NM Is Now Tied At Fourth Place

New Mexico isn't #1!:

ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. — The number of babies born to teens in New Mexico in 2014 was low enough to finally drop the state out of first place for the state with the highest teen birthrate.

The Department of Health said Wednesday that the state dropped to fourth place, tying with Texas, with 37.8 births per 1,000 teens. Arkansas, Oklahoma and Mississippi now hold the top three spots.

“We are very excited about this. It does mean we are moving in the right direction,” said Retta Ward, secretary of the state Department of Health.

She said that’s about a 45 percent drop over the past 15 years.

She credits years of emphasis on giving teens access to free or low-cost birth control at public health locations, on educating teens about intentional parenthood and on how to find information about healthy sexuality.