Posted on 09/03/2007 1:15:53 PM PDT by wagglebee
New York City, NY (LifeNews.com) -- Presidential candidate Rudy Giuliani likes to talk about how he has lowered teen pregnancy rates and abortions by promoting adoption when he was mayor of New York. However, a new report finds teens in the nation's largest city have alarmingly high rates and over half of all teen pregnancies end in abortion.
The city government released the full report "Teen Sexual Activity and Birth Control Use in New York City," which contains a new survey of public high school students.
It finds that 69 percent of sexually active New York City teens use condoms, compared to 63% nationwide.
In 2005, the New York City teen pregnancy rate (including live births, abortions and miscarriages) was 94 per 1,000 girls aged 15 to 19. Nationally, the rate was just 76 per 1,000 in 2002 (the most recent year on record).
The vast majority of teen pregnancies (86 percent) are unintended, and more than half (62 percent) end in abortion.
Dr. Thomas R. Frieden, New York City Health Commissioner, admitted that abstinence education could help lower these rates, but still promoted contraception.
"Postponing sex has many benefits for teens," Frieden said. "It's the only sure way to avoid pregnancy and sexually transmitted infections (STIs). Teenagers who choose to have sex should know that condoms and long-acting contraceptives are both important."
The survey also asked teenagers about the morning after pill and found only 47 percent had heard of it with 54 percent of girls and 39 percent of boys knowing about Plan B.
Despite the results of the study, the city's health department said it will continue a school condom distribution program. The city also said it would to encourage teens to delay sexual intercourse as well.
He did lower them, but lowering statistics to the point that they’re still above the national average is not something to campaign on.
Regarding condoms and sex education. By all means teach abstinence, but also teach the use of contraception. My sons went to inner city schools. They reported that kids as young as five and six were experimenting in the coat room, or behind the demountable classrooms. I guess they should have been taught to abstain in nursery school. When poor kids have to "sleep"; in the same room as adults, they often learn things that do not promote abstinence's.
While I do agree with you, that is not what this article is implying. He DID lower the numbers, this article implies he is lying in his claim.
As I said, I'm not a supporter, however this group is doing itself a diservice with such misleading press releases.
I don’t think it implies that at all. Rooty Toot took an epidemic and turned into a serious crisis, that’s all.
Just like his adoption claim. Adoptions went up across the country in the 90s; however, an overwhelming number of these adoptions were couples who adopted babies from Asia and Eastern Europe.
While the rate was higher than the rest of the nation, it was dropping. He leaves and of ‘01, and FOUR (4) years later is up again. I don’t see how you can say he shares the blame for events 4 years after he left. A year later sure. 2 perhaps. But 4? Not his watch.
No, the 2000 rates are essentially the same as 2005:
http://www.nyc.gov/html/doh/downloads/pdf/fhs/tpreport.pdf
The rate still FELL on his watch. The numbers cited in the press release occurred on the Bloominidiot’s watch.
To claim these numbers contradict Guiliani is to be deceptive, which is exactly what this press release is.
...several years after Rudy left office. This is a cheap smear.
The turnover in NYC population is enormous, with lots of folks coming here from p|ss-poor third world hell holes. The idea the Rudy bears some responsibility for their sexual mores is literally absurd.
Bloomberg’s numbers are about the same as Rudy’s.
What were the numbers BEFORE he became Mayor....that is the number to compare to the 2000 numbers.
What were the numbers during the Dinkins’ administration?
Higher, but that’s not the point.
WRONG.........the point is this press release is deceptive. The numbers DID drop during his tenure, what has occurred under the Bloomberg administration means nothing.
Deceptive press releases are, and have always been, a pet peeve of mine and this one is a classic example.
Again, NYC's population is constantly turning over, with many many people coming from very poor nations with quite different sexual mores. The idea that the mayor of NYC is responsible for their sexual conduct is just stupid, and reflects poorly on folks pretending this is some kind of statement about him.
Feel free to dislike Rudy, but use arguments that don't make you look as if either you are a fool, or you believe others to be fools.
Needs repeating.
No, you can’t have it both ways. You say that Bloomberg is pushing liberal policies, yet the numbers are unchanged. Nowhere does this article claim that there wasn’t a drop.
And for those who want to give Rudy the credit for the drop, what SPECIFIC program did he enact that caused the drop?
So, the drop during the Rooty Toot years could have been caused by an influx of Muslims and Hindus that don't believe in teen sex?
The idea that the mayor of NYC is responsible for their sexual conduct is just stupid, and reflects poorly on folks pretending this is some kind of statement about him.
Then WHY is Rooty Toot taking credit for it?
I’m not asking to have it both ways, you are. The numbers dropped from the Dinkins administration to the Guiliani administration, what has happened during the Bloomberg administration, which are the numbers quoted in this press release, do not matter at all.
I made no mention of Bloomber pushing liberal policies, someone else said that.
I have no idea what policies he instituted in this regard because I left NYC in 1982.
This press release is deceptive, and the parenthetical editorial comment is just plain wrong.
Look at what I posted in 38.
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