Their sudden concern stems from provisions in last year's welfare reform law which could shower them with millions of federal dollars if they succeed.
Experts say collecting reliable data is, itself, a daunting task.
Five states don't even keep abortion statistics. States and municipalities are launching a variety of campaigns to promote abstinence and discourage abortion. Ad and media campaigns and video productions are favorites. Nearly half of all adolescent mothers, and 75 percent of those who remain unmarried, have received welfare by the time their children are five years old. But the national rate rose from 32.2 percent to 32.4.