good times.

[friskee1]

palin: WE'RE #1! WE'RE #1! you betcha (wink wink)

[sa2968]

Yeah, keep preaching that Bible bullshit and pretend it works!!!

[MalloMel]

"Yeah, keep preaching that Bible bullshit and pretend it works!!!"

It just doesn't work.

I wish I could tap into some of that money that the Jesus freaks are throwing around. I just don't have that MOJO, I guess. If I did, I'd take them for all that they're worth. Some Liberals would take issue with what I just said, but it really is the Christian way, which most Americans are.

[MsAttitude]

I know many women who have abstained from sex before they were emotionally of physically ready. We are not dogs in heat. Most teen girls have sex because they have low self-esteem. Until that issue is addressed we will continue to have teen pregnancies.

[Anita-indep]

Looks like Bristol was physically ready and in heat!

[bleeplander]

Not to be all tabloidy about it, but..... BP's best friend was dating LJ for a long time, and the BP turns up preggers..­.. Hmmmm the whole self esteem thing sounds right...

[omo]

Actually, when I was a teen I was more like a cat in heat ! Let's stop pretending that females don't have strong sex drives. Because they do. Hello ! The human race would not be here if women did not have strong enough sex drives to compensate for the inconvenience of being pregnant and raising kids ! Multiple times . . . and historically at the same age as Bristol and her peers . . .

Why do we buy the lie that "boys have the stronger sex drive so girls just have to control themselves because the boys can't ? " That is total BS and does nothing to serve the interests of boys, girls, or the children they may conceive. I can just imagine if teenage boys got pregnant, they would expect their mommies to coddle them throughout the whole nine months and then raise the kid. They would feel so special for having a big belly hard-on and once the baby was born (hard-on gone again) they would be gone too. It is the BOYS who need to be educated about the reality of the female sex drive and made to realize that contraception (however it is accomplished) is their responsibility. That is how I raised my son, anyway . . . and no he was not the result of a teenage pregnancy.

[BPCentrisAmerican]

Funny, I thought my parents had something to do with it, its call respect and fear of mom and dad.

[lunchlady]

Send Ann Coulter up there to give them a good tongue lashing. Make them all buy a copy of her book and read it. That'll take their desire.

[mphalen]

"And while the recent economic downturn may curb pregnancy and births among other age groups, Albert doesn't expect it to affect teenagers"

But the economic downturn does affect teenagers. First, their parents are dealing with money problems and have less time and attention to give their teens. Second, teens are now competing with older adults for part-time jobs so teens have more time on their hands to get into trouble. Having a job teaches teens the responsibility of work and gives them something to feel good about themselves so they don't engage in negative activites as much. Also, they have less chance of continuing their education.

[tomas0808]

Alaska is finally becoming a full blooded red state. What is a red state? Teen pregnancies, obese people (88% of America's obese are from full on red states) and corrupt politicians. Yeeee haw

[piquet]

"88% of America's obese are from full on red states"...­brilliant. I couldn't agree more.

[BPCentrisAmerican]

Dropping out of high school they can take those 14 dollar hour non-unionized jobs. The Reagan revolution the really greedy living off the really ignorant.

[twisted-european]

Overheard in one of the Bible thumping households:
"Mommy, when I grow up I want to be just like Bristol!"

*soundofpa­rentsheads­exploding*

[ManUnitdFan]

The highest teen birth were in the south and southwest, while the lowest were in the Northeast. Gee, that's a shocker.

So here's my question: Ann Coulter hates single parent households. She also hates abortion, and she hates liberals. So how, exactly, is it the Democrats' fault that the nuclear family has eroded when conservative teenagers, whose parents hate birth control and abortion, are forced to raise kids by themselves?

It's like a vicious cycle of hypocrisy.

[lunchlady]

Ann wants them all to be like her. No kids, probably no need for abortion as a back up for birth control.
She's pandering to NeoCon hypocrites, as usual. And they don't take to task for her logic or the validity of her statistics.

[motoGpifupleez]

Red Staters are trying to breed their way to Electoral Majority status.

[BabsfromKansas]

NO COMMENT!! (I'm working up to a 500 word response)