Mississippi is the Winner!

Some may consider it small consolation for losing first place in the "Unhealthiest State" category, but Mississippians have captured the gold medal in the "State with Highest Teen Birth Rate" competition.

Nosing out Texas and New Mexico, Mississippi slid into first place for the year 2006.

Please note that the state is the percentage leader not the actual numbers leader.

So-called experts have been trying to explain why this southern state has won the title.

Could it be because there is abstinence only sex education taught? Or maybe the rising cost of birth control? Or maybe celebrity teen pregnancies are helping fuel the birth rate? In the south it seems that teenagers don't perceive they have much to lose if they get pregnant as they seem to know in New England. New Hampshire has the lowest teen birth rate.