On July 23rd, I had the opportunity to attend an historic event: a press conference at which people with very different views about abortion worked together rather than against each other. The occasion was the introduction of the Preventing Unintended Pregnancies, Reducing the Need for Abortion and Supporting Parents Act authored by two bold leaders, Representatives Rosa DeLauro (D-CT) and Tim Ryan (D-OH) - one pro-choice and one pro-life. As Amy Sullivan of TIME put it, "The volume in the abortion debate has been stuck at rancorous screaming for so long that when it gets turned down, it's disorienting, like walking outside after a rock concert and trying to hear again."
As an organization dedicated to reducing teen and unplanned pregnancy, and with respect for deeply-held views about difficult issues, the National Campaign to Prevent Teen and Unplanned Pregnancy applauds this bill as a comprehensive, balanced approach to reduce the need for abortion by both helping to prevent unplanned pregnancy in the first place and supporting women and families once pregnancy occurs.
There are many important provisions in the bill that have real potential to reduce the 3 million unplanned pregnancies in America each year. To read more, see the helpful summary by Third Way, who played a key role in developing the bill and enlisting an impressive and diverse list of supporters.
One exciting provision that hasn't gotten much attention yet would help community colleges address unplanned pregnancy. The bill would authorize $15 million a year for community colleges to develop and test innovative approaches to prevent unplanned pregnancy and promote healthy relationships among their students. Since this is pioneering work, there would be a robust evaluation component. Why community colleges? Well, most unplanned pregnancies occur among older teens and young adults. If we want to reach this population, it makes sense to turn to community colleges, who serve 11.5 million students - nearly one half of undergraduates in this country. Many of them are at risk for unplanned pregnancy and many are already single parents.
President Obama and community colleges across the nation are committed to improving student retention and success - a cause eloquently described by David Brooks. Data, community college leaders, and students themselves tell us that an unplanned pregnancy and parenting responsibilities make it much harder to complete their educational and career goals. Consider this: 61% of community college students who have children after enrolling don't finish their education, which is 65% higher than the rate for those who didn't have children.
Bottom line: increased investment in and attention to reducing unplanned pregnancy among community college students is a win-win. This will help reduce unplanned pregnancy and in turn the need for abortion, and improve student success - both high priorities for the Obama Administration - and will strengthen America's families, communities, and economy.
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