[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 153 (2007), Part 17]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page 23320]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




              SUCCESS OF TITLE V FUNDING IN SOUTH CAROLINA

                                 ______
                                 

                            HON. JOE WILSON

                           of south carolina

                    in the house of representatives

                         Friday, August 3, 2007

  Mr. WILSON of South Carolina. Madam Speaker, I rise today in support 
of the Title V Abstinence Education program, and support its 
reauthorization. Without action by Congress, this important program 
will expire on September 30, 2007. This program provides the States 
that choose to accept these dollars with funding to implement 
abstinence education programs. In FY 2006, the State of South Carolina 
received over $750,000 in Title V funding.
  Abstinence education is working in South Carolina. A sharp decline in 
teen pregnancy began in 1996 after the South Carolina law established a 
policy that all the Title V, Section 510 dollars were to be used to 
implement a statewide strategy that stresses the importance of 
abstaining until marriage. Additionally, South Carolina set a goal to 
create a replicable plan with intense evaluation and feedback to be 
used statewide. Since the initiation of abstinence education in South 
Carolina, 9 years ago, South Carolina teen pregnancy rates have been 
reduced by 35 percent, falling from 53 (per 1,000) in 1996 to 34.3 in 
2005 among 15- to 17-year-olds.
  Parents nationwide prefer abstinence education over so-called 
``comprehensive'' sex education by a 2 to 1 margin, regardless of 
political or religious affiliation, according to a recent Zogby poll. 
Abstinence education is defined by its exclusive purpose of teaching 
the social, psychological and health gains to be realized by abstaining 
from sexual activity until marriage. Abstinence education permits an 
age-appropriate discussion of contraception, but within the context of 
promoting abstinence as the healthiest choice.
  I am concerned that the program as reauthorized in the SCHIP bill 
contains new requirements for medical accuracy and proven 
effectiveness. These new requirements apply only to abstinence 
education. Placing accountability on all adolescent health programs 
funded by the Federal Government is an appropriate standard for the 
spending of Federal tax-dollars and the protection of children's 
health. These funds must be based on health outcomes and equally 
applied to all federally funded adolescent health programs.
  Reauthorization of the Title V Abstinence Education Program and 
funding is critical in supporting the majority of communities who wish 
to promote the optimal health message for our Nation's youth. Title V 
Abstinence Education is working in South Carolina, and I urge my 
colleagues to join me in supporting a reauthorization of the program as 
it was originally designed.

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