October 28, 2011

Costly Attacks on Teen Pregnancy Prevention Programs Advance
Senators Darling, Grothman, Olsen & Vukmir Vote to Repeal Sex Education

MADISON - The attack on teen pregnancy prevention programs continued during the ‘special’ legislative session on jobs with a vote in the Senate Education Committee to repeal the Healthy Youth Act (SB 237). On a party-line vote of 4 -3, Senator’s Olsen, Vukmir, Grothman and Darling voted to end guarantees that youth receive information about both abstinence and birth control and parents receive notice when sex education is not provided.

“It is troubling that an elected leader who is entrusted by the public to represent their interests, would instead actively work to reduce information about sex education to both our youth and their parents,” stated Tanya Atkinson, Executive Director of PPAWI. “Taxpayers deserve to know both the economic and health costs to repealing the Healthy Youth Act.”

Teen pregnancy has significant public health, social and financial costs including:
• Teen moms are more likely to drop out of high school, remain unmarried and live in poverty and on taxpayer supported programs for the decade following their pregnancy.
• Children born to teen mothers are 9 times more likely to live in poverty.
• Babies born to teen moms have higher infant mortality rates. And these children are more likely to have lower cognitive development, to be incarcerated and to have an adolescent pregnancy themselves.
• Nationally, teen childbearing costs over $10.9 billion a year. In Wisconsin, taxpayers spent $168 million on teen births in 2008. (The Public Costs of Teen Childbearing in Wisconsin in 2008, June 2011)

“Providing youth and their parents with the information and tools to reduce unintended pregnancy and sexually transmitted disease to keep kids in school and on a path toward personal responsibility should be something we can all agree on. Instead, Senators Olsen, Vukmir, Grothman and Darling remained focused on advancing their personal agendas to limit information about and access to reproductive health rather than represent the real priorities of their constituents,” stated Atkinson.

Despite this continued attack on reproductive health and information, PPAWI applauds Senators Vinehout, Cullen and Larson for standing in support of the Healthy Youth Act and voting no to SB 237. Like these champions, Parenthood of Wisconsin is here to help reduce teen pregnancy and STD rates by helping parents talk with their children effectively about sex. For more information on how to keep youth safe, healthy and strong go to ppwi.org and click on the ‘Tools for Parents’ link.