This piece is cross-posted from SexReally.com.

Alma Powell, a well-known advocate for youth, opened a grand dinner at the Newseum this week, the U.S. Capitol illuminated behind her, by asking a simple question: "And how are the children?"

It was an appropriate salutation, delivered to reporters about to receive awards for writing and broadcasting about disadvantaged children and families.

Powell explained that the greeting is used by Masai warriors in Africa as they pass each other on the road. It is their version of "How are you?" --a reminder that an individual is only as good as her or his child, a community only as good as its children.

It occurred to me that night that those who counsel teens and 20-somethings about sex and contraception are trying to convey something similar. One argument they make for using contraception consistently goes something like this: "Think about the baby you might have if you don't. What kind of a life will she or he have?"

So, not how are the children, but how will they be?

To the extent that the National Campaign has a tag line it is this lovely bon mot: "Responsible Behavior. Responsible Policies." That is, if we are to make true and lasting progress in reducing teen and unplanned pregnancy it will take a heaping helping of both responsible behavior on the part of individuals and responsible policies in both the public and private sectors.

The emphasis today is on the former. The role of personal responsibility in pregnancy planning and prevention is examined in some detail in a new book out today, Rethinking Responsibility: Reflections on Sex and Accountability. Released by The National Campaign, the volume includes 29 essays written by leaders in their respective fields. Contributors include:

• Leading media voices, such as syndicated columnist E.J. Dionne, radio talk show host Tom Joyner, and Will Saletan, National Correspondent, Slate.

• Leaders of national organizations, such as Cecile Richards, President of Planned Parenthood Federation of America, Janet Murguía, President and CEO of the National Council of LaRaza, and Roland Warren, President of the National Fatherhood Initiative.

• Religious leaders and thinkers such as Jim Wallis, President and CEO of Sojourners, Rev. Samuel Rodriquez, President, National Hispanic Christian Leadership Conference, Fred Riley, Commissioner, LDS Family Services, Rev. Sterling Lands, Senior Pastor, Greater Calvary Baptist Church in Austin, TX, and Rev. Debra Haffner, Co-Founder and Executive Director, the Religious Institute.

• Individuals who have worked with or written extensively on teens and young adults, such as Michael Carrera, Director, The Children's Aid Society Adolescent Pregnancy Prevention Program, Elayne Bennett, President and Founder, Best Friends Foundation, Laura Sessions Stepp, Senior Media Fellow at The National Campaign, and Kay Hymowitz, the Manhattan Institute.

• Twenty-somethings, such as author Amber Madison and Cassandra Debenedetto, Founder, Anscobe Society, Princeton University.

We do hope that--in some modest way--these essays will be both thought-provoking and will help foster a national discussions about what personal responsibility means vis-a-vis pregnancy planning and family formation.

We also hope that you will take the opportunity to tell us what you think about the essays--don't worry, there's something in there for everyone to hate--or to simply tell us what you think about personal responsibility. Don't be shy, we really do want to hear from you.

Yesterday, a probably still-frozen-from-the-inauguration President Obama issued a statement on landmark Supreme Court case Roe v. Wade One part of the brief speech especially caught my attention:

While this (abortion) is a sensitive and often divisive issue, no matter what our views, we are united in our determination to prevent unintended pregnancies, reduce the need for abortion, and support women and families in the choices they make. To accomplish these goals, we must work to find common ground to expand access to affordable contraception, accurate health information, and preventative services.

Working as a communications officer for an organization like The National Campaign means that I often find myself answering whether we (The Campaign) are pro- or anti- abortion. But what President Obama so eloquently stated and what this organization believes wholeheartedly, is that abortion isn't the issue. Instead, it's the need for abortion that should be center stage in this debate.

Whether you're pro-choice or pro-life, Republican or Democrat, take a moment to consider something...if men and women in this country were equipped with the knowledge and tools to prevent unplanned pregnancy, abortion as we know it would no longer exist—the demand would simply cease.

Just a thought....

Get more info on the statement and the discussion it has sparked:

• The full statement
• Politico
• CNN.com
• The Wall Street Journal

Previous Pregnant Pause Posts:

• Responsibility Rants
• "We Should Try to Reduce These Circumstances"
• Barack's 'Pregnant Pause

Newly sworn in President Obama spoke yesterday of personal responsibility and I hoped he might offer some examples as he had done when campaigning. A few were mentioned, but they tended towards the macro and institutional—understandable given the momentous occasion and the certain knowledge that there were millions of good souls in front of him who were, literally, freezing and had been standing in a huge sardine can for 6 hours or more (not that I am complaining). No time for long lists or numerous examples, eh?

So, to fill the gap: for those of us who worry about family structure and pregnancy planning and best beginnings, what might we say personal responsibility means? Here are four bits and pieces that I have been mulling over:

1. Unless both partners are in a committed relationship, are seeking pregnancy, and are willing to devote two decades and more to child-rearing, having sex without contraception or some attention to family planning is irresponsible.
   


2. It's irresponsible for doctors/nurses/clinics to fail to talk with women about all the effective contraceptive options available to them (and there are lots now).
   


3. When insurance/pharma prescription companies finance Viagra with minimal cost-sharing but get all weird and expensive when it comes to birth control, that's irresponsible.
   


4. Offering a sex education curriculum that does not include generous amounts of attention to respectful relationships and what types of family structures seem to benefit children the most is irresponsible.

I welcome additions....