[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 159 (2013), Part 2]
[House]
[Page 2189]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                   ENHANCING THE HEALTH OF OUR YOUTH

  (Mr. HULTGREN asked and was given permission to address the House for 
1 minute.)
  Mr. HULTGREN. Mr. Speaker, a report issued by the Centers for Disease 
Control on February 13 made headlines with the news that young adults 
account for 50 percent of all STD infections.
  This caught my attention because, as a father with two of my four 
kids in their late teens, I want them to avoid such risks. I am not 
alone. A recent national survey revealed that most parents feel the 
same way, regardless of race or political affiliation. They want their 
children to have the best chance for optimal health and, so, support 
risk avoidance education, sometimes called ``abstinence education,'' 
for their kids.
  However, currently there is a troubling 16 to 1 Federal funding 
disparity between contraception-centered education and risk-avoidance 
education. That is why I introduced H.R. 718, the Abstinence Education 
Reallocation Act. The bill brings some parity to programs that give our 
kids the facts about contraception and avoiding risky behavior.
  Mr. Speaker, our teens deserve the best and most accurate information 
for their optimal health.

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