The Teen Mom Trend

                    Teen pregnancy has become a hot-button issue that seems to be evolving into a glorified epidemic.

                  With TV shows like MTV’s “16 and Pregnant” and “Teen Mom” putting high school-aged pregnant and parenting girls in the spotlight, the issue of teen pregnancy not only seems to be running more rampant, but also becoming more acceptable.

                  However, one may be shocked to find out that according to the Guttmacher Institute-- an independent, nonprofit organization that focuses on sexual and reproductive health--teen pregnancy is at its lowest level in nearly 40 years. Perhaps then it is the media giving viewers a glimpse into the lives of these pregnant and parenting teens that makes it seem like the issue of teen pregnancy is becoming more prevalent than ever.

Union High School counselor, Mike Roark, points out family
living and child development class options in the school's
course offerings catalog in Tulsa, Okla., on Friday, Feb. 17, 2012.

                  According to guttmacher.org, Oklahoma has the seventh highest rate of teenagers who give birth in the country. Mike Roark, a counselor at Union High School in Tulsa, said he has seen the number of pregnant students fluctuate throughout his 17-year-long career.

                  “I don’t necessarily believe that the number of pregnant girls I see in my school has increased dramatically over the past couple of years. Some years I only see one or two, and other years it’s more. But it’s more of a pattern that comes and goes in waves,” Roark said.

                  According to Roark, Hispanics make up the majority of pregnant teens at Union High School. Blacks and whites make up the rest for the most part, and are about equal to each other.

               “I believe the reason for this is because it is more acceptable in the Hispanic culture to start thinking about having children and getting married at a much younger age,” Roark stated.

                  Courtney Roach, a now 24-year-old married mother of two, knows all too well about the hardships of being a teen mom.

                  “I became pregnant at 15. I was in complete shock and denial. I hid the fact that I was pregnant from everyone except my boyfriend for four months. When I finally told my mom, she kicked me out of the house and pretty much abandoned me until my baby was about 2 months old,” Roach said.

                  When asked about their opinions on the TV shows “16 and Pregnant” and “Teen Mom,” neither Roark nor Roach had positive things to say.

                  “Girls these days might watch these shows and think, ‘That’s an easy way to get on TV and make money,’ and do something completely life changing for all the wrong reasons,“ Roark said.

                  “I absolutely can’t stand those shows,” Roach said. “They glorify the stereotype of being a teen mom.”             

                  When it comes to the issue of preventing teen pregnancy, education is the key.

                  “You’d be so shocked to hear all of the crazy questions I get from students about sex. It blows my mind how they listen to the stupid advice and tips they get from their friends, who also know nothing about what they are talking about,” Roark said.

                  “I think the best way to educate kids on safe sex is to basically scare them to death. They need to have it drilled into their minds that it only takes one time. That‘s how many times it took me before I found myself pregnant--just once,“ Roach stated.

                  Educating our youth on safe sex is critical to the reduction of teen pregnancy. The only sure-fire way to prevent pregnancy is abstinence. However, schools do not necessarily feel comfortable with the notion of preaching a moral issue to students.

                  “Unfortunately, kids are going to do what they’re going to do, so we need to educate them on safe sex and protecting themselves,” Roark said. “They can’t really grasp the concept that if you play with fire, it’s not a matter of if you’re going to get burned--it’s just a matter of when.”

                  For more information and statistics on sexual health, visit the Guttmacher Institute’s website at www.guttmacher.org.

Working on the Wild Side

Two Grant's Zebras hanging out at the Oklahoma City Zoo.

Last Tuesday evening, the University of Oklahoma’s Pre-Vet Club invited Dr. Jennifer D’Agostino, head veterinarian at the Oklahoma City Zoo, to speak at Sutton Hall.

“We’ve never had a zoo veterinarian speak at our meetings, so I thought inviting Dr. D’Agostino to share her experiences dealing with exotic animals would be something new and interesting,” said Katie Fenwick, the Pre-Vet Club’s president.

            Dr. D’Agostino has worked for the Oklahoma City Zoo for nearly ten years, since she began her residency there in 2003.

            “I’ve known that I wanted to be a zoo vet since I was seven years old. I don’t really know why though. My family hardly ever went to the zoo when I was growing up. Sometimes you just know that this is what you were made to do,” said Dr. D’Agostino.

            Although the rewards of being a zoo veterinarian are very fulfilling, it was a long, hard road to get to where she is today.  According to the Association of Zoos and Aquariums (aza.org), the total number of AZA-accredited zoos and aquariums in the U.S. is 225. Therefore, the zoological medicine field is a very competitive and not-so-high in-demand job market to get into.

            In addition to speaking about how she got started in zoological medicine, Dr. D’Agostino also talked about the challenges of her job as head veterinarian.

            “Working with dangerous animals, having limited information about rare species, and having limited examination ability on large animals are just a few of the main hurdles I come across every day at the zoo,” said Dr. D’Agostino.

            Dr. D’Agostino describes herself as being a generalist in her profession—she knows a little bit about a lot of animals.

            “There are thousands of species I work with, so it’s impossible to know everything about every single animal. If I at least know a little about each animal, that’s extremely helpful in my job. When we need to treat exotic animals for a disease, we just look at a more common animal closest in species. For example, if we need to treat an exotic cat for a disease, we find out what works in domestic cats, and usually we can use that same treatment for the exotic cat,” said Dr. D’Agostino.

            Zoo veterinarian’s roles range from the animals’ general health to conservation to reproduction. According to Dr. D’Agostino, most of the breeding that occurs at the zoo is intentional.  The newest addition to the zoo is a three-week old giraffe male, named Sergeant Peppers.

            “Sergeant Peppers is the son of Bogy and Ellie. He was born on January 17 of this year with no complications,” said Dr. D’Agostino.

            The new giraffe is not old enough to be seen yet by zoo visitors. However, his parents are able to be viewed, weather permitting.

            “If it is at least 40 degrees, the giraffes will be let out of their indoor homes. Unfortunately if it is below 40 degrees, the giraffes may develop hypothermia, so they can’t be viewed in those cold weather conditions,” said John, a giraffe zookeeper at the Oklahoma City Zoo.

            “The numbers vary, but there tends to be a good handful of baby animals born every year at the zoo,” said Dr. D’Agostino.

            Although new births are not something that occur every day at the zoo, Dr. D’Agostino loves her job because every single day is different.

            “In order to have my job, you need to be adaptable and able to think on your feet. That’s what I love about being a zoo veterinarian. Every day I get to experience something unique and exciting. There’s definitely never a dull moment,” said Dr. D’Agostino.

            The Oklahoma City Zoo is open from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. daily. For more information and special events, visit the zoo’s website at okczoo.com.

A Pink and Black Tie Affair

The Women’s Outreach Center is hosting the eighth annual Pink and Black Ball this Saturday. The Pink and Black Ball is a benefit to raise money for the Susan G. Komen for the Cure Foundation. According to the event’s website, ou.edu/pinkandblackball, this event aims to raise campus awareness of breast cancer while gathering students, faculty, and staff at a fun community event. This is a semi-formal event that will feature a live jazz band, DJ, photo booth, and refreshments. Pink and Black attire is encouraged.

Women’s Outreach Center employee, Kathy Moxley, says the Pink and Black Ball is an extremely successful event. “The number of attendees grow every year. People are aware that we put this event on, and it’s something that many people look forward to.” Moxley also says that the Pink and Black Ball is not the only breast cancer awareness fundraiser they sponsor. “We have a couple of other smaller events we put on throughout the year. There is a zumba-thon in the Fall and ‘Climb for Komen’ rock climbing event in the Spring that is held at the Huston Hoffman Fitness Center.”

University of Oklahoma student and Alumni Relations Chair, Abby Castro, says this will be the second year she attends the ball. “Last year, the Student Alumni Association provided funding for the Pink and Black Ball, so that’s how I became involved in the event. This year we weren’t asked to provide funding, but the ball was so fun and it’s such a great cause, so I’m going to attend again.”

The Ball will be held at the Sam Noble Oklahoma Natural History Museum from 8 p.m. to midnight. Tickets are $15 in advance or $20 at the door, and all proceeds go to the Susan G. Komen for the Cure’s Central Oklahoma Affiliate.

Sense of Place

Portrait Without A Person