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Teenage pregnancy has been around as long as there have been teenagers, but its pervasiveness in this country, the dimensions of its social costs and the urgent need to attack the problem are just beginning to be widely appreciated. According to a Harris poll released in November, 84% of American adults regard teenage pregnancy as a serious national problem. The news in recent weeks illustrates the growing concern:
In Wisconsin last month, Governor Anthony Earl signed landmark legislation designed to combat unwanted teen pregnancies and, as he put it, to "limit thousands of personal tragedies that are played out in our state every day." The law, which won unanimous approval in the state legislature, provides funding for sex education in public schools, repeals restrictions on the sale of nonprescription contraceptives and provides $1 million for counseling pregnant adolescents. It also takes the unusual step of making grandparents of babies born to teenagers legally responsible for the babies' financial support. "All of us," said Earl, "young people and parents of young people, have a responsibility for our actions."
At Chicago's DuSable High School, controversy erupted when school officials decided to establish an on-campus health clinic, authorized to dispense contraceptives to students who have parental permission. The school, which serves one of the nation's poorest neighborhoods, is battling a veritable epidemic: each year about one-third of its 1,000 female students are pregnant. The clinic has elicited picketing and protest, mostly by religious and antiabortion groups, but the school has refused to back down. Says Principal Judith Steinhagen: "All I can say is, we're trying to keep some young ladies in school and off welfare."
The school board in Los Angeles announced that it too plans to open a health clinic offering contraceptives to high school students. So far, nine schools around the U.S. have taken this step, and others are expected to follow suit. Says School Board Member Jackie Goldberg: "There's an appalling number of teen pregnancies. I hope to upgrade the quality of teen medical care, and I hope that young men and women will consider the ramifications of being sexually active."
Such strong and controversial measures reflect the magnitude of the problem and its consequences. Teen pregnancy imposes lasting hardships on two generations: parent and child. Teen mothers are, for instance, many times as likely as other women with young children to live below the poverty level. According to one study, only half of those who give birth before age 18 complete high school (as compared with 96% of those who postpone childbearing). On average, they earn half as much money and are far more likely to be dependent on welfare: 71% of females under 30 who receive Aid to Families with Dependent Children had their first child as a teenager.