Hillary Clinton Statement on the Rise in the Teen Birth Rate

12/6/2007 -- "Today, the CDC National Center for Health Statistics announced that the teen birth rate has risen for the first time since 1991. Over the fourteen years preceding, the teen birth rate fell by 34 percent.

"Teen pregnancy has damaging effects on teen parents and society. Teen parents are more likely to live in poverty, to drop out of high school, and to rely on public assistance. The sons of teen mothers are more likely to end up in prison; the daughters are more likely to themselves end up as teen parents. According to a report by Dr. Saul D. Hoffman and the National Campaign to Prevent Teen Pregnancy, teen childbearing in the United States cost taxpayers at least $9.1 billion in 2004.

"To address this important issue, my husband issued a call to action in 1995 to America's parents and leaders to join together to cut America's teen pregnancy rate by one-third over a decade. In order to help achieve this ambitious goal, I helped launch the National Campaign to Prevent Teen Pregnancy, and we successfully achieved a one-third reduction by 2005. But the report released today indicates that under President Bush's leadership, we may be falling off track. As President, I will bring a concerted focus to breaking the cycle of teen pregnancy, and in doing so tackle the root cause of many social problems and help to give thousands of young people the opportunity to fulfill their hopes and dreams."

Source: Hillary Clinton campaign