Although the teen pregnancy rate declined nationally, Wisconsin ranks number one in the birthrate for African American teens.

A study conducted by the Alan Guttmacher Institute showed that African American teens in Wisconsin have the highest birthrate in the country, as reported by the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel.

Wisconsin’s white teens rank below average in teen birthrates and Hispanic teens rank close to average, but the state’s African-American teen birthrate is above average. The study found that the teen pregnancy rate in Wisconsin is 111 births per 1,000 African American female teens, as compared to 77 per 1,000 African American teens nationally. The teen pregnancy rate has declined 28 percent from 1990 to 2000 nationwide, with a 31.5 percent reduction for African Americans, but Wisconsin still places number one for teen mothers.

Patricia McManus, executive director of the Black Health Coalition of Wisconsin, believes teen pregnancies are associated with a multitude of issues.

“There are socioeconomic reasons, personal choices and access to certain types of services,” she said.

In addition to these issues, McManus reports that African American teens do not use contraception as often as white teens do and there are lower abortion rates among African Americans, which she said might account for the higher birthrate.

Shirley Sharp, director of Family Services at the Milwaukee Urban League, said a comprehensive approach to services that provides effective parent training and workshops works best in remedying the issue. However, she believes there is a lack of available programs, services and funding.

“You can do training and workshops that tend to be quite effective, but there is a need for additional resources to provide a comprehensive approach to teens,” Sharp said.

Lorraine Lathen, vice president of community education for Planned Parenthood of Wisconsin, thinks the community can no longer be complacent.

“The black community has to unite and work together because we are failing our young people,” she said.

McManus expresses concerns about how African Americans are perceived due to the high birthrate.

“I get concerned when people label a whole group of people around those statistics,” she said.

McManus said that while attention on this issue is based on the birthrate numbers, it is important to remember that the majority of African American teens do not become teen parents.

Claude Gilmore, youth policy director for the Department of Health and Family Services, emphasizes Wisconsin’s commitment, passion, and hard work involved with this issue. He believes Wisconsin is making some progress in this area by promoting sexual health and responsible sexual behavior.

In hopes of eliminating disparities in sexual health status that arise from social and economic disadvantages, Gilmore said Wisconsin is working toward lowering the birthrate for African American teens.

“I believe with the strategy that we have put in place, we can change this,” Gilmore said. “It is not going to be easy. It’s going to take prioritization, leadership and investment to do this, but in five to six years from now, we should see some different numbers.”

Lathen believes programs like those offered by Planned Parenthood are having an impact on the community, but she said more work needs to be done.

“As long as the rates are as high as they are, I don’t think we can place enough attention on the issue,” Lathen said.