COLUMN, "THE IMPORTANCE OF SEX ED," BY HAYDEE MORALES, EL DIARIO (12/31/07)
When it was announced that Jamie-Lynn Spears was pregnant, I have to admit that I was somewhat unprepared for the flood of media coverage – “What a tragedy, a crisis, a teachable moment, a wake-up call, an opportunity!”) that accompanied it. But then, I live in a world where, sadly, teen pregnancy is not news.
In New York City, rates for teenage pregnancy and births far exceed statewide and national averages; within the city the Bronx has the highest rates, followed by Brooklyn. Race disparities are high, with African-Americans and Latinas accounting for much higher percentages of teen pregnancies (44.7% and 33.0% respectively) than Caucasian or Asian/Pacific Islander teenagers.
Reasons for teen pregnancy are complex. Decades of research have identified more than 100 precursors early teen sexual intercourse, poor contraceptive use, pregnancy and childbearing. These risk factors fall into such categories as: community disadvantage; family structure and economic disadvantage; family, peer and partner attitudes and behavior. The bottom line is: while all teens are at some risk, some teens are at much higher risk than others.
The communities teens live in influence their sexual behavior as well. When teens live in poor communities with less advantage and opportunity and more disorganization, they are more likely to engage in sex at an earlier age and to become pregnant.
There is, however, clear evidence that comprehensive sex education programs can reduce teen sexual risk-taking and pregnancy. This is great news for all of us who care about young people. Teens need comprehensive sex education that teaches them about abstinence and birth control, body image, sexually transmitted infections, healthy relationships and parent/child communication.
We must also expand our thinking beyond pregnancy prevention, to embrace a broader range of health and social challenges that young people face every day like overall reproductive health and rising rates of obesity, diabetes, asthma, depression, and violence. We need to dedicate serious commitment and resources to high-risk communities if we are serious about permanently and significantly reversing the trend in unintended teen pregnancies.
Through several targeted programs, PPNYC engages community members as partners in efforts to reduce teen pregnancy and improve sexual health. These include the teen advocate program, a corps of 30 teenagers trained by PPNYC to conduct theatrical workshops on a variety of sexual health topics in the Bronx, Brooklyn and Manhattan’s Lower Eastside; Adult Role Models, local parents who lead workshops for other parents on how to talk with children and teens about sexuality; Gurlz Talk, a sexual health program for girls aged 11 – 19t that teaches them the skills they need to stay sexually safe and healthy; and Fellas, a health program that provides young men with the information they need to lead sexually responsible lives. Because, after all, let’s remember that no teen girl gets pregnant by herself!
Until we see as much public outrage and engagement when "Shaquana" or "Maria" become pregnant – an every day occurrence – I worry that society’s commitment to helping teens navigate the tricky and oft-confusing waters of sexuality will be as fleeting as the media’s “concern” for Ms. Spears. That would be a lost opportunity indeed.
