Every child has a right to be born into a family where it is wanted by both parents.

In 1990, 61 percent of unintended births occurred among women on Medicaid. Between 1988 and 1990, the number of unintended pregnancies covered by the Medicaid program increased by 57 percent

It is a proven fact that teen pregnancy greatly increases the likelihood of poverty and dependence on public assistance. Teen pregnancy causes an interruption in school, if not a failure to complete school. Failure to complete school places limits on a teen's future earning potential. The number of births among teens 20 years and younger has increased 11.8 percent since 1987. The greatest increase for 1989-90 was, shockingly, in the 10-15 year age range.

Unplanned pregnancies happen for many reasons: ignorance should never be one of them. As a society, we must do a better job of providing information about sexual activity to our teens and pre-teens. The financial and human cost of children having children is too high.

An ancillary problem is the increase in the number of drug-exposed infants. Nationally, 7-11 percent of all births involve drug-exposed babies. Last year, in Michigan, 15,000 drug-exposed infants were born. In July, the Task Force on Drug-Exposed Infants will release its recommendations for addressing this problem.

The message we must carry to our youth is twofold. First, the best and safest advice for teens is to abstain from intercourse and use of drugs. We should positively reinforce the decision to abstain. Not to do so greatly increases the likelihood of contracting sexually transmitted diseases--especially HIV/AIDS-- and teens have proven to be unreliable users of contraceptives. Family planning for other at-risk populations is also needed.

The abstinence message should be strengthened in the Michigan Model for Comprehensive School Health Education, and the Departments of Education and Public Health need to examine effective abstinence models in other states that have resulted in reduced teen pregnancies.

In a 1989 sample of Michigan high school students, over 30 percent of all 13-14 year olds, 52 percent of all 15-16 year olds, and 74 percent of all 17-18 year olds reported having had sexual intercourse. When these statistics are coupled with the fact that only 50 percent of teen pregnancies result in live births, the risks to both mother and child become all too clear. Many of these are low-weight and high-risk infants whose neonatal intensive care may cost as much as $50,000.

The second part of our message, then, is addressed to sexually active youth. We must assure access to information about contraception and contraceptives themselves.