Wednesday, May 7, 2008
Latina teen pregnancy rate deserves recognition as national crisis
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Today is the National Day to Prevent Teen Pregnancy. It's a day that should be solemnly observed by every Latino family with teenage children. Why?
Because while the overall national rate of teen pregnancy has declined, it has actually increased among Latina girls. Sarah Brown, CEO of the National Campaign to Prevent Teen Pregnancy, said, "The teen pregnancy rate for Hispanic teens increased slightly between 2003 and 2004 and, for the first time, Hispanic teens now have the highest rates of both teen pregnancy and births. Also, data released in December 2007 show a 3% increase in the teen birth rate between 2005 and 2006, the first increase in the teen birth rate in 15 years."
These statistics force the Latino community to ask ourselves a very important question: Why do young Latinas want to get pregnant?There's no clearer sign that too many Latina teens are having babies than the title of a segment on a popular Dallas Latino hip hop radio station — Baby Daddy Hotline. Girls who have problems with the fathers of their children call in to complain to the DJ. There's always a full line-up of calls.
A friend recently told me that her daughter, who attends a majority-Latino, public middle school (6th, 7th and 8th grades) in Dallas, Texas, told her that there were 26 girls pregnant at her school. She routinely has 1-3 girls, at minimum, in her classes who are pregnant. But what is equally shocking is that her daughter said that the girls sit around and talk about how they "planned their pregnancies." It's comprehensible that girls would plan for sex since sex is equated with sexiness and attractiveness and is so overtly glamorized in music videos and movies. There's no pre-teen or teenage girl who doesn't want to feel attractive and wanted by boys, but the idea that a fat belly is equally a turn-on is just a plain mystery.
Part of this escalating teen pregnancy among Latina teens can be traced back to the schools, but we can't blame educators. School administrators' hands are tied in teaching any realistic lessons on sex education and prevention. The jury ruled a long time ago that teaching only abstinence just doesn't work — unfortunately, the Latino community has had to pay the price for such wishful directives from Washington.
Some would argue that the blame should be directed at the parents but that doesn't entirely work either. For one thing, teenagers, of any ethnicity, always think they know more than their parents and don't easily volunteer information. Couple that logic with language barriers (child is fluent in English, parent is not), parents too busy working several jobs and too exhausted to keep up with their children or dangerous neighborhoods where gang influence and drug use are a part of life as they know it.
All of these are scenarios that play a part in teens getting pregnant, but one other scenario that has never really been discussed is that some teens who get pregnant are continuing a family cycle — they see it as a tradition. Mom got pregnant young, dropped out of school, had more kids, worked dead-end jobs, never thought about school again. Daughter follows mom's footsteps.
We see from the statistics that this scenario plays out more than is healthy for any society. When we also see that among Mexican-Americans there is a 23 percent poverty rate, then the future is pretty much foretold — Latinos, who will be the majority national demographic in the future, will be the least educated with the most children. Both factors will tax our society and imperil the future economic security of the country if something isn't done.
The solutions are not hard to figure out but may shock those people who insist on believing that teens are as innocent as 4-year-olds or who have a Puritan mindset when it comes to sex:
1. TEACH realistic sex education in the schools. Recognize the fact that teens are having sex and have safe sex materials available for their use.
2. PROMOTE a "Better Future" program to parents starting in elementary school. Underscore the benefits of education and family communication. Instruct parents on what is proper television programming for children to watch and age-appropriate clothing. Create more opportunities for parents to share time with children, especially in middle school and high school.
3.INSPIRE students to see beyond today with innovative programming, field trips, guest speakers, projects, etc.
4. TAKE ADVANTAGE of the work being done by the National Campaign to Prevent Teen Pregnancy and implement their research and ideas for teens.
The bottom line is that those teens who can only plan for their pregnancies are doing so because they can't see a world with them doing anything more. It may be because they know they can be good parents but aren't so confident of their educational prowess. Maybe they've never been praised or encouraged to try. Whichever it is, today's Latino teen pregnancy statistics underscore the need to start opening our eyes to what has the potential to change the economic course of the future of this country. Resolving this problem can't wait for the election of the next President, but by the same token, it can only start when people realize there's a problem. How many more Latinas have to aspire to be teenage moms before someone recognizes there's a problem?
Pegasus News content partner - Latina Lista
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Comments
Pavel Lishin Verified
Whoa. There's a "Babby Daddy Hotline"? Holy crap, is it in English? Because that sounds hillarious. What station is it on?
1 year, 6 months ago ( Link to this comment | Suggest removal )
Jeremy Dunck Staff
Google-fu results in: Baby Daddy Hotline @ 8 PM on Casa 106.7
Webbage: http://www.casa1067.com/
1 year, 6 months ago ( Link to this comment | Suggest removal )
Jason Rice Verified
Pavel, I really wanted to jump on you for being insensitive.... but DANG I had to come back to see if anyone DID find when/where it was.
How DARE you highlight my own hypocrisy! (well done!)
Oh, and what a beautifully written article. Really. I'm usually pretty cynical about issues I might consider cultural separatism, but she caught my attention and made some fine genuine points. I'll be watching for this journalist from now on.
1 year, 6 months ago ( Link to this comment | Suggest removal )
Scott Doyle Verified
Hollene was so kind to remind me of this piece. Couldn't comment at the time for reasons I can't discuss.
I entirely disagree, Jason. Marisa moans and groans about racism and discrimination, but we should single out latina teen pregnancies as a crisis? Why shouldn't any other pregnant teens be considered just as much of a crisis?
Ridiculous double standard.
1 year, 5 months ago ( Link to this comment | Suggest removal )
Lisa Lawrence Merritt Verified
Ya know, once they have their Quinceañera then they pop out that first kid and before ya know it- the next stop is expiration date.
I've seen it too many times to count.
1 year, 5 months ago ( Link to this comment | Suggest removal )
Esther Anonymous
how dare you talk about latinas geting pregnant. Lisa Lawrence Merritt i think you are being racis and discrimination. You should STOP single out latina teen. Think about other races and so you know not all latinas get pregnant after there Quinceanera. so get your facts right ok. :) Also to all the latina girls that are pregnant keep your heads up don't let people put you down.
1 year, 5 months ago ( Link to this comment | Suggest removal )
James Scott Verified
Scott - I think the reason the article is significant is plainly listed at the very beginning:
"for the first time, Hispanic teens now have the highest rates of both teen pregnancy and births."
So, sounds like to me there is merit in looking at the Latina teen pregnancy problem with more scrutiny, given the fact that the overall rate of teen pregnancy has gone down (assuming the facts are accurate).
Before you start talking about double-standards, re-read the article, and your comment, and see who is moaning and groaning.
1 year, 5 months ago ( Link to this comment | Suggest removal )
Rawlins Gilliland Verified
(Crowd of villagers carrying torches (or flicking BICS) chanting in approval at a reasoned response over single-minded reaction)"Scot! Scot!"
1 year, 5 months ago ( Link to this comment | Suggest removal )
Scott Doyle Verified
James, I'm all for calling attention to the issue of teen pregnancies, but to insinuate hispanics suddenly need more aid because they've eventually out-paced others is ludicrous.
Re-read Latina Lista articles from this year along with commentary that ensued. Clearly a double standard, imo.
1 year, 5 months ago ( Link to this comment | Suggest removal )
Scott Doyle Verified
By the way, simply because teens aren't squeezing out as many babies as prior years doesn't mean it's magically not a problem.
1 year, 5 months ago ( Link to this comment | Suggest removal )
Lisa Lawrence Merritt Verified
Dear Esther: not to worry, I pick on everyone else as well.
1 year, 5 months ago ( Link to this comment | Suggest removal )
Kay Anonymous
Uh...I see strong points in your opinions, guys. I don't know that this question has any merit at all, or if I simply may have missed its mention ...but ...Has anyone equated into the stats that the possibile reason for more Latina pregnant teens in the writer's research might be that there may be more Latina teens on the scene than in previous reports?
I've no idea if it could be a factor or not, but just trying to get more of the facts on the matter in the discussion.
1 year, 5 months ago ( Link to this comment | Suggest removal )
Pavel Lishin Verified
"on the scene"? Do you mean that the latino population in the southwest is increasing?
I assume that the percentage of latino teen pregnancies increased, not the absolute number.
Anyway, at the risk of being controversial, I think my preferred solution to teen pregnancy is a pretty good one.
1 year, 5 months ago ( Link to this comment | Suggest removal )
Kay Anonymous
Controversial?? HORRID, Pavel. Unfortunately, this happens in RL far too often to be funny.
"on the scene"...meaning in the area of the statistics-gathering for the article.
When statistics are the basis of an article, it's helpful to understand how those stats were garnered.
1 year, 5 months ago ( Link to this comment | Suggest removal )
Pavel Lishin Verified
Well, that's why I'm all for new Planned Parenthoods being opened. I wish they had a mini-one in every gas-station, throwing condoms and contraceptive brochures at every customer, with places equipped to perform safe abortions an hour's bus-ride from everyone's house.
Getting punched in the babbymaker is bad. Being raised by a family that never wanted you, doesn't love you, and can barely feed you is worse, whether you're the poor kid, or me.
1 year, 5 months ago ( Link to this comment | Suggest removal )
DC Anonymous
Well, that was pretty easy:
http://www.thenationalcampaign.org/es...
Overall, their descriptive statistics seem convincing. However, making a big deal about this 3% thing strikes me as probably not significant.
1 year, 5 months ago ( Link to this comment | Suggest removal )
Kay Anonymous
Pavel,
You're making some very good points and all that being available would certainly IMO be better than resorting to the punching of a pregnant girl/woman as ANY solution of any kind. There is still far too much domestic abuse. (Just check out the PD reports - especially on "bar nights".)
Point made regarding the abuse of unwanted/unloved/uncared for children. Abuse is the problem. Never is abuse THE solution.
1 year, 5 months ago ( Link to this comment | Suggest removal )
DC Anonymous
So, what to do?
The president vetos a bill for child care, but spends more money on nuclear submarines to fight an enemy that takes down planes with four dollar box cutters.
We spend more on health care per capita than any other country, yet can't reach these kids in any meaningful fashion.
Either we've got some messed up priorities, or it's really a free market out there and this is just another 'too bad, you're poor' issue.
1 year, 5 months ago ( Link to this comment | Suggest removal )
Scott Doyle Verified
Asian teens apparently do not racka disciprine in the sex column.
Seems to be a bit of both, DC - market's free enough that priorities are weighted by cash flow.
Since I don't recall this being on PN, and since I'm sure many are wondering why Pavel appears to have the shakes when he spells babby:
Original question on Yahoo Answers.
1 year, 5 months ago ( Link to this comment | Suggest removal )
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