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Grant To Address American Indian Teen Pregnancy

SIOUX FALLS, S.D. (AP) -- The University of South Dakota and the nonprofit Sanford Research have been awarded a $1.5 million grant to address teen pregnancy rates among American Indians.

The Rapid City Journal reports that teen pregnancy rates among Native Americans are four times higher than those for the rest of the state's population.

The grant from the National Institute of Minority Health and Health Disparities will be used to research the reasons why and develop a prevention program. Amy Elliot with Sanford Research says the program would be for reservation and urban Indians throughout the Northern Plains.

Helping with the project are the University of Minnesota, South Dakota Urban Indian Health and the Great Plains Tribal Chairmen's Health Board.

(© Copyright 2011 The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.)

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