skip to main content
skip to newscasts

Thursday, March 28, 2024

Public News Service Logo
facebook instagram linkedin reddit youtube twitter
view newscast page
play newscast audioPlay

Pulling back the curtains on wage-theft enforcement in MN; Trump's latest attack is on RFK, Jr; NM LGBTQ+ equality group endorses 2024 'Rock Star' candidates; Michigan's youth justice reforms: Expanded diversion, no fees.

view newscast page
play newscast audioPlay

Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg says rebuilding Baltimore's Key Bridge will be challenging and expensive. An Alabama Democrat flips a state legislature seat and former Connecticut senator Joe Lieberman dies at 82.

view newscast page
play newscast audioPlay

Historic wildfires could create housing and health issues for rural Texans, a Kentucky program helps prison parolees start a new life, and descendants of Nicodemus, Kansas celebrate the Black settlers who journeyed across the 1870s plains seeking self-governance.

Ohio Legislation Aims to Curb Unwanted Teen Pregnancies

play audio
Play

Wednesday, September 30, 2009   

COLUMBUS, Ohio - While new legislation at the Ohio Statehouse is intended to prevent teenage pregnancies, some say it will benefit the state's children as well. The "Ohio Prevention First Act" requires that insurance companies cover prescription birth control if they cover other prescriptions. It would also improve women's access to emergency contraception and ensure that students receive comprehensive, accurate sex education.

Crystal Ward Allen is executive director of the Public Children Services Association of Ohio. In her experience in the field of child welfare, she sees a cycle of correlations between unintended pregnancies, unprepared parents, and greater obstacles for children.

"About one-third of all the child welfare cases had children born to teens. Children born to teens are more likely to be reported to the child abuse system. Those kids are more likely to end up in foster care; and foster youth are more likely to be teen parents."

Ward Allen thinks the legislation would help to break that cycle by preventing unintended pregnancies. She also believes teens should hear a clear and coordinated message about sex from adults, whether it's their parents, mentors, teachers, coaches or faith based-institutions. The reality, she says, is that some kids are having sex, which makes it essential to teach them about how to develop healthy relationships and protect their bodies.

"Young people should abstain from and delay sex. They should understand sex has consequences, and how biology works, and they should be prepared with good contraceptive and STD prevention information - so that when they do have sex, they'll be having safe sex."

Ohio was recently ranked 48th in the nation for accessibility to reproductive health services by the Coalition for Family Health. Opponents of the legislation claim it will drive up the cost of health insurance and force some pharmacists to provide emergency contraception despite their personal moral or religious objections.



get more stories like this via email

more stories
A report from the Tennessee HealthCare Campaign recommended the federal government needs to strengthen 340B drug pricing and other federal negotiation mechanisms to make needed medicines more readily available and less expensive for hospitals to purchase and administer. (Spotmatikphoto/AdobeStock)

Health and Wellness

play sound

A recent report examined how some rural Tennessee hospitals have managed to stay afloat despite financial challenges. The report includes interviews …


Social Issues

play sound

Earlier this month, a new Arizona Public Service rate hike went into effect and one senior advocacy group said those on a fixed income may struggle …

Social Issues

play sound

Michigan recently implemented a significant juvenile justice reform package following recommendations from a task force made up of prosecutors…


Nearly 13 million Americans receive health coverage through unique plans under both Medicare and Medicaid. They are known as Dual-Eligible Special Needs Plans. (Adobe Stock)

Health and Wellness

play sound

Medicare and Medicaid are key sources of health coverage for many Americans and some people qualify for assistance under both programs. With lagging …

Social Issues

play sound

A mix of policy updates and staffing boosts has helped to put wage theft enforcement on the radar in Minnesota, and officials leading the efforts are …

More than six in 10 Americans favor keeping the abortion pill mifepristone available in the U.S. as a prescription drug, while over a third are opposed, according to a Gallup poll. (Adobe Stock)

Social Issues

play sound

New research shows more than six in 10 abortions in the U.S. last year were medically induced, and U.S. Sen. Catherine Cortez Masto - D-NV - is …

Social Issues

play sound

Colorado is working to boost the state's agricultural communities by getting more fresh, nutritious foods into school cafeterias - and a new online …

Social Issues

play sound

Missouri lawmakers are concerned with protecting people from the potential risks of the increasing accessibility of AI-generated images and videos…

 

Phone: 303.448.9105 Toll Free: 888.891.9416 Fax: 208.247.1830 Your trusted member- and audience-supported news source since 1996 Copyright © 2021