MARKS, Miss. (AP, abc24.com) - Advocates and elected officials are beginning to break the silence surrounding teen pregnancy in Mississippi, where rates are the highest in the nation.
This year, the state's schools will be required to teach sex education for the first time. Republican Gov. Phil Bryant has created a task force to address the issue.
In the Delta, where teen pregnancy rates are some of the highest in the state, the Delta Health Partner Healthy Start Initiative has been working with pregnant teens for over a decade. Their methods are in line with the latest research on the issue, which suggests that teen pregnancy is often caused by poverty. They speak candidly with the girls about sex, parenting, jobs and family issues, in hopes of breaking a cycle of children having children.
