Teen Pregnancy Rate Swells

Let's blame Juno. The birthrate among 15-to-19-year-old girls has increased for the second consecutive year, forcing the debate about abstinence education back into the forefront of discussion. After a 14-year decline, the rate rose 3.4 percent in 2005, followed by an additional jump of 1.4 percent from 2006 to 2007. "We may have reached a tipping point. It's hard to know where it's going to go from here," said a member of the National Center for Health Statistics. The news is especially relevant as in the coming weeks President Obama will announce his plans to support or cut abstinence programs, which receive about $176 million in federal funding each year.