[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 157 (2011), Part 9]
[House]
[Pages 12173-12174]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




       COMMUNITIES OF COLOR TEEN PREGNANCY PREVENTION ACT OF 2011

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The Chair recognizes the gentlewoman from 
California (Ms. Roybal-Allard) for 5 minutes.
  Ms. ROYBAL-ALLARD. Mr. Speaker, today I rise to introduce the 
Communities of Color Teen Pregnancy Prevention Act of 2011. My bill 
addresses the sobering fact that the United States has the highest 
teenage pregnancy rate of any developed nation.
  With nearly 750,000 pregnancies a year, teen pregnancy is a critical 
public health issue that costs our country $10.9 billion annually. 
Contributing to the seriousness of this issue is that 82 percent of 
these pregnancies are unplanned.
  While it is true our Nation has made progress in reducing the rate of 
teen pregnancy, the fact remains that many minority communities still 
have disproportionately high rates. For example, among all Latina and 
African American girls, over half will get pregnant at least once 
before age 20, compared to 19 percent of Caucasian non-Hispanic girls.
  Giving birth during these teenage years increases the risk of infant 
mortality, premature birth, complications, and low birth weight. Also 
of great concern is the fact that teen pregnancies can lead to 
significant social, educational, and financial burdens to families and 
to our country.
  Research tells us that girls who become pregnant during adolescence 
are less likely to finish school, have higher rates of unemployment, 
and a greater dependence on public assistance. In addition to these 
tragic consequences, many young girls in physically abusive 
relationships are three times more likely to become pregnant than 
nonabused girls.
  While there is no simple solution to address teen sexual behavior, it 
is possible to reduce teen pregnancy with a strategy of sexual health 
education that takes into account cultural and linguistic differences.
  My bill is designed to do just that.

[[Page 12174]]

  The Communities of Color Teen Pregnancy Prevention Act will help 
reduce the disturbing rates of teen pregnancy in minority communities 
by supporting new and existing teen pregnancy prevention program 
interventions with a focus on strengthening community-based 
organizations, by reinforcing our multimedia campaigns to provide 
public health education, by increasing awareness about teen pregnancy 
prevention and healthy relationships, by enhancing research in 
communities of color that examine factors contributing to 
disproportionate high rates of teenage and unintended pregnancy, and by 
examining the role violence and abuse play in the decisions young 
people make about relationships, sex, pregnancy and childbearing.
  Mr. Speaker, our daughters deserve equal opportunities to build a 
bright future. By preventing teen pregnancies and promoting healthy 
relationships, we can pave the way for our teenage girls to blossom 
into women and mothers who have realized their full potential.
  I strongly urge my colleagues to cosponsor and help pass the 
Communities of Color Teenage Pregnancy Prevention Act of 2011.

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