Despite the overall slowing of teen birth rates in the U.S., Texas has made less headway and leads the nation in teen pregnancy rates, according to a Dallas Morning News article.

The article reports that the non-profit group, Child Trends, conferred another No. 1 ranking on Texas.

In the latest statistics available, 24 percent of the state’s teen births in 2004 were not the girl’s first delivery.

“That astounded me,” said Kathryn Allen, senior vice president for community relations at Planned Parenthood of North Texas. “I mean, what are we doing wrong?”

The article says experts are questioning the Texas policy of denying contraceptives without parental consent wherever possible and pushing an abstinence-only sex education program in public schools.

The article compares Texas with California, both of which share fast-growing immigrant populations who are “especially at risk of teen childbearing.”   California schools also teach abstinence, but unlike Texas schools, also explain contraception.

While the teen birth rate in Texas dropped by 19 percent from 1991 to 2004, California’s rate dropped by 47 percent in the same period.  The nationwide rate dipped by one-third. 

You can view some readers’ reactions.  You can also view the press release and research brief (”Repeat Teen Childbearing:  Differences Across States and By Race and Ethnicity”) by Child Trends that describes the organization’s findings.

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