Success Of Title V Funding In South Carolina

Floor Speech

SUCCESS OF TITLE V FUNDING IN SOUTH CAROLINA -- (Extensions of Remarks - August 04, 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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