Let’s Fund Family Planning: Mississippi Edition
A repeat of the previous post, this time accommodating Mississippi being named the leader in the nation in teen pregnancy rates by the CDC.
Of the dozens of facets of the stimulus bill, the section, relatively small in the overall spending structure, that seems to be attracting the most ire is the money being allocated to family planning. Last week, this section was removed at the behest of President Obama in an attempt to bridge the gap with House Republicans, who still voted unanimously against the bill. The bill subsequently passed 244-188, effectively rendering the issue moot.
The question still remains on the lips of many opponents of federal funding for family planning: how in the world are contraceptives going to improve the economy? The truth is, we really don’t have to look that far to see the benefits, both financial and moral, of a funded family planning initiative. The most obvious beneficiary is going to be Medicaid. By now, it’s no secret that a recent CDC report shows that Mississippi has the highest teen pregnancy rate in the nation. Coincidentally, Mississippi is considered a leader in abstinence only program spending. Let’s also not forget that Mississippi’s Medicaid has either been wiped out or been on the brink of being wiped out for each of the past few years. A rapidly growing unemployment rate will only further this downward spiral. If we can reduce the number of unwanted pregnancies to teenagers and low income parents through increased access to contraception and education on its use, isn’t that worth the investment? Isn’t the price of a pack of condoms worth the tens of thousands of dollars the state and federal government (i.e. you and I) will end up paying for that child’s healthcare? Isn’t education about the proper use of the morning after pill worth the thousands you and I will end up paying for that child’s WIC? Isn’t a cycle of birth control worth the thousands you and I will end up paying if God forbid this unwanted pregnancy should become an unwanted child and a ward of the state? An investment of millions now can save us billions in the future.
As far as a direct stimulus to the economy, these families will not purchase baby supplies “in addition to”, but rather “instead of”, meaning a teenage mother is putting her money into formula and diapers instead of saving it for college. When someone in America gets a college education, it is a natural boost to the economy. A college education opens doors not only to the college graduate, but to those companies in desperate need of new ideas. A higher rate of college education benefits everyone, particularly in the global economy of today. There are, of course, those that would not be going to college in the first place. I would submit that instead of paying for the needs of a baby, these people would have the extra income to save for a new house or invest in a new business or simply spend it on goods and services. An investment now can generate new jobs and the tax revenue that goes along with them. Also, let’s not forget that for a fully funded initiative, somebody has to make the contraceptive devices, the pharmaceuticals, man the offices, generate collateral, and devise a marketing campaign. All of those things would need to be done in the short term and would create American jobs.
Morally, it’s no secret that reducing the number of unwanted pregnancies in the country will lead to a reduction in the number of abortions in this country. Though there’s no one definitive study published by any government agency such as the CDC, almost all private research or polling, regardless of agenda or political affiliation, suggests that the highest rate of abortions takes place among young low income women or couples. Much of this same research shows that women and couples below the poverty line are having abortions at about 4 times the rate of those above it. Research also shows, traditionally, that financial interests weigh very heavily in a woman or couple’s decision to have an abortion, which explains why down economies result in more abortions. Isn’t the price of an ad campaign directed at the use of contraceptives worth the life of an unborn child? An investment of millions now can eliminate millions of abortions in this country and I don’t know anyone, man or woman, Republican or Democrat, that doesn’t want to see that happen.
Mississippi’s approach to sexual education is especially indicative of sending the wrong signals. Mississippi law dictates that sexual education, if applied (as it’s not required), should be geared towards abstinence only, and that any mention of contraception should focus heavily on the failure rate of that contraception. While I believe the intent is to ’spook’ teenagers into abstaining from sex, it is serving only to encourage them to engage in unprotected sex. Why would a teenager go through the hassle of purchasing condoms or getting a prescription for birth control if they’ve been told repeatedly that those things are going to fail anyway? The CDC’s teen pregnancy report shows how ineffective this approach has been. We need to shift focus.
Now, will a fully funded family planning initiative eliminate all unwanted pregnancies in this country? No. Will it fix a broken Medicaid system? No. In the above, I don’t mean to imply that it will. It is, however, a start, a good start. We need to get rid of the idea that one pill will cure all that ails us and start looking at multiple initiatives that will attack our problems from multiple angles, whether it’s Medicaid, abortion, or our crumbling economy. We need to stop rejecting and vilifying ideas on face value simply because they’re outside the box or don’t fit within our view of the world. If an idea is proven effective, we should embrace it. If it is a proven failure, we should eliminate it. Abstinence only programs, heavily embraced by the governments of Texas and Mississippi, “leaders” in teen pregnancy rates, are proving ineffective. Let’s push access to and education about family planning and contraception, reducing Medicaid spending and the number of abortions. Again, I don’t know anyone that doesn’t want to see that happen.
Rodney Hopper II
