For Immediate Release:	July 23, 2002
For More Information:	Bill Barker, Advocates for Youth, bill@advocatesforyouth.org, 202-347-5700
Sponsor Organization:	Advocates for Youth
Statement of James Wagoner, President of Advocates for Youth
WASHINGTON, DC (July, 22, 2002) The Bush administration announced today that it is withholding $34 million dollars marked for the UNFPA for international family planning. UNFPA provides life-saving safe motherhood and family planning services to young women in developing countries around the world. It does not provide abortion services. More than 1.8 million adolescents in Latin America and 4.5 million in sub-Saharan Africa give birth each year. Young women aged 15-19 are twice as likely to die from pregnancy related causes as women in their early twenties. Worldwide, young people ages 10-24 account for 2.6 million new HIV infections each year - five new infections every minute and 7,000 every day. This decision will only make these bad statistics worse. This decision will also increase, not decrease, the number of abortions worldwide. Again, young women will pay the price since half of all abortions among those aged 15-19 are in unsafe conditions. ### Note to Editors and Producers: For more information or to set up an interview with adolescent sexuality experts, please contact Bill Barker at (202) 347-5700. Advocates for Youth · 1025 Vermont Avenue, NW · Suite 200 · Washington, DC 20005 · Visit us on the web at http://www.advocatesforyouth.org />