The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported Wednesday that the nation’s teen birth rate rose for the first time in 15 years, increasing 3 percent from 2005 to 2006.

The teen birth rate had been declining since a peak in 1991, although the drop had been slowing in recent years, according to an Associated Press article. Some key sexually transmitted disease rates have also been rising.

Some experts attributed the increase in teen birth rates in abstinence-only education.

“Congress needs to stop knee-jerk approving abstinence-only funding when it’s clear it’s not working,” said U.S. Rep. Diana DeGette, D-Colorado, who is pushing for more comprehensive sex education.

People may assume decreased condom use and increased sexual activity account for higher teen birth rates, according to the article. But some data has shown that condom use among teens has actually increased.

Contraceptive-focused sex education is still common, and the new teen birth numbers reflect it’s failing, argued Moira Gaul of the Family Research Council, a conservative advocacy organization in Washington, D.C.

The full report is available at the CDC’s Web site. The agency also released a press release with key findings from the research.