Hawaii's teen birthrate rose at one of the fastest paces among 26 U.S. states experiencing an increase in 2006, a new federal report shows.

There were 40.5 births per 1,000 females age 15 to 19 in the islands that year, according to figures released yesterday by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. That is a 12 percent increase from Hawaii's 36.2 rate in 2005 and just under the 2006 national rate of 41.9.

Only three states - Alaska, Mississippi and Montana - saw larger percentage spikes in teen birthrates than Hawaii in 2006.

More than a year ago, a preliminary national report on the 2006 data revealed teen birthrates had risen for the first time in about 15 years. The new numbers offer the first state-by-state information on the increase.

It found that Mississippi now has the nation's highest teen pregnancy rate, displacing Texas and New Mexico for that title. The three states have large proportions of black and Hispanic teenagers - groups that traditionally have higher birthrates, experts noted.

The lowest teen birthrates continue to be in New England, where three states have teen birthrates at just half the national average.

The report is based on a review of all the birth certificates in 2006. Significant increases in teen birthrates were noted in 26 states.

“;It's pretty much across the board”; nationally, said Brady Hamilton, a CDC statistician who worked on the report.

About 435,000 of the nation's 4.3 million births in 2006 were to mothers ages 15 through 19. That was about 21,000 more teen births than in 2005.

Some experts have blamed the national increase on a boost in federal funding for abstinence-only health education, which does not teach teens how to use condoms and other contraception. Hawaii is among a shrinking number of states accepting federal dollars for such programs.

“;It's a program that doesn't work,”; said University of Hawaii sexologist Milton Diamond, who argues a lack of comprehensive sex education in isle schools is behind the rising teen birthrate. “;The kids used to get good sex education.”;

Diamond said it is hard to pinpoint what else may have led to the increase in 2006.

Some conservative organizations have argued that contraceptive-focused sex education is still common and that the new teen birth numbers reflect it is failing.

The Hawaii Department of Health allocates $125,000 in federal abstinence-only funds to the Boys & Girls Clubs statewide. One of the program's goal is to educate immigrant children ages 10 to 12 and their parents about healthy relationships, said Marlene Lee, supervisor of the Health Department's Children and Youth Wellness Section, Maternal and Child Health Branch.

The state also offers family planning contracts, while public schools have peer education programs that mention contraception not only as a method to avoid unwanted pregnancies, but also sexually transmitted diseases, she said.

“;We are trying to balance it,”; Lee said. “;You have to take a comprehensive approach.”;

A variety of factors influence teen pregnancy rates, including culture, poverty and racial demographics.

The escalating cost of some types of birth control and their unavailability in some communities could also be factors, said Stephanie Birch, who directs maternal and child health programs for the Alaska Department of Health and Social Services.

Glowing media portrayals of celebrity pregnancies do not help, either, she said.