Trump Fri-Not-Yay - Admin cuts funds for Teen Pregnancy Prog

[WOT?*]

I didn't want to put it in a Fri-Yay post because this is so much NOT something to yay about.

www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/trump-administration-abruptly-cuts-funding-teen-pregnancy-prevention-programs-n795321?cid=sm_npd_nn_fb_np

But the Lone Star state, like the rest of the country, has experienced a marked drop in teen pregnancies. Last year, teenage births hit a record low in the United States; rates plummeted the most for black and Latina teens, the CDC found, although they're still up to three times as likely as their white counterparts to give birth.
Many hail an evidence-based, Obama-era federal grant program as the biggest driver behind the dip. Started in 2010, the Teen Pregnancy Prevention Program gives $89 million a year to 81 organizations across the United States, including EngenderHealth.

It was renewed in 2015 for another five years.

That's why it was so surprising to Maciel and others when, tucked away in a letter from the Department of Health and Human Services dated July 3, bad news arrived: The Trump administration had slashed more than $200 million from the program without warning — meaning funding would now end in June 2018, not in 2020.

Because Obama, of course.
And Tom Price. And "abstinence only" education because teen sex will not happen if they "just say no." Worked so well for drugs, after all.

[sushi]

Forget Nancy Reagan and dare and look at more recent evidence of Bush abstinence only. It doesn't work.

Fuck trump. Obama's policies worked.

[crystald528]

The worst thing about this is that if teens become pregnant, because of a lack of sex education and support, they will also have a harder time accessing abortions and prenatal care as a result of restrictive legislation and funding cuts.  Once the baby is born, god forbid if parents try to use WIC, food stamps, housing assistance, Head Start or any of the other services that those on the far right would love to see end.  

I can't understand the short sightedness of these approaches when it's documented that these programs lead to less teen pregnancy, fewer abortions, increased educational attainment and economic stability. Isn't that what they claim to want?  How is life precious only until the child is born?  How can you not believe in some sort of safety net?  These are of course rhetorical questions because the answer is that these lawmakers don't care about anything that they haven't directly benefited from in the past or won't benefit from in the future. 

[WOT?*]

Aug 25, 2017 11:45:14 GMT -5 crystald528 said:

The worst thing about this is that if teens become pregnant, because of a lack of sex education and support, they will also have a harder time accessing abortions and prenatal care as a result of restrictive legislation and funding cuts.  Once the baby is born, god forbid if parents try to use WIC, food stamps, housing assistance, Head Start or any of the other services that those on the far right would love to see end.  

I can't understand the short sightedness of these approaches when it's documented that these programs lead to less teen pregnancy, fewer abortions, increased educational attainment and economic stability. Isn't that what they claim to want?  How is life precious only until the child is born?  How can you not believe in some sort of safety net?  These are of course rhetorical questions because the answer is that these lawmakers don't care about anything that they haven't directly benefited from in the past or won't benefit from in the future. 

The sad thing is that forty years ago, in the age of Ronnie and Nancy and even George I, these are things they DID believe in and support. There are a lot of conservative old-school, moderate Republicans who *do* believe in these safety nets. What we need to happen is for *these* voices to call out, vote and be heard, bringing the party back to center and away from these standards.

[orangeblossom]

Because abstinence only programs work so well. Will this same government be there for teen parents and their babies. No, in the womb, it'll be all don't abort. Out of the womb, it'll be you're promiscuous, whore, etc., and how dare you get government assistance.

It's has been proven over and over again that abstinence only does NOT work. In fact, I think it was NPR, that just just wrote about a study, that said not only is abstinence only teaching ineffective, it is unethical.

Teaching teens about their bodies and practicing safe sex does not make kids want to have sex more.