FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Tuesday, June 12, 2007

Chambliss, Isakson Praise Abstinence Education for Contributing to Decline in Georgia’s Teen Pregnancy Rates
Declines in Teen Pregnancy Continue for 11th Consecutive Year

WASHINGTON— U.S. Senators Saxby Chambliss, R-Ga., and Johnny Isakson, R-Ga., today praised Georgia’s abstinence education programs for contributing to the decline in teen pregnancy rates for 11 years in a row.

“There are so many pressures facing our nation’s youth today,” said Senator Chambliss. “I think it is very important that we educate our young people about consequences and accountability, and encourage them to make the right decisions and maintain a healthy lifestyle. I believe abstinence education is a necessary investment in their future.”

“It is important to offer programs that encourage Georgia’s youth to make healthy and wise choices,” Senator Isakson said. “Abstinence education has contributed greatly in helping Georgia teens make the right decisions.”

In 1995, the Georgia Department of Education established a policy requiring abstinence education in public schools, as well as the creation of parent-involved sex education review committees to oversee selection and administration of sex education programs. Since the initiation of abstinence education, Georgia teen pregnancy rates have been cut in half, falling from 68 pregnancies per 1,000 girls aged 15 to 17 in 1994 to 36 pregnancies per 1,000 girls aged 15 to 17 in 2005, according to the Georgia Department of Human Resources. The pregnancy rate has dropped every year since 1995, the agency’s numbers show.

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