| Wednesday, May 31, 2000 |
May is National Teen Pregnancy Prevention Month There has been quite a bit of publicity over the latest statistics which show a decline in the pregnancy and birth rates among American teen females. In fact, the Georgia birth rate for teenagers 15-19 years old declined 14 percent between 1990 and 1998. It is felt that this decline is due to: a.) Fewer teens engaging in sexual activity. b.) Greater use of contraceptives by those teens who are sexually active. News like this makes it very easy for us to come to the mistaken conclusion that teen pregnancy is no longer a problem. On the contrary: in Georgia, 18,181 babies were born to girls between the ages of 10 and 19 in 1998. Of those 18,181 babies, 449 were born to girls under 15. The fact is that Mother's Day still comes far too soon for too many of Georgia's female teens. One in every five becomes pregnant before her 18th birthday. It seems that with all of our economic and technological expertise, the United States still has the highest teen pregnancy rate of any industrialized county. * Fayette County statistics for 1997 (latest statistics available) show that there were 60 births to teen mothers between 10 and 19, and 49 induced abortions for that same age group. These numbers, again, paint a picture that may not accurately reflect the actual number of cases. Because of the mobility and financial status enjoyed by a large proportion of the community, some of those numbers may by lost. Teens can go out of the county to have abortions performed. Although the consequences and social stigma of an out-of- wedlock pregnancy is avoided, the cost to the teen's psychological well-being may not manifest itself until later. What kind of future can the teenage mother expect? Experience and research tell us that young women who give birth before graduating high school are less likely to complete their educations. Lower educational levels in turn lead to poor employment opportunities and increase the likelihood that the mother and her child will struggle economically. Almost 80 percent of teen mothers eventually find themselves on state aid. Teen fathers were found to earn an average of $3,400 a year less than fathers of children born to mothers who were 20 or 21. Teen fathers also were found to use alcohol and engage in other delinquent behaviors at a higher rate. We also know that where there is poverty, and dreams and hopes are stifled, there is frustration and anger. The negative impact on self-esteem and self-determination can be devastating. The consequences for the children of adolescent mothers are even greater. The odds are stacked against these young ones before birth. Many of them are born prematurely and are of low birth weight, putting them at greater risk for blindness deafness, chronic respiratory problems, mental retardation, mental illness and cerebral palsy. As they grow, they tend to have more medical problems than children of older mothers, but receive medical care at only half the rate of their counterparts. These children are less likely to grow up in homes with fathers, more likely to suffer abuse and neglect or have difficulty in school, and are more likely to become high school dropouts and teen parents. Most teens find it very difficult just to manage the everyday stresses of school (performance pressure, SAT's, scholarships, athletic competition, developing a sense of self-awareness and personal boundaries, planning for the future), and the typical angst of not being considered an adult; yet not being a child either. Add today's media mix that constantly bombards us with conflicting images and values and smothers us with information overload, and a frenzied, frantic pace of life that barely allows us time to stop for one moment lest we miss some golden opportunity, and we find all the right ingredients for teens to make the wrong decisions. It is now just as important as it has always been for parents to talk to their children about postponing sexual involvement and planning positive futures. It continues to be important for programs that touch the lives of adolescents and teens to be able to support parental guidance by collaborating to help teenagers postpone sexual activity and parenthood, avoid sexually transmitted diseases and pregnancy, and gain the education and skills they need to plan healthy, productive futures. It is also important for communities to embrace those who have already become teen parents. These families need encouragement, guidance and resources as well to successfully make it past the statistics and on to achieving, and providing a better life for themselves and their children.
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