Over one in five females will become teen mothers in North Carolina, according to a research brief by the nonprofit Child Trends.

N.C.’s projected rate is 22 percent, 4 percent higher than the national average reported in the brief.

The authors estimate that nine states will have teen pregnancy rates 25 percent or greater:

  • Mississippi: 30 percent
  • New Mexico: 29 percent
  • Arizona: 28 percent
  • Texas: 28 percent
  • Arkansas: 28 percent
  • Nevada: 27 percent
  • Oklahoma: 26 percent
  • Kentucky: 25 percent
  • Tennessee: 25 percent

Colleen Calvani, a CJ contributor, has an interesting report on unwed birthrates in N.C. on pg. 5 of this month’s issue.