Eva M. Clayton: “we care about our young people, and contrary to what some believe, they care about themselves. Most of our young people…”

“we care about our young people, and contrary to what some believe, they care about themselves. Most of our young people want to be positive and want to be productive. Most of our young people want to join in the effort to begin to end the cycle of teenage pregnancy. How can we begin to end the cycle of teenage pregnancy? By insuring that our young people can get an education, can get a job, can have a career, can have a chance, and have confidence in themselves. And, one of the best ways to achieve these important goals is to make sure that young people learn about the impact premature pregnancy has on the lives of those who face that problem. Learning about the impact of premature pregnancy is important for boys too, not just girls. All teenagers must take responsibility to prevent adolescent pregnancies. Young people need to learn about school-based health clinics, health departments and other places where they and their parents can seek help and advice. They need information on the physical and social effects of premature pregnancy. Most importantly, our young people must learn about choices, how to make them, where they can lead and why it is important to postpone sexual involvement. Congress has a responsibility to make sure our young people have real choices and a real chance. There is currently a National Campaign to Prevent Teenage Pregnancy. The goal of the campaign is to reduce the rate of teenage pregnancy by one-third in 10 years.”