Teenage pregnancy rates have risen once again in the U.S. and a Milwaukee health commissioner is looking into ways to curb the growing number.
After seeing a decline in teenage pregnancy rates over the last couple of decades, the U.S. has yet again experienced a drastic increase in the number of teenage pregnancy cases in the last few years.
A previous report found that the city of Milwaukee has the second-highest percentage of the 50 largest U.S. cities when it comes to teenage pregnancy. The long-term economic and social costs of teenage pregnancy were estimated to be $79,320 per baby.
Bevan Baker, the Milwaukee health commissioner and Mayor Tom Barrett had set a goal to reduce teen births by 46 percent by 2015. While they managed to reduce it to 33.4 per 1,000 girls, down from 52 per 1,000 girls in 2006, a recent report suggests that this number is rising yet again.
Gousha, a distinguished fellow in law and public policy at the Law School, said he wanted to talk to Baker because he is at the forefront of the efforts to reduce Milwaukee's health problems.
"Our series features interviews with news and policy makers, 'people who are doing important, interesting work in this region and beyond,'" Gousha said. "As the city's leading health official, Commissioner Baker fits that criteria well. As he would tell you, healthy cities tend to be prosperous cities. So how we address some of these challenges is very important to our city's future.
"I'm particularly interested in hearing why the initiative to curb teen pregnancies has been so successful, and whether those lessons can be applied to other public health issues, such as infant mortality," Gousha said.
