Unless you've been living on Mars, you know that teen pregnancy has been much in the news lately. The high profile teen pregnancies--from Bristol Palin to Jamie Lynn Spears to a group of high school students in Gloucester, Mass--remind us all that teen pregnancy can happen anywhere and to anyone. It does: a stunning 29% of all girls in this country get pregnant at least once before they turn 20.

Even more stunning: if you are a Latino or African-American teen, you're more likely than not to experience a teen pregnancy--53% of Latina teens get pregnant at least once before they turn 20.  The figure is 51% for African Americans.  Native American teens also have higher than average birth rates (teen pregnancy data are not available).

As our nation approaches its annual celebration of Hispanic Heritage Month, this is a perfect time to remember that Latino communities, and other communities of color, need additional support to address this pressing problem. Early pregnancy is tied directly to poverty and education--two issues of deep concern among Latino leaders, families, faith leaders, and yes--even community organizers. Over two-thirds (69%) of Latina teen moms drop out of high school.

The Communities of Color Teen Pregnancy Prevention Act (H.R. 468/S. 1790) currently pending in Congress would invest much-needed funds to help better understand these disparities and provide communities with the highest rates of teen pregnancy with new resources to address the problem.

Read more about racial and ethnic disparities in teen pregnancy.

Look at state-by-state teen birth rates in your state.

Learn more about the connection between teen pregnancy and education among Latino teens.