Why are our state representatives spending their energy and our tax dollars discussing deer contraception? Instead they should be discussing legislation that provides access to contraception for women in South Carolina.

Year after year, South Carolina ranks at the bottom for women's health. Every 55 minutes a teenager becomes pregnant. The cost to the state is $156 million. The cost to Beaufort County taxpayers is about $4,191,150. Nationwide, one in four teens will have a sexually transmitted infection. In South Carolina, these numbers are worse. Our state ranks No. 2 nationally in cases of gonorrhea, No. 3 for chlamydia, No. 30 for syphilis andNo. 9 for AIDS case rates.

Our legislators should work on coming up with real solutions for this extremely serious yet preventable health problem. Discussing contraception is a step in the right direction. Let's focus on women next.

Theresa Scheetz

Spring Island