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Peggy Hamill, State Director or
Matt Sande, Director of Legislative Affairs
(262) 796-1111 or (262) 352-0890

Free Birth Control to Minor Girls is Harmful, Undermines Parents

Pro-Life Wisconsin supports legislation that would prevent 15, 16 and 17-year old girls from receiving free, taxpayer-funded birth control without their parents’ consent under a new state/federal family planning program.

Legislation introduced by a joint committee co-chaired by Representative Glenn Grothman (R-West Bend) and Senator Joe Leibham (R-Sheboygan) would modify the Medicaid Family Planning Demonstration Project, which currently allows minor girls to receive birth control and other “family planning” services for free without the knowledge or consent of a parent. Assembly Bill (AB) 383 and Senate Bill (SB) 186 would change the minimum age requirement, from 15 to 18 years, for eligibility for the Family Planning Project.

“Providing birth control to 15 year-olds behind parents’ backs and making taxpayers pay for it is irresponsible public policy,” said Matt Sande, Pro-Life Wisconsin’s director of legislative affairs. “Not only is the Family Planning Project offensive to parents – who are naturally concerned about the sexual health of their children – but it contributes to an increase in sexually transmitted diseases (STDs) by encouraging sexual promiscuity.”

After twenty years crusading for safe sex by dispensing condoms and the Pill to adolescent patients, Dr. Meg Meeker, M.D., as described in her book Epidemic – How Teen Sex is Killing Our Kids, realized she was horribly mistaken when her teen patients began marching in with dangerous STDs. She now counsels teens and parents on the medical importance of waiting to have sex.

“The Pill offers no protection against STDs including AIDS,” said Sande. “With over thirty viruses compared to only two in 1960, STDs among our teens have become a full blown epidemic. Every day, 8,000 teens become infected with an STD. It’s time the state reassess the so-called benefits of “family planning” for Wisconsin’s children.”

The Family Planning Project also does not work to reduce underage pregnancies and abortion. The author of a 14-year study on the impact of family planning on teenage sexual activity in the United Kingdom concluded, “the overall effect of expanding family planning services to under-16’s has been to increase pregnancy and abortion.” The study was published in the Journal of Health Economics in March 2002.

“This legislation is simply common sense,” said Sande. “Protecting young girls from the devastating physical and emotional effects of STD’s, pregnancy and abortion, as well as ensuring the rights of parents to be involved in such important issues in their daughters’ lives is good public policy.”

Pro-Life Wisconsin urges the Legislature to pass AB 383 and SB186 – bills that are clearly in the best interests of parents and their kids.