[Congressional Record Volume 150, Number 52 (Wednesday, April 21, 2004)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages E580-E581]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                        PUTTING PREVENTION FIRST

                                 ______
                                 

                          HON. DANNY K. DAVIS

                              of illinois

                    in the house of representatives

                       Wednesday, April 21, 2004

  Mr. DAVIS of Illinois. Mr. Speaker, I want to thank the Pro-choice 
Caucus Co-Chairs--Congresswoman Slaughter, Congressman Greenwood, 
Congresswoman DeGette, and Congresswoman Johnson for disregarding 
partisan lines and working together for the safety of women and to 
secure women's reproductive rights. I am proud to be an original 
cosponsor to such a comprehensive piece of legislation that does not 
focus on controversy but on preventive care and education.
  Those who consider themselves pro-choice do not agree on many issues 
with those who

[[Page E581]]

consider themselves pro-life. But the one thing that we both agree on 
is preventing women and teens from having unintended pregnancies and 
having an abortion. To succeed, we must provide education to young 
women about their bodies and about preventing pregnancies and STDs. I 
always say education is the key. We know that education works--rates of 
unintended pregnancies among teens have greatly declined as well as the 
number of abortions being performed. Yet, we have not done enough. In 
2000, there were approximately 18.9 million new cases of STDs in the 
United States including an increase in HIV-AIDS.
  The reproductive health of women should be a public health priority 
for our Nation. Although, I believe abstinence should be taught and 
stressed--it is not a reality for many of our young people. Family 
planning programs must be available to all women--young, older, poor, 
middle class, those with private insurance or on Medicaid. Again, I 
commend the pro-choice caucus for offering legislation that focuses on 
keeping abortion legal, safe, and rare with proper education and 
preventive health care services.

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