Teen birth rate low, but racial disparities persist
Elizabeth Dunbar, Minnesota Public Radio | October 21, 2010

St. Paul, Minn. — New numbers from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention show Minnesota has the eighth-lowest teen birth rate in the nation, but the rates are much higher among teens of color.

Nationally, the CDC found that the worst disparities between black teens and the general population occurred in the South and the Upper Midwest. Minnesota was among the 10 states with the highest teen birth rate among black teens.

Jennifer O’Brien, the adolescent health coordinator at the Minnesota Department of Health, said the state looks like it’s doing well at first glance.

“But when you break it down by race and ethnicity, that’s the real story in Minnesota. We have incredible disparities,” she said.

The rate overall is 27 births per 1,000 15- to 19-year-olds. For white teens the rate is about 18 births per 1,000 teens, but among blacks the rate is 80.  (Read full article)