Click on the image to see the full graphic.

For this project, I really struggled to settle on a topic. I considered a lot of different ideas, but had a difficult time finding data for them that would translate into a map. That being said, when I found a substantial amount of data for state teen pregnancy rates and types of sex education, I was ecstatic (and relieved).

There was a lot of data to sift through, but I ended up choosing to use information on teen pregnancy rates by state, global teen pregnancy rates, states that stress abstinence-only sex education and the outcomes of teen pregnancy.

The main graphic is a chloropleth of the United States showing the ranges of teen pregnancy rates across the country. Drawing the map took longer than anticipated, but it was manageable. In addition to shading the states corresponding to its pregnancy rate, I also used black dots to indicate which stressed abstinence in their sex education. I don’t know if I’m 100 percent happy with the way I chose to make that distinction, but I think it gets the point across. In addition to that, I charted the pregnancy rates of a few countries I could find to show just how high the U.S.’s was in comparison.

I think this is a really important issue, and seeing it displayed visually makes it clear that sex education in the U.S. needs to be restructured.