WASHINGTON – A study funded by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and released last August found the birth rate among American Indian and Alaska Native teen girls increased more than twice the national amount between 2005 and 2007.

The research brief, called “Science Says No. 39: American Indian/Alaska Native Youth and Teen Pregnancy Prevention,” was written by Katherine Suellentrop, a staff member of the National Campaign to Prevent Teen and Unplanned Pregnancy, and former intern Grace Hunter.

Citing data from 2007, the most recent available, the study reports the birth rate for AI/AN teen girls aged 15 to 19 was 59 per 1,000, an increase of 7 percent from 55 per 1,000 a year earlier, and well above the national birth rate of 42.5 per 1,000.

Highlights of the report include:

• After declining for more than a decade, the teen birth rate among AI/AN teens increased 12 percent between 2005 and 2007 – more than any other racial/ethnic group.
• Little information is available about the sexual and contraceptive behavior of Native teens. The information that is available suggest they are more likely than other teens to have sex before age 16 and less likely to use contraception the last time they had sex.
  
• There are a limited number of programs available which have been designed specifically for Native teens and none have been rigorously evaluated.
  

The report called for more resources both to develop culturally appropriate programs and to evaluate the programs that currently exist.

On Dec. 13, the Senate passed a package of fiscal year 2010 appropriations bills, one of which includes funding for a teen pregnancy prevention initiative that provides $75 million for programs that have been shown through rigorous evaluation to have positive effects on teens’ behavior, and $25 million for research and demonstration on promising programs.

The provision also includes $10 million for technical assistance, training, and other supportive activities to assist the department in effectively running the program, and an additional $4.5 million for program evaluation. President Barack Obama was expected to sign the bill into law before the end of the year.