If you’ve got a
teenager, steer clear of Texas. Why? Because Texas holds the dubious
distinction of not only being #1 in the nation for teen pregnancy but also for
repeat teen pregnancy. For those teens, the ones who’ve already birthed a
child—and their offspring—this news is a big deal. According to “Another
Chance: Preventing Additional Births to Teen Mothers,” a publication from the
National Campaign to Prevent Teen Pregnancy, the birth of an additional child
to a teen mother reduces the likelihood that she will complete her education or
become self-sufficient.
Let’s talk about
cycles. A Time magazine article cites these statistics: half of those who give
birth before age 18 complete high school (as compared with 96% of those who
postpone childbearing). On average, they earn half as much money and are far
more likely to be dependent on welfare: 71% of females under 30 who receive Aid
to Families with Dependent Children had their first child. And what about the
children? They are more likely to fall ill during childhood, and more likely to
become parents while still teens themselves. None of these stats about teen
pregnancy constitutes new news, and of course we all know Texas to be
pioneering epicenter of the abstinence-only sex education model. Texas also
requires teens to inform one parent about abortion 48 hours before the
procedure. Another statistic: teen abortion rates dropped slightly after the
parental notification law took effect, although it’s not known how many teens
crossed state lines for the service. What has been documented about states with
parental consent or notification laws is that blocking access also decreases
teens’ access to other reproductive health services. In other words, over the
years, not becoming a parent has become increasingly difficult for Texas teens.
Here’s the good
news: turning the tide is possible. What’s necessary to do so is considerable
effort that includes both broad thinking and broad action. The risk factors for
teen pregnancy, according to a study published by Planned Parenthood of
Georgia, include poverty, a history of sexual abuse, poor performance in
school, and lack of consistent parenting and lack of information about such
topics as sex, birth control and reproductive health. Given how many factors
truly contribute to the reality of teen pregnancy, debate about abstinence-only
sex education versus comprehensive sex education really constitutes the tip of
a very large iceberg—and most of the ice gets ignored while arguments from
those opposing teen sexual activity try to advocate it being stopped by not
talking about it—and yet critical to change outcomes. One can liken the anti-teen
sex advocates to the anti-drug champions of Nancy Reagan’s era: “Just say no.”
If only change were that simple, right?
Successful
models are out there, ones that look to antecedents of teen pregnancy like
poverty and try to build community partnerships so that the whole child—or
whole teen—can benefit from having her or his needs addressed, basic
necessities that help young people thrive like academic support, encouragement,
access to basic health care and adequate nutrition.
Systemic and
broad thinking and comprehensive action addressing problems such as teen
pregnancy represent the only possible approaches to make meaningful headway so
that young people really get to choose when or whether to become parents. Time
and again, such oversimplified questions—often ones that really do not have
satisfactory answers such as when does life begin—put a kibosh upon addressing
ways to make actual people’s lives better and healthier. Should teens be
sexually active? That, too, is the wrong question. Without ensuring that teens
can make decisions around sexual activity in informed and responsible ways, the
question is not really worth trying to answer. Should teens be forced to live
in poverty? To that question, there’s a clear answer: no. And yet, for so many
in power—and so many of us not in power, too—solving problems like poverty
doesn’t top the agenda. In theory, sure, but we—as a nation, say choosing its
next President—haven’t made poverty a central issue. But without a willingness
to be complex in our thinking and far-reaching in our actions, we can’t really
take on these kinds of social problems successfully.