[Congressional Record Volume 145, Number 68 (Wednesday, May 12, 1999)]
[House]
[Page H3069]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                    TEEN PREGNANCY PREVENTION MONTH

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Under a previous order of the House, the 
gentleman from Wisconsin (Mr. Barrett) is recognized for 5 minutes.
  Mr. BARRETT of Wisconsin. Mr. Speaker, I am honored to be here 
tonight to discuss the problem of teen pregnancy. May is Teen Pregnancy 
Prevention Month, and it is a perfect time to focus our attention on 
this problem.
  Let me start by saying that teen pregnancy prevention is a classic 
case of good news/bad news. The good news is that we are making 
progress, but the bad news is there is still much to be done.
  Let me begin by focusing on the good news. Teen pregnancy rates have 
dropped, and we should congratulate those who are working hard on this 
problem. There are many, many programs of all different kinds out there 
making a real difference.
  In Milwaukee, Wisconsin, the area I represent, our community has 
responded to the problem of teen pregnancy by mobilizing residents, 
community-based organizations, the faith community, government, and the 
private sector in a results-based consortium designed to reduce teen 
pregnancy and promote programs and services for teen parents and their 
families.
  We also cannot overlook the efforts of parents who are taking the 
time to have those difficult discussions with kids about responsibility 
and teen pregnancy. Studies show that teens want to hear from their 
parents and that this has had a positive effect. We need to 
congratulate those teens who are making responsible choices in a very 
pressured world.

                              {time}  1900

  All of this has helped bring the rate of teen pregnancies down from a 
peak of 117 for every 1,000 young women from ages 15 to 19 in 1990 to 
101 in 1995. This is a 14 percent drop, which brings the rate to its 
lowest level since 1975. It dropped again 4 percent between 1995 and 
1996.
  In this decade, the birthrate for these teens has dropped 16 percent 
and it has dropped among all races, and the birthrate among 15 to 17-
year-olds declined faster than 18 to 19-year-olds. In Wisconsin, my 
home State, there has been a 16 percent drop in the teen birthrate from 
1991 to 1996.
  This is real progress, but this in no way means the problem is 
solved. We have a long way to go and we cannot give up. We must support 
programs that work. For that reason, I am proud to be an original 
cosponsor of the bill sponsored by the gentlewoman from New York (Mrs. 
Lowey), which would arrange for evaluation of public and private 
prevention programs for effectiveness and feasibility of replication 
and would give grants for effective programs.
  If we let up, then the bad news of this story gets bigger and our 
kids lose. If our kids lose, then all of society loses. And here is the 
bad news. The United States still has the highest teen birth rates in 
the developed world. Four out of 10 American girls become pregnant at 
least once by the age of 20.
  In Wisconsin, we still have a teen birthrate of 37 per 1,000 females, 
and in Wisconsin 84 percent of these occur to unmarried teens, while 21 
percent of teen births are repeat births.
  Children born to teenage parents are more likely to be of low birth 
weight, to suffer from inadequate health care. They are more likely to 
leave high school early without graduating. They are more than 10 times 
more likely to be poor than children born to women age 20 and over. 
They are more likely to continue a cycle in their family of poverty and 
lack of choices. And they are twice as likely to be abused and 
neglected as are children of older mothers. Nearly 80 percent of teen 
mothers eventually receive public assistance, and two-thirds never 
finish high school. And let us not forget one of the most important 
statistics: Girls of teen mothers are 22 percent more likely to get 
pregnant as teens themselves.
  So what are we to do? First, we have to find programs that work and 
make sure they are funded. Again, to that extent, the bill of the 
gentlewoman from New York should be passed. We need to keep our eyes 
and ears open in our communities to find out what works, for example, 
after-school activities, and then come back here and integrate that 
into policymaking.
  Most importantly for young girls, they have to have hope in their 
lives. They have to have a dream. They have to be able to look beyond 
their teenage years and know that there is a reason to wait before 
becoming a mother. And the same is true for young boys. We have to 
include boys in this discussion as well.
  As parents, we need to talk to our kids. Again, studies show that 
teens want to hear from their parents. The National Campaign presented 
figures last year that show that one-fourth of parents say that the 
biggest barrier to talking to their kids about sex is that they are 
uncomfortable talking about it. Only 17 percent of teens feel this is 
the biggest barrier. As parents, we just need to get over this. The 
positives so outweigh any uncomfortableness that we may feel.
  We have to make sure that there is adequate, effective information 
out there for teens. Some teens cannot or will not ever get the 
information from their parents. We need to support the organizations 
that get the materials out there, so that when teens rely on other 
teens for information, it is correct and positive.
  Most importantly, we must never stop loving our teens, we must never 
stop loving our children and we must never give up.

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