by Jacqueline Morris
16 and Pregant? No worries…..Forever 21 has just created a new line of maternity clothes entitled Love 21 Maternity that will be featured in several stores in targeted states. These states include California, Texas, Alaska, Arizona, and Utah, all of which have high teen pregnancy rates. Coincidence? I think not! Forever 21 is trying to market to their target audience and by selling exclusively in these states they have accomplished their goal.
Critics however disagree with the release of a maternity line specifically for teens. Is Forever 21 saying that it’s ok to be a teenager and be pregnant? No I don’t believe so! I think they are adjusting themselves for the situation at hand. More and more teenagers are getting pregnant and this is a niche that nobody else has had the nerve to tap into. Forever 21 was smart for creating this line and as you see when you walk into any Forever 21, the store is not just for teenagers. There are mothers and daughters who shop together at Forever 21. This maternity line will just serve as an alternative to other maternity stores who may not sell small enough sizes, stylish clothes, or at a low enough price. Love 21 Maternity features a complete collection of jeans, leggings, and tops all priced at under $20.
Forever 21 is not the problem. The problem lies much, much deeper and until we decide to face the problem and propose viable solutions, the problem will continue to exist.
Tuesday, July 27, 2010
Sunday, July 11, 2010
Teen moms more likely to have preterm baby
CORK, Ireland, July 9 (UPI) -- Teen mothers are at higher risk for a preterm birth and a child with low birth weight, especially if it is her second child, researchers in Ireland say.
Ali Khashan of the University College Cork and a team of researchers analyzed data of all 14-to-29-year-old women who had a live baby in the northwest of England from January 2004 to December 2006.
The researchers said 3,636 women were ages 14-17 at the time of birth, 7,506 ages 18-19 and 45,211 ages 20-29.
Khashan says the rates of teen pregnancy increased with increased poverty and more than one-third of the teen mothers came from the most socially deprived areas. In the study, the teen mothers were more likely to be underweight and white.
"It is possible that the increased risk of poor pregnancy outcome is related to biological immaturity," Khashan says in a statement.
"It is also possible that the increased risk of poor pregnancy outcome in the second teenage pregnancy is related to numerous complicating factors such as greater social deprivation and less prenatal care."
The study is published in the journal Pregnancy and Childbirth.
Ali Khashan of the University College Cork and a team of researchers analyzed data of all 14-to-29-year-old women who had a live baby in the northwest of England from January 2004 to December 2006.
The researchers said 3,636 women were ages 14-17 at the time of birth, 7,506 ages 18-19 and 45,211 ages 20-29.
Khashan says the rates of teen pregnancy increased with increased poverty and more than one-third of the teen mothers came from the most socially deprived areas. In the study, the teen mothers were more likely to be underweight and white.
"It is possible that the increased risk of poor pregnancy outcome is related to biological immaturity," Khashan says in a statement.
"It is also possible that the increased risk of poor pregnancy outcome in the second teenage pregnancy is related to numerous complicating factors such as greater social deprivation and less prenatal care."
The study is published in the journal Pregnancy and Childbirth.
Friday, July 2, 2010
New Program Aims To Lower Teen Pregnancy Rate Among Hispanics
On Tuesday, a coalition of national and local advocacy groups announced a collaboration to lower the pregnancy rate and facilitate family planning decisions among Hispanic teens. The initiative emphasizes policies that provide support for Hispanic families, promote sexual health information and improve sex education.
The teen pregnancy rate among Hispanics is the highest of any U.S. ethnic group and nearly twice the national average for all teens, according to the National Council of La Raza's Institute for Hispanic Health. Fifty-two percent of Hispanic teens become pregnant before age 20, the institute reports. Hispanic teen pregnancy and birth rates rose between 2005 and 2006, marking the first increase since 1990, according to NCLR.
Maria Rosa, a NCLR vice president, said, "When a Latina teen becomes pregnant, this impacts her chances of graduating high school, having a successful career and improving her socio-economic status" (Costa, San Antonio Express-News, 6/29).
Reprinted with kind permission from http://www.nationalpartnership.org.
The teen pregnancy rate among Hispanics is the highest of any U.S. ethnic group and nearly twice the national average for all teens, according to the National Council of La Raza's Institute for Hispanic Health. Fifty-two percent of Hispanic teens become pregnant before age 20, the institute reports. Hispanic teen pregnancy and birth rates rose between 2005 and 2006, marking the first increase since 1990, according to NCLR.
Maria Rosa, a NCLR vice president, said, "When a Latina teen becomes pregnant, this impacts her chances of graduating high school, having a successful career and improving her socio-economic status" (Costa, San Antonio Express-News, 6/29).
Reprinted with kind permission from http://www.nationalpartnership.org.
Wednesday, June 16, 2010
Teen Pregnancy is reality, not TV
Several months ago, I wrote a Top of the Morning introducing a teen pregnancy support group offered by my hospital.
Little did I know that this article would wind up in the hands of a casting associate with MTV Networks in New York! Last Thursday began as a usual day of work. I step away from my desk, and when I returned I had a message on my machine which began, “Hi, this is Alicia Arnold. I am calling from MTV networking in New York City. We are currently casting for our upcoming season of “16 and Pregnant.”
She went on in her message to tell me she had read my article back in January regarding our teen pregnancy support group, and she wanted to know if we could work together to help get the word out or if I had any ideas or suggestions for the show.
You can imagine my excitement at being contacted by MTV. Here I am, 40 years old, and on the phone calling everyone I know. I’m telling all my friends, coworkers and family that MTV called me and wants to work with me and wants my ideas and suggestions for their show. I go home and I tell my children “Guess who called me?” My son says, “Who?” as he is playing his PSP. I said, “MTV;” he responds, “OK, yeah, right” and never looks up. I’ll prove it, I tell him because I saved the message as my ring tone. They finally believed me!
Over the next few days, as the initial shock wore off and the excitement faded; reality set in as I contemplated what to do about this offer. I record the series, and I watch part of an episode.
At this point, my parenting, nursing, and education skills kick back in. The reality is: teen pregnancy is a reality. It’s not glamorous and it’s not an easy life. Statistics show that Mississippi does have the nation’s highest teen pregnancy rate.
As parents, educators and health care providers, we have a responsibility to address abstinence and prevention of teen pregnancy. But we also have to face the fact that regardless of the education and support offered our teens, teenagers having babies happens. Teen pregnancy is a reality and it’s not a show.
Teens and parents need to know that there is support here for them and that they will make it through this life changing event.
They also must know to never give up on their hopes and dreams. They are still there, and they are still reachable. They have just taken the harder road to reach those dreams.
I encourage all pregnant teenagers ages 19 and under to attend our teen pregnancy support group from 2 to 3:30 p.m. Thursday in the Magnolia room at Natchez Regional Medical Center. To register for the class or for more information, please call me at 601-443-2360.
As exciting as MTV sounds, I graciously declined the offer. My feet are planted firmly on the ground, and my focus is on offering help and support locally, not helping be a part of glamorizing teen pregnancy nationally.
By, Theresa Cole
Theresa Cole, RN, is the nurse educator of The Women’s Center at Natchez Regional Medical Center
Little did I know that this article would wind up in the hands of a casting associate with MTV Networks in New York! Last Thursday began as a usual day of work. I step away from my desk, and when I returned I had a message on my machine which began, “Hi, this is Alicia Arnold. I am calling from MTV networking in New York City. We are currently casting for our upcoming season of “16 and Pregnant.”
She went on in her message to tell me she had read my article back in January regarding our teen pregnancy support group, and she wanted to know if we could work together to help get the word out or if I had any ideas or suggestions for the show.
You can imagine my excitement at being contacted by MTV. Here I am, 40 years old, and on the phone calling everyone I know. I’m telling all my friends, coworkers and family that MTV called me and wants to work with me and wants my ideas and suggestions for their show. I go home and I tell my children “Guess who called me?” My son says, “Who?” as he is playing his PSP. I said, “MTV;” he responds, “OK, yeah, right” and never looks up. I’ll prove it, I tell him because I saved the message as my ring tone. They finally believed me!
Over the next few days, as the initial shock wore off and the excitement faded; reality set in as I contemplated what to do about this offer. I record the series, and I watch part of an episode.
At this point, my parenting, nursing, and education skills kick back in. The reality is: teen pregnancy is a reality. It’s not glamorous and it’s not an easy life. Statistics show that Mississippi does have the nation’s highest teen pregnancy rate.
As parents, educators and health care providers, we have a responsibility to address abstinence and prevention of teen pregnancy. But we also have to face the fact that regardless of the education and support offered our teens, teenagers having babies happens. Teen pregnancy is a reality and it’s not a show.
Teens and parents need to know that there is support here for them and that they will make it through this life changing event.
They also must know to never give up on their hopes and dreams. They are still there, and they are still reachable. They have just taken the harder road to reach those dreams.
I encourage all pregnant teenagers ages 19 and under to attend our teen pregnancy support group from 2 to 3:30 p.m. Thursday in the Magnolia room at Natchez Regional Medical Center. To register for the class or for more information, please call me at 601-443-2360.
As exciting as MTV sounds, I graciously declined the offer. My feet are planted firmly on the ground, and my focus is on offering help and support locally, not helping be a part of glamorizing teen pregnancy nationally.
By, Theresa Cole
Theresa Cole, RN, is the nurse educator of The Women’s Center at Natchez Regional Medical Center
Tuesday, June 1, 2010
Teen Birth Rates
Teenage birth rates in the United States rose in 2007 for the second year in a row. These increases follow a continuous decline between 1991 and 2005. Teenage birth rates in the United States are high, exceeding those in most developed countries.
High teen birth rates are an important concern because teen mothers and their babies face increased risks to their health, and their opportunities to build a future are diminished.
Here are some important facts about teen pregnancy:
More than 10 percent of all U.S. births in 2006 were to mothers under age 20. Most teenage births (about 67 percent) are to girls ages 18 and 19. The pregnancy rate for teenagers fell 40 percent between 1990 and 2005 (from 116.8 to 70.6 per 1,000). However, in 2005, about 725,000 teens ages 15 to 19 became pregnant, and about 415,000 give birth.
About 3 in 10 teenage girls become pregnant at least once before age 20. The teenage birth rate increased in 2006 and 2007. Between 2005 and 2007, the rate rose 5 percent (from 41 to 42.5 per 1,000 women). This increase follows a 14-year decline between 1991 and 2005, when the rate fell by one-third (from 62 to 41 per 1,000 women). In 2007, about 4 in 100 teenage girls had a baby. About 1 in 4 teen mothers under age 18 have a second baby within 2 years after the birth of their first baby.
Teen mothers are more likely than mothers over age 20 to give birth prematurely (before 37 completed weeks of pregnancy). Between 2003 and 2005, preterm birth rates averaged 14.5 percent for women under age 20 compared to 11.9 percent for women ages 20 to 29. Babies born prematurely face an increased risk of newborn health problems, long-term disabilities and even death.
Taken from The March of Dimes
High teen birth rates are an important concern because teen mothers and their babies face increased risks to their health, and their opportunities to build a future are diminished.
Here are some important facts about teen pregnancy:
More than 10 percent of all U.S. births in 2006 were to mothers under age 20. Most teenage births (about 67 percent) are to girls ages 18 and 19. The pregnancy rate for teenagers fell 40 percent between 1990 and 2005 (from 116.8 to 70.6 per 1,000). However, in 2005, about 725,000 teens ages 15 to 19 became pregnant, and about 415,000 give birth.
About 3 in 10 teenage girls become pregnant at least once before age 20. The teenage birth rate increased in 2006 and 2007. Between 2005 and 2007, the rate rose 5 percent (from 41 to 42.5 per 1,000 women). This increase follows a 14-year decline between 1991 and 2005, when the rate fell by one-third (from 62 to 41 per 1,000 women). In 2007, about 4 in 100 teenage girls had a baby. About 1 in 4 teen mothers under age 18 have a second baby within 2 years after the birth of their first baby.
Teen mothers are more likely than mothers over age 20 to give birth prematurely (before 37 completed weeks of pregnancy). Between 2003 and 2005, preterm birth rates averaged 14.5 percent for women under age 20 compared to 11.9 percent for women ages 20 to 29. Babies born prematurely face an increased risk of newborn health problems, long-term disabilities and even death.
Taken from The March of Dimes
Monday, May 17, 2010
Former teen parents share insight with current teens
Reality didn't hit them until it had already happened. By then both high-schoolers had children.
Now 27 and working with current high schoolers and teen parents through Geauga Teen Pregnancy Prevention, Megan Bond and Chad Simonyi were fortunate to have supportive families.
But Bond had no sex education in school at all, likely the result of a move; Simonyi learned only the "mechanical aspects of pregnancy"; neither had "the talk" with their own parents; and from the trenches, both see parents still aren't communicating with their kids.
This means teens who are too afraid of being judged to raise the topic themselves instead get misinformation from peers or the Internet.
To push the issue, Bond and Simonyi speak to teens and parents side by side during TPP's voluntary "Dear Mom and Dad" events.
"I always tell parents to ease into it, talk to them at an age-appropriate level, and you have to put your uncomfort behind you and just do it," said Simonyi, who had his son with his ex-wife at 18 years old.
At the time Simonyi was being home-schooled in Chardon and already had his ship-out date for Army basic training.
"But I was determined to make it work, to try my best," Simonyi said.
His son, Christopher, is now almost 9, and he cares for him most of the time in Middlefield — a concept that baffles some high-schoolers.
"Students expect him to just pay child support," Bond said.
"No, he makes breakfast, he packs lunches, he puts him on the school bus."
Bond, meanwhile, said TPP Director Karen Lackey changed her life just months after she dropped out of Chardon High School to give birth at 16 years old.
Lackey was just starting TPP at the time, and she asked Bond to teach other teens.
There was a time when the teenage Bond worked three jobs to provide for little Steven, now 11. But she went on to earn her General Educational Development degree, as did Simonyi, and now works full-time for TPP as a classroom instructor for grades five through 10. She also counsels 16 current and former teen parents ages 15 to 31 in Geauga County, most of whom also left school to be parents.
More and more, she said, grandparents are either parenting their grandchildren, while teen parents take no responsibility, or they are kicking teen parents to the curb.
Bond and Simonyi hope teenagers feel empowered by their real-life stories about missed trips to the mall, diapers, hours of cartoons and interrupted showers.
"I was a smart kid, but I never realized that it was really a choice," Simonyi said. "You really hope that your message gets across to a lot of kids, but you never really know what kind of impact you have when you leave the room."
"I do," Bond cut in, then added, " 'cause I'm there for after-instructing. Teen parents have a huge impact on our high schoolers. Every time they leave it's, 'Wow, I didn't think about that, all the things they have to go through, and I need to consider this.' Especially when I say, 'I just had to sign her out of high school — she's missing three classes to be here to talk to you.' "
By Sandra M. Klepach
Now 27 and working with current high schoolers and teen parents through Geauga Teen Pregnancy Prevention, Megan Bond and Chad Simonyi were fortunate to have supportive families.
But Bond had no sex education in school at all, likely the result of a move; Simonyi learned only the "mechanical aspects of pregnancy"; neither had "the talk" with their own parents; and from the trenches, both see parents still aren't communicating with their kids.
This means teens who are too afraid of being judged to raise the topic themselves instead get misinformation from peers or the Internet.
To push the issue, Bond and Simonyi speak to teens and parents side by side during TPP's voluntary "Dear Mom and Dad" events.
"I always tell parents to ease into it, talk to them at an age-appropriate level, and you have to put your uncomfort behind you and just do it," said Simonyi, who had his son with his ex-wife at 18 years old.
At the time Simonyi was being home-schooled in Chardon and already had his ship-out date for Army basic training.
"But I was determined to make it work, to try my best," Simonyi said.
His son, Christopher, is now almost 9, and he cares for him most of the time in Middlefield — a concept that baffles some high-schoolers.
"Students expect him to just pay child support," Bond said.
"No, he makes breakfast, he packs lunches, he puts him on the school bus."
Bond, meanwhile, said TPP Director Karen Lackey changed her life just months after she dropped out of Chardon High School to give birth at 16 years old.
Lackey was just starting TPP at the time, and she asked Bond to teach other teens.
There was a time when the teenage Bond worked three jobs to provide for little Steven, now 11. But she went on to earn her General Educational Development degree, as did Simonyi, and now works full-time for TPP as a classroom instructor for grades five through 10. She also counsels 16 current and former teen parents ages 15 to 31 in Geauga County, most of whom also left school to be parents.
More and more, she said, grandparents are either parenting their grandchildren, while teen parents take no responsibility, or they are kicking teen parents to the curb.
Bond and Simonyi hope teenagers feel empowered by their real-life stories about missed trips to the mall, diapers, hours of cartoons and interrupted showers.
"I was a smart kid, but I never realized that it was really a choice," Simonyi said. "You really hope that your message gets across to a lot of kids, but you never really know what kind of impact you have when you leave the room."
"I do," Bond cut in, then added, " 'cause I'm there for after-instructing. Teen parents have a huge impact on our high schoolers. Every time they leave it's, 'Wow, I didn't think about that, all the things they have to go through, and I need to consider this.' Especially when I say, 'I just had to sign her out of high school — she's missing three classes to be here to talk to you.' "
By Sandra M. Klepach
Thursday, May 6, 2010
Truth about teen pregnancy, one teen's tough journey
Many parents don’t think their teenagers are having sex, but statistics show, they are. Half of kids in high school are sexually active and almost half of them aren’t using condoms or protection.
"I thought the same thing. Oh, this one time, I'll be safe. And it just so happened that one time is all it took."
Kayla Wright got pregnant with her daughter, Adalia, when she was 17-years-old.
"When I found out I was pregnant, my whole life changed. Everything changed," Kayla shares. "I would rather sleep out on the streets than stay at home. I ended up sleeping in a garage."
Kayla’s childhood came to a screeching stop the second she found out she was having a baby. And she’s not alone. About 2,000 teens become pregnant every day in the United States.
May 5 is the annual National Day to Prevent Teen Pregnancy. Three out of ten girls will be pregnant by the time they’re 20-years-old. And people having unprotected sex regularly have an 85% chance of getting pregnant within one year.
"If I had to just tell all the teenage girls and the boys, just worry about school. Worry about getting through life without having to raise another child,” Kayla says with tears swelling her eyes. Bringing somebody else into the world that you already can't afford, it's not very fun."
Kayla got the help and love she needed at Hannah’s House in Mishawaka. Hannah’s House is a place that welcomes and nurtures pregnant women, mostly teens, who have nowhere else to go.
"A baby is for real. A baby is forever," explains Karen DeLucenay, from Hannah’s House. "If you have some goals in life, that you maybe want to do college, you want to someday be a mom later in life, just hold onto that and hold onto your own values. Be able to say that word, 'No' or 'I'm not ready now.' Because that's okay. That's okay to do."
Hannah’s House provides the young women with shelter, food and baby supplies. But they also learn responsibility and self-confidence.
"Teens are not really ready and prepared to know what it's going to be like to be a mom. Maybe they're excited that they're pregnant but they don't understand that it's going to take a lot of work. So we're here to help them with that," DeLucenay explains. "For the women we see, a lot of them are hoping for the daddy to be involved with their life and they're going to be a family and for a lot of these young women, they find that that's not going to happen. And that reality that he's not going to be there and they're not going to be a family, it hits real hard."
Pregnant girls in the South Bend Community School Corporation have the option of taking classes through the School Age Mothers Program. There, they take classes only with other pregnant students and get the special empathy and guidance they need.
"Along with academics, they need a lot of social support, a lot of empathy, a lot of understanding," explains Arlene Hall, School Age Mothers Program. "One of the things they need to remember is when they change their lives, they also change their parents' lives because that's there support mechanism.”
Teen pregnancies in St. Joseph County have actually gone down the last decade. In 2009, 280 teens gave birth compared to 335 in 2008, 342 in 2005 and 369 in 2000. Health officials contribute that to more awareness, education, birth control and the simple fact that people are talking more openly about sex and protection.
A resource parents and teens can use to talk about sex, pregnancy and protection is www.StayTeen.org.
By, Alana Greenfogel
WNDU.com
"I thought the same thing. Oh, this one time, I'll be safe. And it just so happened that one time is all it took."
Kayla Wright got pregnant with her daughter, Adalia, when she was 17-years-old.
"When I found out I was pregnant, my whole life changed. Everything changed," Kayla shares. "I would rather sleep out on the streets than stay at home. I ended up sleeping in a garage."
Kayla’s childhood came to a screeching stop the second she found out she was having a baby. And she’s not alone. About 2,000 teens become pregnant every day in the United States.
May 5 is the annual National Day to Prevent Teen Pregnancy. Three out of ten girls will be pregnant by the time they’re 20-years-old. And people having unprotected sex regularly have an 85% chance of getting pregnant within one year.
"If I had to just tell all the teenage girls and the boys, just worry about school. Worry about getting through life without having to raise another child,” Kayla says with tears swelling her eyes. Bringing somebody else into the world that you already can't afford, it's not very fun."
Kayla got the help and love she needed at Hannah’s House in Mishawaka. Hannah’s House is a place that welcomes and nurtures pregnant women, mostly teens, who have nowhere else to go.
"A baby is for real. A baby is forever," explains Karen DeLucenay, from Hannah’s House. "If you have some goals in life, that you maybe want to do college, you want to someday be a mom later in life, just hold onto that and hold onto your own values. Be able to say that word, 'No' or 'I'm not ready now.' Because that's okay. That's okay to do."
Hannah’s House provides the young women with shelter, food and baby supplies. But they also learn responsibility and self-confidence.
"Teens are not really ready and prepared to know what it's going to be like to be a mom. Maybe they're excited that they're pregnant but they don't understand that it's going to take a lot of work. So we're here to help them with that," DeLucenay explains. "For the women we see, a lot of them are hoping for the daddy to be involved with their life and they're going to be a family and for a lot of these young women, they find that that's not going to happen. And that reality that he's not going to be there and they're not going to be a family, it hits real hard."
Pregnant girls in the South Bend Community School Corporation have the option of taking classes through the School Age Mothers Program. There, they take classes only with other pregnant students and get the special empathy and guidance they need.
"Along with academics, they need a lot of social support, a lot of empathy, a lot of understanding," explains Arlene Hall, School Age Mothers Program. "One of the things they need to remember is when they change their lives, they also change their parents' lives because that's there support mechanism.”
Teen pregnancies in St. Joseph County have actually gone down the last decade. In 2009, 280 teens gave birth compared to 335 in 2008, 342 in 2005 and 369 in 2000. Health officials contribute that to more awareness, education, birth control and the simple fact that people are talking more openly about sex and protection.
A resource parents and teens can use to talk about sex, pregnancy and protection is www.StayTeen.org.
By, Alana Greenfogel
WNDU.com
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