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Senate of Pennsylvania
Session of 2015 - 2016 Regular Session

MEMORANDUM

Posted:	April 29, 2015 05:02 PM
From:	Senator Judith L. Schwank
To:	All Senate members
Subject:	Resolution recognizing May as Teen Pregnancy Prevention Month

I will be offering a resolution recognizing May as Teen Pregnancy Prevention Month when we return to session. While teen pregnancy rates in the United States have continually dropped for nearly a quarter century, our rates are still above those in most of the developed world, with eighty percent of these pregnancies unintended. Teen pregnancy poses particular health risks for the mother and child and serious consequences for everyone. Mothers have an increased likelihood to drop out of school and are likely to have lower earnings throughout their lives, with eighty percent likely to rely on public assistance at some point; children are more likely to suffer health, social, and emotional problems, to drop out of high school and end up in jail than children of adult mothers; and fathers experience increased rates of alcohol abuse and substance abuse, lower educational level, and reduced earning potential. The community pays as well, with some estimates that it costs about $28 billion annually for the direct and indirect consequences of teen parenthood. I hope you will join in this resolution to call attention to the importance of reducing teen pregnancy. If you have any questions, please contact Audrey Mindy in my office at 7-8925.

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