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.
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| 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.
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